{"product_id":"the-grand-old-duke-of-york-a-life-of-frederick-duke-of-york-and-albany-17631827-9781473845770","title":"The Grand Old Duke of York: A Life of Frederick, Duke of York and Albany 1763–1827","description":"\u003cdiv class=\"book-description\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eThe Grand Old Duke of York: A Life of Frederick, Duke of York and Albany 1763–1827\u003c\/strong\u003e by Winterbottom, Derek. hardcover edition. ISBN: 9781473845770.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eOh, the grand old Duke of York,\nHe had ten thousand men;\nHe marched them up to the top of the hill,\nAnd he marched them down again.\n\nAnd when they were up, they were up,\nAnd when they were down, they were down,\nAnd when they were only half-way up,\nThey were neither up nor down.\n\nPrince Frederick, Duke of York and Albany is famous because of the nursery rhyme which ridicules him for poor leadership but, as Derek Winterbottom’s biography shows, he was far from incompetent as a commander. What is more, the famous rhyme does not even hint at his achievements as commander-in-chief of the British army during the Napoleonic Wars. His career as a commander and administrator and his scandalous private life are long overdue for reassessment, and that is what this perceptive and absorbing study provides.\nHe transformed the British military machine, and the Duke of Wellington admitted that without York’s reforms he would not have had the army that fought so well in the Peninsular War and at Waterloo. York also led a turbulent personal life which was engulfed by scandal when his mistress was accused of using her influence over him to obtain promotion for ambitious officers.\nToday the Duke of York is a neglected, often derided figure. This biography should go some way towards restoring his reputation as a commander and military reformer.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e","brand":"PEN AND SWORD MILITARY","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":45118991204405,"sku":"ByrdShop_1473845777","price":48.71,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0627\/8139\/0901\/files\/9781473845770_d3434ce7-e5ef-4664-a69f-cd634d31ebfe.jpg?v=1777026825","url":"https:\/\/atxbooks.com\/products\/the-grand-old-duke-of-york-a-life-of-frederick-duke-of-york-and-albany-17631827-9781473845770","provider":"ATX Books","version":"1.0","type":"link"}