Battle for Europe

A “wondrously enthralling” history of the bloody battle that ended Louis XIV’s dream of European domination (The Times, UK). In 1704, the armies of French King Louis XIV were poised to extend the French frontiers to the Rhine and install a French prince on the Spanish throne. But as French forces marched toward Vienna, allied armies commanded by John Churchill, Duke of Marlborough, and Prince Eugene of Savoy set out to oppose them. The two forces clashed at Blenheim, in Bavaria, and the previously undefeated French were routed. Based on original sources, this “thoughtful, interesting, and well-written” narrative brings the battle to life, capturing the deliberations of kings as well as the experiences of ordinary soldiers (The Sunday Telegraph, UK).