Blog Archive

for posterity and whatnot

Cavalryman of the Lost Cause: A Biography of J.E.B. Stuart by Jeffry Wert

The last book in my recent stint of reviews on the American Civil War is a good one – Jeffry D. Wert’s Cavalryman of the Lost Cause: A Biography of J.E.B. Stuart. Kevin asked me if I wanted to read and review this book and I hesitated because I normally do not like to read [...]

Brandy Station 1863: First step towards Gettysburg by Daniel Beattie

I have a couple more books to review on the subject of the American Civil War.  The first of these is Brandy Station 1863: First steps toward Gettysburg by Daniel Beattie and illustrated by Adam Hook.  This book is part of Osprey’s “Campaign” series, which gives accounts of history’s greatest conflicts, detailing the command strategies, [...]

Confederate Ironclad Vs. Union Ironclad by Ron Field

To continue my recent spat of readings on the American Civil War, I just read Confederate Ironclad Vs. Union Ironclad by Ron Field.  It is an excellent and brief description (76 pages) of the famous  naval battle between the CSS Virginia and the USS Monitor at Hampton Roads in 1862.
The book traces the design and [...]

The Politically Incorrect Guide to the Civil War by H.W. Crocker III

Kevin asked whether I wanted to read and review H.W. Crocker’s The Politically Incorrect Guide to the Civil War.  I said I would, but I was not quite sure what I was getting myself into.
Let me get the basics over with first.  The book is 337 pages.  It is divided into five parts that are [...]

Those Damned Black Hats by Lance J. Herdegen

In the next few posts, I will be reviewing books pertaining to the American Civil War.  In this post, I will be discussing Lance J. Herdegen’s Those Damned Black Hats: The Iron Brigade in the Gettysburg Campaign.  As many people know, the Iron Brigade of the West was a unit composed completely of men from [...]

Panzer Divisions: The Eastern Front 1941-43 by Pier Paolo Battistelli

Panzer Divisions: The Eastern Front 1941-43 by Pier Paolo Battistelli is the 35th book in Osprey’s “Battle Orders” series, which (as the publisher notes) explores the command, deployment, organization, and evolution of forces in battle, describing elements of doctrine, training, tactics, and equipment.  As mentioned in previous posts, Osprey publishes some excellent books that are [...]

U.S. Army Long-Range Patrol Scout in Vietnam 1965-71 by Gordon Rottman

U.S. Army Long-Range Patrol Scout in Vietnam 1965-71 by Gordon Rottman and illustrated by Adam Hook is another fine book in Osprey’s “Warrior” series.  As the publisher notes, the series seeks to provide insights into the daily lives of history’s fighting men and women, detailing their motivation, training, tactics, and experiences.
Long-range reconnaissance patrols, sometimes called [...]

Empires of the Sea by Roger Crowley

Empires of the Sea: The Siege of Malta, the Battle of Lepanto, and the Contest for the Center of the World by Roger Crowley is an interesting account of the struggle between Christianity and Islam for control of the Mediterranean.  The book focuses on the fifty year battle (1521-1571) for control of the Mediterranean, including [...]

The Terra Cotta Army by John Man

As you can tell from the title, The Terra Cotta Army by John Man is about the China’s Terra Cotta Army.  The Army was created by China’s First Emperor so that he could have an army to take with him to the afterlife  when he died.  The book is a combination history/tour book.
The book is [...]

Roll Call to Destiny by Brent Nosworthy