Friday, September 1, 2017

Brothers at Arms

From The Post and Courier:
If Benjamin Franklin once called France the father of “this newborn babe,” our beloved country, then Larrie D. Ferreiro couldn't agree more heartily. He gives Spain full credit for helping to pull the British away from prosecuting her war on the Colonies, and the Prussian Baron von Steuben for whipping Washington's troops into an effective fighting force. And he offers polite nods to the contributions of Poles Casimir Pulaski, Tadeusz Kosciusko and others. But it is France that receives his steadiest and sometimes rapturous praise.

Having said that, and keeping in mind what appears to be Ferreiro's personal fondness for the French nation, he maintains throughout this book a laser focus on the political realities that determined the actions of Spain and France. Both had been badly stung by their losses in the Seven Years War (1758-1763) and were itching for revenge against a triumphant England. Spain was obsessed by reacquiring Minorca and Gibraltar, while France feared an upset in the balance of power that the Treaty of Paris had created. (Read more.)

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