England was minor military and Ireland was a part of that minor power.
Back then Democracy wasn't just a crazy idea, it wasn't even an idea, if there was a country, kingdom or fife, a king or queen was sending their troops marching of to snatch someone else's property.
As seems to be Europe's way at the end of the seventeenth century and before France had learnt the technique of surrendering at the first sound of a gun shot, Europe was divided into two armed camps, the French and the puppet states of Spain and Portugal against the rest of Europe with the Dutch and to a much lesser degree the Prussians being the powerful allied armies.
Blenheim is the focal battle of this story although there were many on the way to it and a few after, but Blenheim was the big deal. Prior to reading this book I thought the only European wide battle was Waterloo, but what do you know, if this history changing battle hadn't taken place the French would still possibly reign supreme globally.
Wow, now there is a scary thought.
As the Dutch supplied most of the manpower for the Allied armies, they also had the controlling say in what the objectives of the war were to be. Yet the allies most able generals were actually French and British. It was this very same Dutch control caused the war to be stretched out and eventual victory nearly lost as they continueously interfered with their generals far sighted objectives.
It's another good history book, as with most books it has a painfully slow first chapter or two as the back story is laid out, but after that a real page turner.
RATING 7 out of 10