The Books of… John D. Grainger

A longtime Boydell author, John D. Grainger has published no fewer than eight books with us over the past sixteen years. All remain in print, and many are available in paperback. Grainger is an excellent source for detailed examinations of a wide range of military conflicts involving Britain, as well as sweeping studies of British naval history. A well-respected independent scholar, Grainger’s work is often praised for being clear, highly readable, and engaging. We are very much looking forward to his forthcoming publication, The British Navy in the Caribbean, in 2021!

The British Navy in the Mediterranean

Grainger’s latest volume provides a comprehensive overview of the activities of the British navy in the Mediterranean from the earliest times until the present.

The British Navy in the Baltic

Written on the same model as the above title, this book covers the British navy’s actions in the Baltic Sea from Anglo-Saxon times to the twentieth century. It includes ample detail on the Napoleonic Wars, when the British navy’s involvement was at its height.

The Battle for Syria, 1918-1920

“Grainger is an admirably clear-headed guide through the historical quicksands and thickets of his subject matter. [He] has produced a learned, deeply considered and tightly written book that deserves to be seen as the definitive version of a momentous episode in the making of the Middle East.” BBC HISTORY

Dictionary of British Naval Battles

“Incredible. . . . No one with an interest in British naval engagements . . . can afford to be without a copy of this essential reference.” THE NELSON DESPATCH

The First Pacific War: Britain and Russia, 1854-56

This survey of the neglected naval campaign of the Crimean War highlights its impact on international relations with China and Japan as well as Russia.

“[Grainger] writes in a provocative and engrossing style and orders and arranges his account in a way that makes sense out of what was a confusing and complex situation. His command of the available sources is excellent. [The book] is an exceptional study worthy of the widest readership.” VICTORIAN STUDIES

The Battle for Palestine 1917

The story of Allied victory in the Holy Land, far from the carnage of the Western Front but a crucial, morale-boosting success under the aggressive and forward-thinking General Allenby.

“Grainger’s analysis is informed, critical, readable and supported by a wealth of unpublished and printed primary material. . . . Makes good use of soldiers’ experiences bringing to life the human dimension to the fighting in southern Palestine. ENGLISH HISTORICAL REVIEW

The Battle of Yorktown, 1781: A Reassessment

“[P]rovides an excellent rationale for studying the campaign as a test case in military deception, inter-service working, strategic opportunism, and the organization of swift movements of forces to a culminating engagement.” WAR IN HISTORY

The Amiens Truce: Britain and Bonaparte 1801-1803

“A valuable resource for historians who need an accessible, but comprehensive, account of the peace negotiations. . . . A work of original scholarship that analyzes for the first time a crucial episode in the history of the Napoleonic era.” NINETEENTH-CENTURY FRENCH STUDIES


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