Vauban under siege : engineering efficiency and martial vigor in the War of the Spanish Succession / by Jamel Ostwald.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Ostwald, Jamel.

Series:

History of warfare ; v. 41.

History of warfare ; v. 41

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Vauban, Sébastien Le Prestre de, 1633-1707.

Vauban, Sébastien Le Prestre de.

Siege warfare--Europe--History--18th century.

Siege warfare.

Manpower--Europe--History--18th century.

Manpower.

Spanish Succession, War of, 1701-1714.

Physical Description:

1 online resource (xii, 390 pages) : illustrations, maps

Edition:

1st ed.

Other Title:

Engineering efficiency and martial vigor in the War of the Spanish Succession

Place of Publication:

Leiden ; Boston : Brill, 2007.

Language Note:

English

Summary:

Vauban under Siege is the first systematic comparison of the theory of Vaubanian siegecraft with its reality. It places Vauban’s siege accomplishments back into their broader context, highlighting his continuation of the quest for ever-greater efficiency pursued by a century of military engineers. Based on a comprehensive inventory of sieges in the War of the Spanish Succession, it describes how both French and Allied military officers rejected this efficiency paradigm and embraced instead vigorous brute force tactics. Ignoring their over-worked and under-compensated engineers at key points, generals chose to save precious campaign time by sacrificing their soldiers’ lives in siege after siege. This early modern cult of the offensive has influenced the Western way of war ever since. Winner of the 2009 Distinguished Book Award of the Society for Military History.

Contents:

Preliminary Materials / J. Ostwald

Chapter One. Introduction / J. Ostwald

Chapter Two. The Perfect Siege Of Ath 1697 / J. Ostwald

Chapter Three. Efficiency And The Perfect Siege / J. Ostwald

Chapter Four. The Transitional War Of The Spanish Succession / J. Ostwald

Chapter Five. Implementing The Paradigm Siege / J. Ostwald

Chapter Six. Contesting The Paradigm Siege / J. Ostwald

Chapter Seven. Vigor: An Alternative Paradigm / J. Ostwald

Chapter Eight. Succeeding With Vigor / J. Ostwald

Chapter Nine. The Vigorous Future / J. Ostwald

Appendices / J. Ostwald

Bibliography / J. Ostwald

Index / J. Ostwald.

Notes:

Description based upon print version of record.

Includes bibliographical references (p. [371]-381) and index.

ISBN:

9786611457891

9781281457899

1281457892

9789047411505

9047411501

OCLC:

320326278

Publisher Number:

10.1163/ej.9789004154896.i-393 DOI