Brendan’s Alternate Tagline for Gibraltar:
(In Sean Connery voice) Welcome to the Rock!
Quick synopsis:
The story of the Siege of Gibraltar from 1779 to 1783.
Fun Fact Non-History People Will Like:
There were so many cannonballs shot into the streets that you could basically walk on them as if they were the actual street.
Fun Fact for History Nerds:
The Adkins’ posit that Britain’s obsession with Gibraltar was a main reason they could not adequately flood the American Colonies with the men and resources they needed thus losing the American Revolution.
My Take on Gibraltar:
4 years stuck on a rock. It might be the ultimate case of cabin fever.
The Siege of Gibraltar is one of those famous things people have heard of but have no idea what it is actually about. The Adkins’ take a very well heard of British event and place it perfectly within it’s time period and explain how it has had lasting effects in history. Specifically, U! S! A! U! S! A! I’m not sure all scholars would agree Gibraltar is one of the main reasons the American Revolution went the way it did, but I’m not going to complain!
This book could have easily been a real snoozer. Sieges are notoriously boring as all hell to read about. However, the Adkins’ give you all the details you need to really feel just how much this sucked for the inhabitants of Gibraltar without putting us, the dear reader, to sleep. Every time it seems the narrative might slow down, the authors jump to the next big event.
However, it’s worth pointing out that the Adkins’ do give a great amount of detail. The story of the intermittent blockade runners is especially fun.
Verdict:
Great book which is well written and has a great story. Still very history heavy and won’t be a good book for the non-history nerd. Buy it here!
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