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Great Britain
Regimental Histories
Anglo-Scottish Wars
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Jacobite Wars
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Books - Great Britain
The battle of Prestonpans 1745, 2nd Edition, Martin Margulies.
An excellent history of the first part of the '45, covering the build-up to the Jacobite uprising, the brief campaign in the north of Scotland, the fall of Edinburgh and the battle itself. Detailed use of the primary sources allows us to trace who knew what when and why they acted as they did, and explains Cope's march north and his actions around Edinburgh before the battle. [ read full review]
Beyond the Reach of Empire, Colonel Mike Snook. A very impressive examination of Wolseley's attempt to save Gordon, besieged at Khartoum, one of the most famous British military failures of the Victorian era. Snook pulls no punches in his analysis of the reasons for this failure, but also provides more than enough detail for the reader to make their own mind up about his conclusions. [ read full review]
Blood Stained Fields - The Battlefields of East Lothian, Arran Paul Johnston. Looks at a thousand years of battles to be fought in East Lothian, from the clashes between Briton and Angle to the Jacobite revolts, covering the wars of Independence, the Tutor 'rough wooing' and the battles of the Civil War. Provides good accounts of the battles, supported by explanations of the wide wider campaigns, and with equal space given to Scottish defeats and victories. [ read full review]
British Army Uniforms from 1751 to 1783, Carl Franklin. A splendid visual guide to the uniforms of the British army during the period of the Seven Years' War and the American War of Independence, with a full page of colour illustrations for each infantry, cavalry and guard regiment. A super guide for the modeller or painter, making it effortless to visualise each of the hundreds of units covered. [ read full review]
Wingate Pasha, R J M Pugh. A biography of an important figure in the British Empire, the ruler of the Sudan for twenty years. Wingate was also involved in the defeat of the Dervishes and played a major part in the success of the Arab Revolt of the First World War, and is an interesting figure. [ read full review]
The WAAF at War, John Frayn Turner. First-hand accounts of the achievements of the WAAFs, organised by topic and supported by a good connecting text. The range of duties carried out by WAAFs is very impressive and ranges from the famous plotting rooms of the Battle of Britain to ferry pilots and even SOE agents. [ read full review]
Regimental Histories
Unicorns - The History of the Sherwood Rangers Yeomanry 1794-1899, Jonathan Hunt. An unusual regimental history that examines the early history of the Sherwood Rangers, when they were a volunteer Yeomanry regiment that was only liable for service within the UK, and that hardly ever left Nottinghamshire. Instead it was used as an early police force, countering the Luddites, Chartists, supporters of reform and other rioters, as well as acting as a hub of social life. This is an useful examination of the early existence of a regiment that went on to serve in the wars of the twentieth century. [ read full review]
Light Dragoons: The Making of a Regiment, Allan Mallinson. A history of the four cavalry regiments that were eventually merged to form the current Light Dragoons regiment, following the four regiments from their formation in the Eighteenth century through almost all of Britain's wars since then, with chapters added to this edition to fill the gap between 1993 and 2006. [ read full review]
The Light Dragoons, A Regimental History, Eric Hunt. A history of the 13th, 15th, 18th and 19th Regiments of Light Dragoons and the modern Light Dragoons, the product of two sets of mergers between the earlier regiments. This history follows all four regiments from the early eighteenth century to the present day, tracing their involvement in the major and minor conflicts of the last three hundred years. [ read full review]
King's African Rifles - A History, Malcolm Page. A study of the King's African Rifles, one of the most important of the local forces raised by the British in Africa. Looks at their experience against the 'Mad Mullah', their contribution in East Africa in the First World War, and against the Italians, Vichy French and Japanese during the Second World War, before moving on to the end of Empire and the last imperial wars [ read full review]
The Kensington Battalion, G. I. S. Inglis. A history of the 22nd Royal Fusiliers (the Kensington Battalion), one of the many service battalions raised as part of Kitchener's 'New Army'. This is one of the best 'unit' histories that I've read, with a good balance between the close-up details and the wider picture.The Kensington Battalion, G. I. S. Inglis. A history of the 22nd Royal Fusiliers (the Kensington Battalion), one of the many service battalions raised as part of Kitchener's 'New Army'. This is one of the best 'unit' histories that I've read, with a good balance between the close-up details and the wider picture. [ read full review]
Anglo-Scottish Wars
Border Reiver, 1513-1603, Keith Durham. An examination of the last century of warfare on the Anglo-Scottish border, which mainly involved the local families, or reivers, who took part in an endless series of border raids. Most were more criminal than military, but the same men were normally involved in the regular battles on the borders, and their activities turned the whole border region into a fortified area. [ read full review]
Afghan Wars
African Wars
Nile River Gunboats 1882-1918, Angus Konstam.
Looks at the increasingly powerful gunboats that supported Anglo-Egyptians operations on the Nile, from Gordon's disastrous invention in the Sudan and the attempts to save him to the eventual reconquest under Kitchener. Looks at the different classes of gunboat, the individual boats involved, how they were armed, armoured, powered and crewed and what life was like onboard, and finishes with a look at their two main campaigns (Read Full Review)
Jacobite Wars
Culloden, 1746 (2nd Edition), Stuart Reid. A splendid account of the battle of Culloden and the campaigns before and after the battle. Also includes a good survey of the modern battlefield, taking into account recent improvements made by the National Trust for Scotland. Very readable, with a lightness of touch that is unusual on this still controversial topic. [ read full review]
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