An Island Entire Unto Itself: A Portrait of Corsica at the End of the 18th Century

By the end of the 18th century, Corsica had been occupied by France for over thirty years. Islanders yearned to recover their lost independence, and the French Revolution gave them the opportunity. Their leader, Pasquale Paoli, realized that alone they could never defeat the well-organized French forces. He offered Corsica to King George III of England, on condition that the French were driven from the island.

Based on documented historical fact, the author paints a detailed portrait of Cors...