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Gibraltar : the greatest siege in British history / Roy and Lesley Adkins

by Adkins, Roy (Roy A.)

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Little, Brown, 2017.

Gibraltar -- History -- Siege, 1779-1783.

9781408708675 (hc.)

xxvi, 449 pages, 16 unnumbered pages of plates : illustrations (some color), maps (some color) ; 24 cm

Illustration on lining papers

Includes bibliographical references (pages 393-416) and index

"For over three and a half years, from 1779 to 1783, the tiny territory of Gibraltar was besieged and blockaded, on land and at sea, by the overwhelming forces of Spain and France. It became the longest siege in British history, and the obsession with saving Gibraltar was blamed for the loss of the American colonies in the War of Independence. Located between the Mediterranean and Atlantic, on the very edge of Europe, Gibraltar was a place of varied nationalities, languages, religions and social classes. During the siege, thousands of soldiers, civilians and their families withstood terrifying bombardments, starvation and diseases. Very ordinary people lived through extraordinary events, from shipwrecks and naval battles to an attempted invasion of England and a daring sortie out of Gibraltar into Spain. Deadly innovations included red-hot shot, shrapnel shells and a barrage from immense floating batteries. This is military and social history at its best, a story of soldiers, sailors and civilians, with royalty and rank-and-file, workmen and engineers, priests, prisoners-of-war, spies and surgeons, all caught up in a struggle for a fortress located on little more than two square miles of awe-inspiring rock. A tale of courage, endurance, intrigue, desperation, greed and humanity. The everyday experiences of all those involved are brought vividly to life. Roy and Lesley Adkins are husband-and-wife historians and archaeologists and the authors of Jane Austen's England, Nelson's Trafalgar, Jack Tar, and The Keys of Egypt. They live in Devon, England. Visit their website at AtkinsHistory.com"--Provided by publisher.

Adkins, Lesley.

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