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Bob Carruthers

This remarkable work features the Crimean War as depicted by the late Victorian military writer James Grant. The material here was first published in 1894, only 40 years after the end of the Crimean War, at a time when many of the participants were still in their sixties. Grant, therefore, had access to the primary source interviews which are now lost forever. Originally published as part of the Cassell's series British Battles on Land and Sea, it presents the reader with an intriguing insight into how contemporary writers addressed their subject. They say the past is another country and that is certainly true in this instance. The contrast between the contemporary Victorian view and the modern view reveals the huge gulf in attitudes. Mr. Grant's work is clearly 'of its time' and reflects the attitudes of the day which were unashamedly xenophobic, jingoistic and militaristic. It nonetheless repays the reader as it provides us with a unique window on the past and brings the long-lost world of Victorian Imperialism into focus.

Pen & Sword Military

Military History from Primary Sources

The Crimean War

The Athenian Thucydides (c490-395BC) wrote this history of the Peloponnesian War between the Spartans and the Athenians, believing that it would be a greater war than any that had preceded it, and his version of events would serve as a possession for all time. The fragmentary nature of ancient Greece increased the frequency of conflict, but conversely limited the scale of warfare. Unable to maintain professional armies, the city-states relied on their own citizens to fight, reducing the potential duration of campaigns. The rise of Athens and Sparta as preeminent powers, however, led directly to the Peloponnesian War, which saw further development of the nature of warfare, strategy and tactics. Fought between leagues of cities dominated by Athens and Sparta, the increased manpower and financial resources increased the scale, and allowed the diversification of warfare. Set-piece battles during the Peloponnesian war proved indecisive and instead there was increased reliance on attritionary strategies, naval battle and blockades and sieges. This book is essential reading for anyone interested the military history of the classical world. As seen in All About History Magazine.

War in Ancient Greece

James Grant (1822–1887) was a Scottish author and was born in Edinburgh, Scotland, and was a distant relation of Sir Walter Scott. He was a prolific author, writing some 90 books, including many yellow-backs. Titles included Adventures of an Aide-decamp, One of 'The Six Hundred', The Scottish Musketeers and The Scottish Cavalier. Medieval Warfare collects Grant's work on the subject, from the Battle of Hastings in 1066 to the Battle of Barnet in 1471, a decisive engagement in the Wars of the Roses. The book contains remarkably detailed accounts of many key battles from the period including the Battle of the Standard and Bannockburn to Poitiers and Agincourt from the Hundred Years' War. The historically defining strategies employed during these battles are explored throughout. Illustrated with vivid portraits of battle and detailed drawings of the tools and weapons of the period, this is the definitive account of a trying and bloody period in history.

Medieval Warfare

The Gallic Wars were a series of military campaigns waged by the Roman proconsul Julius Caesar against several Gallic tribes. They lasted from 58 BC to 50 BC and culminated in the decisive Battle of Alesia in 52 BC, in which a complete Roman victory resulted in the expansion of the Roman Republic over the whole of Gaul. The wars paved the way for Julius Caesar to become the sole ruler of the Roman Republic. Although Caesar portrayed this invasion as being a preemptive and defensive action, most historians agree that the wars were fought primarily to boost Caesar's political career and to pay off his massive debts. Still, Gaul was of significant military importance to the Romans, as these had been attacked several times by native tribes both indigenous to Gaul and further to the north. Conquering Gaul allowed Rome to secure the natural border of the river Rhine. The Gallic Wars are described by Julius Caesar as himself in this book, which was originally titled Commentarii de Bello Gallico, it is a pertinent and only slightly tendentious and altogether the most important historical source regarding the conflict. This updated edition contains the translated text and various illustrations depicting Roman warfare and key moments in Caesar's journey.

Caesar's Conquest of Gaul: The Illustrated Edition

More has probably been written about the Waterloo campaign than almost any other in history. It was the climax of the Napoleonic Wars and forms a watershed in both European and world history. However, the lethal combination of national bias, wilful distortion and simple error has unfortunately led to the constantly regurgitated traditional 'accepted' version being significantly wrong regarding many episodes in the campaign. Oft-repeated claims have morphed into established fact and, with the bicentenary of this famous battle soon to be commemorated, it is high time that these are challenged and finally dismissed. Gareth Glover has spent a decade uncovering hundreds of previously unpublished eyewitness accounts of the battle and campaign, which have highlighted many of these myths and errors. In this ground-breaking history, based on extensive primary research of all the nations involved, he provides a very readable and beautifully balanced account of the entire campaign while challenging these distorted claims and myths, and he provides clear evidence to back his version of events. His thoughtful reassessment of this decisive episode in world history will be stimulating reading for those already familiar with the Napoleonic period and it will form a fascinating introduction for readers who are discovering this extraordinary event for the first time.