The Marshal Duke of Berwick: The Picture of an Age by Charles Petrie

The Marshal Duke of Berwick: The Picture of an Age by Charles Petrie is a distinguished biography of James FitzJames, 1st Duke of Berwick, the illegitimate son of King James II of England and one of the greatest military commanders of the late seventeenth and early eighteenth centuries. A renowned historian of the Jacobite movement, Petrie places Berwick’s remarkable career within the broader political and military struggles that shaped Europe during the reigns of Louis XIV and the War of the Spanish Succession.

Published by Eyre & Spottiswoode in 1953, this substantial first edition extends to 368 pages and includes illustrations, maps and scholarly references. The Marshal Duke of Berwick traces Berwick’s service in Ireland during the Williamite Wars, his distinguished career in the French Army, and his role as Marshal of France, offering valuable insights into European diplomacy, warfare and the Jacobite cause. It remains an important reference for historians, collectors of military literature, and readers interested in British, Irish, French and European history.

Charles Petrie’s engaging narrative combines meticulous historical research with an accessible writing style, making The Marshal Duke of Berwick suitable both for academic study and for general readers with an interest in seventeenth- and eighteenth-century history. First editions in their original dust jackets are increasingly sought after by collectors of military history, Jacobite studies and British historical biography.

An attractive addition to any collection of military history, royal biography, Jacobite history or European historical literature, The Marshal Duke of Berwick represents an increasingly scarce post-war historical publication.

Condition – Good

Blue cloth boards remain clean and well preserved with bright gilt lettering and only light shelf wear. The binding is firm and square, and the pages are clean and complete. There is moderate foxing and age-toning to the text block edges, with light scattered foxing to the endpapers and preliminary pages, as expected for a book of this age. The original dust jacket is present and unclipped, showing moderate edge wear with chipping and small losses at the spine ends and corners, together with some rubbing and age-related toning to the rear panel. A handsome, well-preserved first edition that presents attractively on the shelf despite the jacket wear.