A HISTORY OF THE LATE SIEGE OF GIBRALTARWith a Description and Account of the Garrison

The author of this contemporary eye-witness description of the famous siege of the Rock was an Army officer who saw the siege at first hand. Hostilities opened on June 24th 1779 when combined French and Spanish soldiers made an attempt to seize the British-held gateway to the Mediterranean using floating batteries if guns. The initial attempt failed, but the assault turned into a sustained siege which lasted for four long years. The hard-pressed garrison, under General Elliot, were able to sustain themselves because the Royal Navy several times broke through the blockade to resupply the defenders. John Drinkwater served as an ensign during the siege and returned to the Rock as a Captain in 1787. His celebrated account of the siege was compiled from his own recollections and those of his comrades. His book includes maps, charts and plans. Four appendices list casualties, expenditure of ammunition, the price of provisions and amounts of prize money. This famous book is a must have for all students of 18th Century war and the story of the Rock.