Featured battle : Siege of Lille

Part of The War of the Spanish Succession

Date : 12 August 1708 - 10 December 1708

Following their success at Oudenarde the Allies laid siege to Lille. The fortress, designed by Vauban, was the key to the region. The city was defended by a small garrison of 16,000 men. Malborough's Allied force was 100,000. The relieving French army numbered 110,000. Complex attempts to draw Marlborough away, to disrupt and destroy his communications and supply were all unsuccessful. On 23rd October the town was surrendered but the garrison withdrew into the citadel. After further attempts to disrupt the siege, one of which was for the French to lay siege to Brussels, the final surrender of the citadel came on the 10 December 1708.

Ships of the Royal Navy

J J Colledge, Ben Warlow & Steve Bush
Revised and updated this is the fifth edition of this superb work of reference. The names and significant information about every Royal Navy ship from the Fifteenth century up until those under construction today. There is sufficient introductory information to allow the reader to understand the necessarily abbreviated text. Even so this is a large book of nearly 500 pages with a rough estimate of 15,000 ships names. Also included are the Royal Australian, Canadian and New Zealand navies. As an aside even some people who are just curious about names can find that there are nine ships which have been called Magpie, nine called Penguin and thirty-one called Sparrow.
This is a must have book for anyone with an interest in the Royal Navy.
Very highly recommended.

Seaforth Publishing, 2020