A Game of Thrones: The Jacobites, Louis XIV, and the Intelligence Battle for the British Isles

In 1688, James II left the throne of England after the Glorious Revolution, ushering in an era of political intrigue and espionage. This book highlights the efforts of his followers, the Jacobites, to restore the Stuart dynasty. They were supported by the French Kings Louis XIV and Louis XV and faced the countermeasures from William III, James II's son-in-law, who replaced him as king alongside James's daughter Mary II, and then by Queen Anne and King George I. Thanks in part to effective intelligence, the new monarchs thwarted all attempts at invasion and insurrection, leading to the Jacobites’ final defeat in 1745. As Neil Kent and Clément Chevalier reveal in this fascinating new book, the intelligence war also marked the end of the old international order, with the triumph of British intelligence services and the advent of Great Britain as the dominant power in Europe and throughout the world.

Neil Kent, Professor and Fellow, Scott Polar Research Institute, University of Cambridge, Author of Crimea: A History, St. Petersburg: A Cultural Guide, A Concise History of the Russian Orthodox Church, and many other books

Clément Chevalier is an officer in the French army and serves at the École militaire de Paris. Occupying the position of head of international relations and management sciences, Clément Chevalier has two masters degrees, in history and management, and is completing a doctorate in law. He has lectured on military tactics in the early modern era and written historical and academic works. In 2021, he founded a cultural association dedicated to performing Baroque music in historic and heritage sites.