Acknowledgments
This work began on a lark and transformed into a serious project over the course of a year. It will always be a relic of the COVID-19 pandemic, during which it was largely completed. Throughout that process, I have received the support and encouragement, both professional and personal, of a great number of people.
My parents, Jack and Rosemary Abel, have been a constant source of love, support, and advice. Melanie Abel has tolerated my work, including papering a room with a detailed diagram of the French government from 1715 to 1789, with both love and suggestion. This book would not have been possible without them.
My colleagues at the US Army Command and General Staff College are always supportive and helpfully critical in equal measure. The faculty and staff of the Department of Military History all contributed in some way to this book. A few deserve special consideration. Dave Cotter provided superior leadership through dynamic times. Mark Gerges proved to be both a mentor and friend, along with being a fellow Napoleonist. John Hosler assisted with medieval references and sources, and with the publication process. Greg Hospodor encouraged the writing process and helped to shape it. Bill Nance provided a sounding board for ideas, arguments, and clarifications along with being an inexhaustible source of information on US Army doctrine, practices, and publications. James Sterrett and the staff of the Simulation Education Division introduced me to the world of wargaming, which greatly expanded my view of early modern warfare. Scott Stephenson gleefully returned serve on all my pro-French positions, historiographical and humorous.
The History Hive Mind, including but not limited to Casey Baker, Nate Jarrett, Kenny Johnson, Alex Mikaberidze, and Rick Schneid, have been an invaluable resource for this book, particularly in uncovering several obscure personalities and references that Guibert makes. The staff at the US Army Heritage and Education Center at Carlisle Barracks and the Combined Arms Research Library at Fort Leavenworth provided skilled research and library assistance throughout. The Military History Center at the University of North Texas, led by Geoff Wawro and Mike Leggiere, continues to support the cause of military history and provided funding for some of the archival research used in the book.
Other individuals deserve credit for their assistance and contributions. Jessica Borton and Lindsay Clark gamely entertained all grammar questions, no matter how esoteric. Alex Burns is a wellspring of knowledge on all things British and Prussian, and the details of eighteenth-century combat. Paul Golightly provided expertise on medieval weaponry. Marshall Lilly and Javier Lopez assisted with topics and sourcing in antiquity. Luke Reynolds answered all questions English/British. Caitlin Sewell untangled sections related to horses and cavalry. Josh Whittiker patiently explained several issues of money and finance.
All errors and omissions are entirely my own.