This book defied my expectations in several different ways: despite being an academic press, it was superbly written and engaging; though primarily a diplomatic history, it proved itself briskly paced, with lively characters and more than occasional joke; also, it overcame the verdict of hindsight that usually treats the War of the Austrian Succession (1741-48) as a mere prelude to the Seven Year's War (1756-63).

There are three real stars of this story. First, Maria Theresa herself, at whose destruction the war was originally aimed, who rallied her subjects and her armies, even as Franco-Prussian alliance had overrun Upper Austria; second, the Marshall de Saxe, bastard son of the exiled Polish King, who rose to become one of France's greatest soldiers (and a future hero to Napoleon); third - and perhaps the biggest surprise, King Charles Emannuel of Savoy-Piedmont, military-diplomatic mastermind of Northern Italy, who, despite his second-tier status within European royalty, parlayed his strategic Alpine position between France and Austria to emerge as the preeminent prince of Italy. Needless to say, there are other luminaries - Argenson and Belle-Isle, the mad French war ministers, waging war without purpose; Bonnie Prince Charlie, Stuart adventurer (and Bourbon cats paw); King George II, victor of Dettingen (last British monarch to fight in battle); Frederick II of Prussia, unscrupulous genius, conqueror of Silesia; and Empress Elizabeth, the Russian wild-card. This is history of the kind found in Tuchman's "Guns of August" and John Keegan's works; richly rewarding.

Mid Eighteenth Century political/military history is not everyone's cup of tea. The War of Austrian Succession does not have the cache of the better known Seven Years War or the War of Spanish Succession. Nevertheless, the War of Austrian Succession/Silesian Wars has a lot to recommend it. The story of the teenaged Maria Theresa who upon ascending the thrown is greedily attacked by Prussia, Bavaria and France is a great story. With no credible allies, Maria Theresa was able to rally her people to defend her empire.

Reed Browning is good writer and has the organizational ability to help the reader keep track of the myriad of diplomatic and military details. My only criticism is the pathetic maps that accompany the book. The poor author must have not found the money to include better maps with his book.

The War of Austrian Succession is an obscure war. Reed Browning has done a wonderful job of bringing a little known conflict to life.

The War of the Austrian succession began when Frederick the Great(as he was to become eventually) invaded Silesia on 16 Dec 1740 and ended with the signing of the Treaty of Aix-la-Chapelle in 1748. This book is well-researched and a reader can be confident that an accurate and competent account is being read. Anyone who wants to read such an account will welcome this book. Solid, well-written, authoritative.

CY YOUNG IS BEYOND A SHADOW OF A DOUBT THE GREATEST PITCHER IN BASEBALL HISTORY!TO THINK THAT HIS HIGHEST SALARY WAS ONLY $5,000!
THE PITCHERS OF TODAY CANNOT HOLD A CANDLE TO THE GREAT MR.YOUNG.THE MAN PITCHED OVER 7,000 ININGS,WAS A FIVE TIME 30 GAME WINNER,HAD THREE NO HITTERS,PICCHED 77 SHUTOUTS AND WAS STILL CHOPING WOOD AT 80 YEARS OF AGE.I AM PROUD TO OWN AN ORIGINAL CY YOUNG AUTOGRAPH,IT IS ONE OF MY MOST TREASURED POSSESSIONS OF BASEBALL HISTORY.FINALLY IN THE YEAR 2000 A DIFINITIVE BIOGRAPHY OF DENTON TRUE YTOUNG WAS PUBLISHED.NOW EVERYONE WHO READS THIS GREAT BOOK WILL KNOW THAT THE PITCHERS OF TODAY ARE OVERPAID,NOT REALLY VERY GOOD AND IN TOTAL RESPECT OF THE MASTER OF THEM ALL CY YOUNG!!!!!!!I RECOMMEND THIS BOOK TO EVERYONE WHO RESPECTS REAL PITCHING GREATNESS-THE ONE THE ONLY CY YOUNG!!!!!!!

Considering that one of baseball's most prestigious awards was named after this man, it's astonishing that no comprehensive biography ever was written about him - until now. There was a juvenile bio here and there, a brief excursion through Young's life by Ralph Romig in 1964, but nothing else.

Professor Reed Browning filled the gap, and he did so admirably. Some argue that Cy Young was such an uninteresting person that he left biographers little about which to write. But if you're truly a baseball fan and a student of the game, the basic facts of Young's life and career are inherently fascinating. Even for that period in baseball history Young's accomplishments and feats of endurance were extraordinary enough that they help the book write itself.

In this scholarly work Professor Browning highlights the contexts in which Young lived and played the game of baseball. He ties together the strands of Young's long career in a well-organized and engrossing format. He avoids wandering and speculation and binds his commentary close to the available data.

I thoroughly enjoyed this work and it clearly is a major contribution to the research on baseball history.

In my opinion even the casual fan of baseball, who wants to understand the history of the game better, will prize this book.

Mark Wernick, Ph.D.

As a Boston fan for over 60 years I found some pride in reading this. Oh that we could find such pitchers with such talent and morality (if not mortality) in this day and age.

I did notice on page 228, 14th line from the botton that a calculation error was made and I can't find the publisher on the web to report it. Both records should "tally to 38 games" would be the correction.

An excellent buy and worthy of recommendation.