This ebook is purpose built and is proof-read and re-type set from the original to provide an outstanding experience of reflowing text for an ebook reader. Colonel Jean Colin was the head of the historical section of the French General Staff for many years. He authored a number of books on the military history of the French Revolution, wars of Napoleon and the great man himself. He also oversaw the publications of many more in his position as the head of the historical section in the latter part of the 19th into the 20th century, as part of a further well-spring of military literature printed in the wake of the epic defeat of the French by the Prussians in 1870-71. In this volume, translated by Spenser Wilkinson (then Chichele Professor of Military History of Oxford), he covers, in an elegant yet concise style, 13 of the greatest battles of European history. As he himself points out, he cannot cover all important battles of them in one tome; those covered are Marathon, Arbela, Cannae, Zama, Pharsalia, Bouvines, Rocroi, Valmy, Jena, Waterloo, Gravelotte, Mukden, and Lule Burgas. There is a slight bias in terms of the extent of coverage in favour of the more recent battles over the more ancient ones, but the book doesn’t suffer for it: the expert commentary of each is very illuminating. Title – The Great Battles of History Author — Colonel Jean-Lambert-Alphonse Colin (1864-1917) Translator — Spenser Wilkinson (1853-1937) Text taken, whole and complete, from the edition published in 1915, London, by Hugh Rees Ltd. Original – xii and 418 pages. Illustrations – 28 maps and plans.
