The Butcher: The Duke of Cumberland and the Suppression of the ’45

The Butcher, in a new revised edition, deals with the Government’s response to the 1745 Jacobite Rebellion. Whilst there have many studies of the uprising from the Jacobite perspective, few have tackled the event from the view of the Government and its supporters. When roused from the initial reluctance to take the rebellion seriously, supporters of the Hanovarian dynasty rallied to its defence and exposed adherents of the Stuarts as a small minority, not only in England but even in Scotland. The result was to revenge the spectacular early successes of the Young Pretender’s forces in the crushing defeat at Culloden. The leader of the Government’s forces, The Duke of Cumberland, was determined there would not be a third rebellion to add to those in 1715 and 1745 and his tactics and treatment of the defeated Jacobite forces rightly earned him the title ‘The Butcher’.

Reviews of The Butcher: The Duke of Cumberland and the Suppression of the ’45

"…eminently readable… also a refreshingly original and scholarly work…" — Historical Review. "…a taut, compact, civiliSed contribution to historical discussion…" — Times Higher Education Supplement. "…a judicious account of the course and suppression of the 1745 rising together with a declaration of faith concerning the episode's significance…" — American Historical Review. "…will appeal to military buffs (and) political historians…" — History.