Frederick the Great: King of Prussia

Rating:
Summary: Worth the read
Review: "It wasn't the army that protected Prussia for seven years: It was Frederick the Great." - Napoleon.

Frederick the Great is undoubtedly one of the most elusive characters of the 18th century: like Napoleon, historians and biographers will have to duke it out for a few more centuries before we can accurately assess who he was and what kind of ruler, and man, he was. Unlike Napoleon, he doesn't get a whole lot of attention (oddly enough, because hes been overshadowed by Napoleon). Who was Frederick? A philospher-prince, a diplomatic genius of the Enlightenment -- or a monster, an aggressor who tore apart continental Europe for his own ambitions on no legality other than "... he could" ? Obviously, the answer is likely neither. Since German unification under the Great Elector, Frederick has been seen, most unfairly, as the root of militarist Germany that dominated Europe in the period of 1870-1945. Most modern biographies focus heavily on rehabilitating his reputation, as this one does.

This isn't a very good biography in most regards: it is highly readable and written well, but it lacks in greater research and insight. Sir David Fraser, himself a military man, writes most uncritically about a man he clearly regards very highly. The account is bordering on obsequious. Nevertheless, we can be blessed that, because the biography is so old-fashioned, it spairs us the sensationalism of "psychological speculation," limiting the discussion of Frederick's sexuality and the other rumors of the period to a few pages.

I give this biography four stars for its outstanding military edge. With helpful maps of key battles, Fraser explains the events with the clarity that only an old military man could write with. Military administration is also handled extremely well. No small thing, the biography is well worth the read for this alone.

Not a great biography, but it has its strengths.

Rating:
Summary: A very old-fashioned biography
Review: For the most part, this book could have been written a hundred years ago.

To give it its due, it is quite readable and provides a clear, lengthy, detailed narrative of Frederick's diplomatic activities and military campaigns. (There is some virtue to making the reader spend a few hours on the Seven Years War, rather than whipping through it in a few pages. Part of its dynamic and importance is that it was a very long war.)

I'm not sure who will really enjoy this book, though. Casual readers will find it way too long. Serious historians will be very disappointed by its narrow focus and its inattention to the massive body of scholarship on Frederick and Prussia during his reign. (The bibilography is grossly inadequate.) Even military buffs will want to know more about the organization of the various combatants and the important battles fought by Frederick's armies (including those of his allies and those he did not personally participate in).

The treatment of military and diplomatic matters lacks meaningful context. The military history is battles and campaigns; diplomatic history is Frederick's letters to his ambassadors and his fellow rulers and relatives. There really is no broader understanding of the larger context of how diplomacy and warfare related to the society within which it was located, how they affected the relationship between that society and the state that governed it. This is creaky old diplomatic history as a chess game played by monarchs.

I did a lot of 18th-century European history in college, so much
of this was a story I've heard before, and one that I like. For some newcomers, it might be overwhelming; for others it will seem relatively pointless.

Rating:
Summary: An Enlightenment Despot
Review: Frederick, King of Prussia, indisputably the greatest general/statesman of the eighteenth century, is also in many ways a more attractive warlord than some of his peers. Unlike Napoleon, he actually left his country in much better shape when he departed office than when he assumed it. Unlike Alexander - and numerous others of that ilk - he didn't murder folks he didn't like. Unlike Gustavus, he isn't associated with Protestant militarism. He was artistic, well-read and reasonably tolerant, by the standards of the day, and a sometime friend of Voltaire. In many ways his military and diplomatic expertise was self-taught - he could be said to be the last of the great "amateurs." Such is the portrait painted by Lord Fraser, who sidesteps discussion of the more intriguing questions about Frederick's private life, and struggles gallantly to excuse the great crime of Alter Fritz's career, the Partitions of Poland. And for all the German-language dropouts among us, a final consolation: Frederick's first tongue was French, and he hardly ever spoke German, a language he greatly disdained.

Rating:
Summary: Excellent Military Biography
Review: Once again, David Fraser, author of 'Knight's Cross: A Life of Field Marshal Erwin Rommel' has produced another masterful biography. This beautifully told story of Frederick the Great is an outstanding account of a great military leader. You can certainly feel that Fraser has a love for this subject, even when Frederick has committed a terrible blunder the author tends to put the best light on the event as possible. This is one of the best biographies I have read on Frederick the Great and superior to most that have been available to date. In over 700 pages the author tells the story of Frederick, his conflict with his father, his love for the arts, his role as a military commander, as a King, a diplomat, as the creator of the great Prussian Army.

The author's accounts of the battles fought by Frederick are excellent and you can understand why Fraser has such a deep respect for this man. There are many accounts of Frederick leading his troops in the thick of the fighting. Losing horses under him, his aids and Generals being killed alongside him, bullet holes through his clothing. This is a commander who led from the front. Fraser also shows the many mistakes made by Frederick which led to some of the bloodiest and costliest battles in Europe during this period. After reading of some of these battles you wonder why his men followed him into others, but they did and that is what stands out about this man. He actually cared for his troops, his people and his country.

This is a great story and covers all aspects of Frederick. I believe that the maps could have been a bit more detailed but they were good enough to follow the narrative. In all 18 maps were supplied and they assisted the reader in following the battles and movements of Frederick and his armies. The story flowed along smoothly and it was a joy to read, time slipped by effortlessly as Fraser helped you look into the man that was 'Frederick the Great'. I have no hesitation in recommending this book to anyone who enjoys a great history book. Well done to the author.