"AWI - Essential reads" Topic

Dear all,

As I am getting into this period, I would like to get a few books. I am looking for a book which encapsulates the tactical level battles, small sclae which occurred between the British and Americans and outcomes, even OOB. The books are to reserach the period at a nitty gritty level and be able to adapt to wargaming.

All the best,
Robert

try and get hold of
"Battles of the American Revolution" by Curt Johnson.
it features several battle accounts illustrated using hinchcliffe 25mm figs.
some of us Limeys are a little irritated by the fact that the author goes out of his way to not show British victories but the book is great eye candy all the same.

If you want small-scale tactical accounts, you really need to look at some of the memoirs and journals of individual participants. Here's a few that you should be able to get via your local public library inter-loan, if the budget won't stretch to actually buying them outright; the first three are British/German, but I'm sure other posters can give you more American ones (sorry for the caps on the first two btw):

A JOURNAL OF THE OPERATIONS OF THE QUEEN'S RANGERS, FROM THE END OF THE YEAR 1777, TO THE CONCLUSION OF THE LATE AMERICAN WAR, BY LIEUTENANT-COLONEL SIMCOE, COMMANDER OF THAT CORPS.

A HISTORY OF THE CAMPAIGNS OF 1780 AND 1781, IN THE SOUTHERN PROVINCES OF NORTH AMERICA, BY LIEUTENANT-COLONEL TARLETON, COMMANDER OF THE LATE BRITISH LEGION.

Diary of the American War: A Hessian Journal, by Captain Johann Ewald of the Hesse Cassel Jager Corps.

Memoirs of the War in the Southern Department of the United States By Henry Lee (foreword/edited by Robert E Lee)

By following the narratives, you can easily understand mission goals, orbats and officer personalities. The Simcoe and Ewald volumes also have some very detailed maps that are perfect for setting out terrain.

Just remembered two more:

FROM SAVANNAH TO YORKTOWN: THE AMERICAN REVOLUTION IN THE SOUTH, by Henry Lumpkin

DEFEAT, DISASTER & DEDICATION, by Bruce Burgoyne (editing of two Hessian diaries describing the Trenton battle).

Some of the National Parks in the US do some useful little "guide" booklets with extra detail – Cowpens, Guilford and Yorktown are among them, as is Fort Ninety-Six, which has some very good information for building offensive/defensive siege works.

(The Johnson book is nice eye candy, but really covers the main battles mostly.)

Chaps,

Both that is brilliant, I am particulalry looking from the Limey perspective (Obwohl Deutsch ist auch kein problem {although German is not a problem}). Not that I have anything against the American point of view it is just the British perspective I can relate better to, being English.

Thank you.

All the best,
Robert

If you want more tactical analysis with OB's you'll need to narrow your search to a specific battle…Babbit's Cowpens, Styker's Monmouth and Trenton, Baker's Guildford Courthouse all come to mind, but there are others.

db

The American War of Independence by Novak
Covers in detail the Northern & Southern campaigns. OBs for all major and many minor actions from Lexington to Yorktown.

Old Glory 25s has it in stock. This is essential!

Andrew

"Guide to the Battles of the American Revolution"

link

I bought this book while I was on a business trip. I was just starting my AWI project and I had no information out the war. I found the book very informational, it goes into nice detail about the various battles like time of day, weather, troop strengths, casualty numbers and a description of the fighting. I give it an 'A'.

As a side note, in the forward the authors state that the U.S. Army officially recognizes 16 campaigns and battles as significant operation. This book give descriptions of 69 battles……

my 2 cents,

Dave

The Road to Guilford Courthouse [author escapes me at present]. The best book on the Southern campaigns!

John Buchanan is the author. 'The Road To Guilford Courthouse' is easily obtainable from most booksellers : I got my copy though Amazon. Anyone interested in the southern campaigns should also have a look at Patrick O' Kelley's excellent 'Nothing But Blood And Slaughter' series.

