So, apparently SOME of us (*cough cough* ME *cough cough*) managed to come through school with a scattershot understanding of various sociopolitical events and ZERO UNDERSTANDING of how they fit together. The interplay between England and France following the French Revolution is, it happens, one of those things I didn't understand at all. And these books are an awesome way to go about learning all of this! Seriously. Go read them, they're great mysteries and excellent history books.