Admiral Byng: Life and Execution by Chris Ware

Admiral Byng: Life and Execution by Chris Ware

Born the son of George Byng, a favourite of the king and himself an admiral and member of the admiralty board (and later First Lord of the Admiralty), John Byng seemed destined for a shining career in the Royal Navy. He saw his first fleet action at Cape Passaro, the elder Byng's finest hour, as a Captain's Servant, aged just 14. He qualified as a lieutenant at 19 years old (although the minimum age was 21) and was Post Captain at 23. By the outbreak of the Seven Years' War he had risen to Admiral of the Blue. Then it all went wrong with the Battle of Minorca (20 May 1756), where his failure, or rather the nature of it, earned him accusations of cowardice and a court martial. His trial and execution were the hottest topic of the day, the media lampooning him mercilessly and his reputation has never recovered. Chris Ware reassesses Byng's whole career and carefully untangles the politics surrounding his final days to see how far his poor reputation is justified. This is a valuable and long overdue addition to the literature of the Georgian navy.

Chris Ware resides in Oak Park, Illinois, and is the author of Jimmy Corrigan: The Smartest Boy on Earth, which the London Times has named one of the finest books of the decade. He contributes to The New Yorker on a sporadic basis.

SKU	Unavailable
ISBN 13	9781844157815
ISBN 10	1844157814
Title	Admiral Byng: Life and Execution
Author	Chris Ware
Condition	Unavailable
Binding Type	Hardback
Publisher	Pen & Sword Books Ltd
Year published	2009-12-20
Number of pages	192
Cover note	Book picture is for illustrative purposes only, actual binding, cover or edition may vary.