Do 'Guide to the Battles of the American Revolution' and 'Nothing But Blood And Slaughter' have maps?
I know that's a strange question, but I had 'Musket and Tomahawk' recommended to me a few times so I finally ordered it. There isn't a single map in that book. I didn't even bother trying to read it. I'm not sure how you can write a book about a war and not have maps!

I got "Guide to the Battles of the American Revolution" a few days ago. I like it. There are maps in Black and White, nothing fancy but they are decent enough. I plan to get Novak's books sometime soon as well.
I am also new to the period and after asking some questions here I went on a shopping spree. Got several books on Ebay and the rest at Half Price books. I think my biggest score was Ward's "The War of the Revolution" (2 volumes)that I got on Ebay for $5 USD including shipping. I just started reading Vol. 1 and so far it is excellent.

Savas and Dameron's "Guide to the Battles of American Revolution" does contain many maps but most of the maps list no scale. Novak's two volume battle set is quite excellent.

"I am particulalry looking from the Limey perspective "

In that case you want "Rebels & REdcoats" by Hugh Bicheno.

For the British soldier's perspective I would recommend:
Fusiliers: The Saga of a British Redcoat Regiment in the American Revolution by Mark Urban.

Thanks,
Andrew

I'm a fan of Lefkowitz for his examinations. Back in the 90s, his The Long Retreat was great, and his new Benedict Arnold's Army highlights an obscure march and shows his growth as an author. Not exactly mainstream overviews, but that's why you'd read him.

Details:

1-53670 Lefkowitz, Arthur S. LONG RETREAT, THE: The American defense of NJ 1776 The first critical examination of the three week campaign that saw Washington's Army chased from NJ, the author clears away the many misconceptionsof this campaign, good biblio, index.1 vol, 162 pgs 1999 NEW BRUNSWICK, RUTGERS NEW-no dj ……$30.00

1-88610 Lefkowitz, Arthur BENEDICT ARNOLDS ARMY: American Invasion of Canada His contemporaries called Arnold "the AmericanHannibal" after he successfully led more than 1000men through the Maine Wilderness to attack Quebec. A rousing tale, 20 b/w photos/illust/maps, biblio.1 vol, 384 pgs 2008 US, SAVAS BEATTIE
NEW-dj ……$33.00 rct

Dennis from OMM
ww.onmilitarymatters.com

Lawrence Babbitt's wonderful Devil of a Whipping on the Battle of Cowpens offers observations on the war in the South that are really unique, including a new order of battle. For an unusual British perspective, Greenhill published John Fortescue's writings on the American Revolution in a single volume from his History of the British Army.

Others have suggested lots of great books. I second Kelly's "Nothing But Blood and Slaughter" series, and Lumpkin's "From Savannah to Yorktown."

It would help too if you could tell us a little more of what you're after. The war is eight years long and fought over a great expanse divided into at least three theaters.

K

I agree with Andrew that Urban's "Fusiliers" will give you a good "grunt's eye" view of the war. He's particularly good at conveying a sense of what really happened in battle and explains how the British logistics system worked. A very interesting book. Gives the lie to that old chestnut about Cornwallis firing canister at his own men at Guilford too ;^).

I don't rate Bicheno's book at all. For a British perspective, try Mackesy's "War for America" and Hibbert's "Redcoats and Rebels" – both much better and the former contains a lot of numbers and stats that help to put the American campaigns in the context of a global conflict.

"Fusiliers" is indeed a cracking read!

I'll go ahead and recommend McGuire's two volumes on the Philadlephia campaign. He has amassed an impressive amount of primary source material and has some of the best battle descriptions (i.e., Brandywine, Germantown) that I've read anywhere.

Folks,

Thank you.I think I have enough recommendations to last me a good few months of reading. I have opted to buy in several of those recommended and I will let you know my initial thoughts as and when they come through. Thank you for your time and expertise in this area. Long live America and long live England.

All the best,
Robert

This is a great thread…thanks for all the suggestions.

Regards,

Scott Wetherell