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Books, Books, Books
Living The Past
Horsler, Val, Living The Past, Weidenfeld and Nicolson, 2003. Isbn 0297 843125 Where to find it: English Heritage, Amazon UK, Amazon US, Barnes and Noble Books on the American Revolution
A Devil of A Whipping: The Battle of Cowpens Warning: I know and like the author. He is a member of the First Maryland.
This is an extremely in depth look at the battle of Cowpens which took place on the 17th of January, 1781. The author has attempted to flesh out the battle in an almost minute by minute method of study that requires intense documentation. This should not be a first book on the revolution or even the southern campaign for someone seeking to learn about the revolution. On the other hand, if you are at all interested in how battles worked in this period or in how Morgan's army pulled off this tremendous victory this is a book you cannot miss. I will be posting an article on this book in relationship to reenactors on my articles page, but for anyone who is well read on the revolution this book is a high recommendation. Babits, Lawrence E., Devil of a Whipping: The Battle Of Cowpens, University of North Carolina Press 1998. Where to find it: Amazon.Com, Barnes & Noble, Borders, Etc. Easy to find. The Road to Guilford Courthouse I enjoyed this book as it focused on my favorite campaign of the Revolution, the late war campaign in the south. The author takes some controversial stands, but at least he attempts to justify them with documentation. I was not always convinced, but I appreciate the excuse to rethink my prejudices. I was disappointed the book ends at the battle of Guilford Courthouse, the fighting after this battle is underreported in most books. To be fair however the title is The Road to Guilford Courthouse, not the Road to Savannah. Overall a good introduction to the Southern Campaign, but be aware that not everyone agrees with the authors assessment of the key figures. Buchanan, John, The Road to Guilford Courthouse. The American Revolution In The Carolinas, John Wiley & Sons 1997. Where to find it: Amazon.Com, Barnes & Noble, Borders, Etc. Easy to find. Light Horse Harry Lee and the Legacy of the American Revolution This book is a look at what the American aristocracy thought about the revolution and its outcome. I really respect what these guys pulled off during the revolution but what they expected and what they got were two different worlds. America really seemed to forget the revolution as quickly as it could in a rush to expand. It must have been crushing for those with ideals who fought the war. Royster, Charles, Light Horse Harry Lee and the Legacy of the American Revolution, Louisiana State University Press, 1994 Where to buy: Amazon.com, Borders, and Barnes & Noble all list it.
The War of the Revolution This two-volume set is my favorite general history of the Revolution. It is out of print, but I see it frequently at used bookstores and it can be commonly had from libraries as well as 18th Century and military books specialists. I do not know much about the author, but he writes with a deft style that is a joy to read. The book was published in 1952 and undoubtedly it contains many points that have been refuted since then, never the less I highly recommend it as a general history of the land campaigns of the Revolution. Ward, Christopher, The War of the Revolution, The Macmillan Company, 1952 Where to find it: Try Alibris first, then search where you can.
A Hessian Diary of the American Revolution A very well done diary of a Hessian (actually an Ansbach-Bayreuther) soldier during the American Revolution. Starts in February 1777, and ends in December 1783. I found it particularly interesting because of the part of the book that takes place in Frederick, Maryland. I have been to the Hessian barracks there and the connection in the book to the site is very nice. Overall the author had a decent stay in the States but he did loose the tip of his thumb to worms. Dohla, Johann Conrad, Translated by Bruce Burgoyne, A Hessian Diary of the American Revolution, University of Oklahoma Press, 1990 Where to find it: Amazon.com, Barnes & Noble, I got mine at Borders.
Collector's Illustrated Encyclopedia of the American Revolution The bible of reenactors in the period. Originally published in 1975, the book does show its age but there is no better resource easily to hand. Tons of photos of original materials from the war. A recent reprint has a nice cover painting from the Battle of Brandywine. I used to beg a copy of this when I needed to look something up, but it now widely available again. Well worth owning. Neuman, George C. and Frank J. Kravic, A Collectors Illustrated Encyclopedia of the American Revolution, Scurlock Publishing, 1997. Where to find it: Amazon.
