Prince Eugen of Savoy

Rating:
Summary: The Sun King's Greatest Foe
Review: Prince Eugen of Savoy was of an Italian/French background (his mother Olympia was related to Cardinal Mazarin) and raised in and around the court of that great French expansionist, Louis XIV. His decision to flee France and join the court of the Habsburgs, France's most implacable opponents, is the stuff of legend, and his epic battles against Vendome and Villars won him the status of Louis XIV's Enemy Number One. Of course, in English history, Eugen plays second-banana to his great ally, the Duke of Marlborough, and while it is true that two of his greatest victories (Blenheim and Oudernarte) were won at the Duke's side, his other exploits are equally glorious. He won a series of crushing victories against the Ottoman empire, permanently altering the balance of power in the Balkans, and conducted a Northern Italian campaign that ranks equally with those of Hannibal and Napoleon. (Indeed, it was Eugene, and not Marlborough, who made Napoleon's "greatest hit" list of famous generals.) This 1960s classic is the only English language biography of Eugen available, and the reprint is most welcome. Henderson also does an admirable job of showing us Eugen in peacetime: as his wonderful Belvedere and Winter Palace attest, he was foremost among Europe's greatest art collectors, builders and bibliophiles.

Rating:
Summary: The Sun King's Greatest Foe
Review: Prince Eugen of Savoy was of an Italian/French background (his mother Olympia was related to Cardinal Mazarin) and raised in and around the court of that great French expansionist, Louis XIV. His decision to flee France and join the court of the Habsburgs, France's most implacable opponents, is the stuff of legend, and his epic battles against Vendome and Villars won him the status of Louis XIV's Enemy Number One. Of course, in English history, Eugen plays second-banana to his great ally, the Duke of Marlborough, and while it is true that two of his greatest victories (Blenheim and Oudernarte) were won at the Duke's side, his other exploits are equally glorious. He won a series of crushing victories against the Ottoman empire, permanently altering the balance of power in the Balkans, and conducted a Northern Italian campaign that ranks equally with those of Hannibal and Napoleon. (Indeed, it was Eugene, and not Marlborough, who made Napoleon's "greatest hit" list of famous generals.) This 1960s classic is the only English language biography of Eugen available, and the reprint is most welcome. Henderson also does an admirable job of showing us Eugen in peacetime: as his wonderful Belvedere and Winter Palace attest, he was foremost among Europe's greatest art collectors, builders and bibliophiles.

Rating:
Summary: Thank god for Henderson
Review: Thank god for N. Henderson. Finding a book, any book written about the Prince are extremely hard to come by. Additionally the book is excellent. Fluid, easy reading, well done period atmosphere outline, the "times" of Eugene right up to his passing, personal anecdotes that really give you the flavor of his personality, overall balance and depth of subject all make this a 5 star selection. Now, if I can just find something like this on Turenne , I'll be set. LOL.
As a social aside, any person looking to emulate a man with integrity, loyalty, who is personally brave and honest, will be hard pressed to find one better than Eugene.