Q&A · 1:34:58-1:37:50

A Franco-Prussian War reading lead with a naval caveat

Rachel Chrastil's Bismarck's War is offered as a strong general history, although its naval coverage is uncertain and web searches are easily diverted to the battleship Bismarck.

Question

What is a good book on the Franco-Prussian War of 1870-71, especially for its naval dimension?

Short answer

Rachel Chrastil's Bismarck's War is a strong lead, but its coverage of naval power is uncertain.

Notes

Much of the available literature on the Franco-Prussian War of 1870-71 concentrates on the land campaign. Rachel Chrastil's Bismarck's War: The Franco-Prussian War and the Making of Modern Europe is a well-regarded general account, although its coverage of naval power is uncertain. The recommendation therefore comes with a clear limit for viewers seeking maritime history. A practical search problem makes that research harder: queries joining Bismarck with naval warfare tend to return the battleship rather than Otto von Bismarck. The result is both a reading lead and an example of how a famous ship name can obscure a political figure in research.