A Revolutionary People At War An excellent read on the make up and motivation of the Continental Army. The author is in the fuzzy ground of national character, but does not get as whacked out as many social historians do. The book is laced with good anecdotes even if you aren't convinced that America had or has a national character. I think it did and does, and the author keeps close to my view of it, so he must be ok. Royster, Charles, A Revolutionary People at War, The Continental Army & American Character, 1775-1783, University of North Carolina Press, 1979. Where to get it: I got it at Borders, Amazon.com and Barnes & Noble list it as well. A History of Warfare A good overview (and I mean OVERVIEW) of military history. Mr. Keegan is an optimist, he thinks we are heading away from killing each other constantly. I enjoy his work, but I am not as optimistic. Still it a good read and Keegan is a skilled writer is always worth reading. Keegan, John, A History Of Warfare, Alfred A Knopf, 1993 Where to Get It: Amazon.com,Borders, and Barnes & Noble
The Viking Art Of War Paddy Griffith is a deliberately controversial author. His works on the American Civil War feature his hypothesis that the rifle made no real difference in the conduct and casualties. This is not widely accepted, but to his credit he documents his arguments well and likes to point out when others are simply parroting the party line. From reading his previous works I expected to some real controversy in his book on Viking military history. Something like all Vikings did wear horns after all. Nothing like that emerges but the book is still enjoyable and a good read. Mostly he focuses on separating the believable from the clearly fictional elements of the key primary sources, the sagas. The book focuses on England and Ireland, but doesn't completely neglect the Russian and Middle Eastern world either. Like almost all books on the Dark Ages it suffers from a huge time span to encompass, ranging from 700 AD to almost 1200 AD, but that isn't really the fault of the author it is more do to the lack of primary sources. All in all the best book on the military culture of the Vikings I have seen. Griffith, Paddy, The Viking Art Of War, Greenhill Books, 1995 Where to Get It: Barnes & Noble, Amazon draws a blank on this one.
Pathfinder If you like Paddy Griffith's view on Viking raids this is the best movie made on the topic. It was made in Lappland and depicts a village's reaction to a small raid. A great film reccomended to me by a good friend. Reading Paddy's book made me go buy a copy for my self. Pathfinder,
VHS, 88 minutes,
Fox/Lorber Home Video, Not Rated
The Military Experience in The Age Of Reason I admit my bias towards the American Revolution books, this is a good ground work book on how the armies that fought the war got the way they were. It discusses a broad range of development with a real emphasis on how the armies fit together. On sale at Barnes and Noble for $10 in hardback! The others list this as out of print. Duffy, Christopher, The Military Experience in the Age of Reason 1715-1789, Barnes & Noble 1997 Where to buy: Out of print again try Alibris. With Musket, Cannon and Sword This is an excellent book on how armies worked on the battlefield during the Napoleonic period. Most of the technical bits are relevant to earlier periods but this was a time of great change in how the larger units worked in the field. Brent Nosworthy has a book on the same theme about the Seven Years War that also has some good "how does it work" information on armies of the period. This is nuts and bolts information but Nosworthy makes it a good read with plenty of anecdotes. I am amazed that armies functioned as well as they did in the Napoleonic period but this does help clarify it. Nosworthy, Brent, With Musket, Cannon and Sword: Battle Tactics of Napoleon and his Enemies, Sarpedon, 1996 Where to Get It: All the big dogs have it, Borders, Amazon.com, and Barnes & Noble. Wellington's War This is a collection of notes from the front by Wellington with commentary by Julian Rathbone. It is an excellent read if you want to know what an Army Commander goes through to lead his army around. The bickering, constant demands for resupply of men and material and lack of information on enemy plans are clearly shown in this book. Everyone who has every second guessed Napoleon, Washington, Frederick or any other general should really read this one, it is enlightening. Rathbone, Julian, Wellington's War, His Peninsular Dispatches, Michael Joseph, 1994 Where to Get it: Usual Suspects Barnes & Noble, Borders and Amazon.com.
Kids Books for Adults as well: Horrible Histories This is a great series of "kids" books on history. Well illustrated, factual and very subversive. I love these and highly recommend them. They are about $3 each and worth twice that. The pointers go to different books in the series at each of the stores, just search for the author Terry Deary. Deary, Terry, Horrible Histories Series, Scholastic Children's Books, London Where to get it: Amazon.com, Barnes & Noble, and Borders. |
