Christopher Duffy
Encyclopedia
Christopher Duffy is a British
military historian
. Duffy read history
at Balliol College, Oxford, where he graduated in 1961 with the PhD
. Afterwards, he taught military history
at the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst
and the college of the British General Staff
. He was secretary-general of the British Commission for Military History and vice-president of the History Society of Ireland. From 1996 to 2001, he was research professor at the De Montfort University
, Leicester
. He currently works as a freelance author.
Duffy's special interest is the military history of the European modern age
, in particular the history of the German, Prussian
, and Austrian armed forces. He is most famous for his writings about Frederick the Great and the Seven Years' War
. Duffy is fluent in six languages and has published some twenty books about military history topics, several of which have been translated into German.
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
military historian
Military history
Military history is a humanities discipline within the scope of general historical recording of armed conflict in the history of humanity, and its impact on the societies, their cultures, economies and changing intra and international relationships....
. Duffy read history
History
History is the discovery, collection, organization, and presentation of information about past events. History can also mean the period of time after writing was invented. Scholars who write about history are called historians...
at Balliol College, Oxford, where he graduated in 1961 with the PhD
PHD
PHD may refer to:*Ph.D., a doctorate of philosophy*Ph.D. , a 1980s British group*PHD finger, a protein sequence*PHD Mountain Software, an outdoor clothing and equipment company*PhD Docbook renderer, an XML renderer...
. Afterwards, he taught military history
Military history
Military history is a humanities discipline within the scope of general historical recording of armed conflict in the history of humanity, and its impact on the societies, their cultures, economies and changing intra and international relationships....
at the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst
Royal Military Academy Sandhurst
The Royal Military Academy Sandhurst , commonly known simply as Sandhurst, is a British Army officer initial training centre located in Sandhurst, Berkshire, England...
and the college of the British General Staff
British Army
The British Army is the land warfare branch of Her Majesty's Armed Forces in the United Kingdom. It came into being with the unification of the Kingdom of England and Scotland into the Kingdom of Great Britain in 1707. The new British Army incorporated Regiments that had already existed in England...
. He was secretary-general of the British Commission for Military History and vice-president of the History Society of Ireland. From 1996 to 2001, he was research professor at the De Montfort University
De Montfort University
De Montfort University is a public research and teaching university situated in the medieval Old Town of Leicester, England, adjacent to the River Soar and the Leicester Castle Gardens...
, Leicester
Leicester
Leicester is a city and unitary authority in the East Midlands of England, and the county town of Leicestershire. The city lies on the River Soar and at the edge of the National Forest...
. He currently works as a freelance author.
Duffy's special interest is the military history of the European modern age
Modern Age
Modern Age is an American conservative academic quarterly journal, founded in 1957 by Russell Kirk in close collaboration with Henry Regnery...
, in particular the history of the German, Prussian
Prussian Army
The Royal Prussian Army was the army of the Kingdom of Prussia. It was vital to the development of Brandenburg-Prussia as a European power.The Prussian Army had its roots in the meager mercenary forces of Brandenburg during the Thirty Years' War...
, and Austrian armed forces. He is most famous for his writings about Frederick the Great and the Seven Years' War
Seven Years' War
The Seven Years' War was a global military war between 1756 and 1763, involving most of the great powers of the time and affecting Europe, North America, Central America, the West African coast, India, and the Philippines...
. Duffy is fluent in six languages and has published some twenty books about military history topics, several of which have been translated into German.
Works
- The Wild Goose and the Eagle: A Life of Marshal von Browne, 1705-1757, Chatto & Windus, 1964.
- Borodino and the War of 1812, Sphere, 1972.
- Army of Frederick the Great, David & Charles, 1974.
- The Army of Maria Theresa: The Armed Forces of Imperial Austria, 1740 - 1780, Vancouver 1977.
- Austerlitz 1805, Shoe String Press, 1977.
- Siege Warfare, 2 volumes, Routledge, 1979 and 1985.
- Frederick the Great: A Military Life, London 1985.
- The Fortress in the Age of Vauban and Frederick the Great 1660-1789, London 1985.
- Russia's Military Way to the West: Origins and Nature of Russian Military Power, 1700-1800, Routledge, 1985.
- The Military Experience in the Age of Reason, London 1987.
- Red Storm on the Reich: The Soviet March on Germany, 1945, London 1991.
- Army of Frederick the Great, Second Edition, Emperor's Press, 1996.
- Eagles over the Alps: Suvorov in Italy and Switzerland, 1799, Emperor's Press, 1999.
- Instrument of War: The Austrian Army in the Seven Years War, Emperor's Press, 2000.
- Prussia's Glory: Rossbach and Leuthen, Emperor's Press, 2003.
- Fire And Stone: The Science of Fortress Warfare 1660-1860, Booksales, 2006.
- Through German Eyes: The British and the Somme, 1916, London 2006.
- The '45: Bonnie Prince Charlie and the Untold Story of the Jacobite Rising, Phoenix Press, 2007.
- By Force of Arms: The Austrian Army in the Seven Years War, Volume 2, Emperor's Press, 2008.