Despite his standing as one of the great generals in Western history, Prince Eugene of Savoy has long been overshadowed in English-language historiography by his contemporary and ally, John Churchill, duke of Marlborough. While German-language readers can turn to a number of works that detail his long and varied career, the number of studies of Eugene available in English are thin on the ground. In this respect Eugene is fortunate to have a biographer such as Derek McKay, who in this book provides a compact yet extensive examination of Eugene's career. Nearly every aspect is addressed, from his military triumphs to his subsequent role as a statesman and his achievements as a book collector and patron of the arts. Though the book is hobbled somewhat by a lack of analysis of the factors involved in Eugene's development as a commander, this is the only notable flaw in what is otherwise a compact and deft study that gives Eugene his due for an English-language audience. ( )

A man who tries to save time by doing everything ahead of time realizes that (a) this doesn't work, and (b) he doesn't like hurrying, so he goes back to his old way of doing things.

See also: "Tomorrow," Frog & Toad, Arnold Lobel ( )