"J. Gallagher's "The Battle of Brooklyn"" Topic

I'm considering buying this book.
link
Any opinions about it ?
How many battle maps will I find inside ?
Or maybe there is better book about the subject ?

There was a discussion about this book two years ago:

TMP link

I think the general consensus was weird. And crap.

hahahaha, A review that is short, sweet and to the point. "Weird and Crap."

But I'd have to say Super Max's review is spot on. I also did not enjoy Gallager's book The Battle Of Brooklyn.

Many thanks.
So, what do you suggest instead ?

SM said: For those who have access to it, Boatner's "Encyclopedia of the American Revolution" has a good account of the Long Island / Brooklyn campaign.

He said it. True.
But it was two years ago.
Nothing changed ?

Nothing has changed & nothing more to suggest.

Are you specifically just intereated in the battles around NYC or something else?

Here, of course is a classic work on the events:

link

Does Boatner's encyclopedia include OOBS or is that best food elsewhere?

This is probably the best source for American OoBs/strengths for the NYC campaign:-

link

Very expensive, so the reference sections of larger public libraries would be your next best option (you might possibly be able to get it through the library inter-loan service, but maybe only to read in the library, not take home).

I'm not sure about the Crown forces – possibly the "British Grenadier" scenario books with Long island and Fort Washington in them.

For a general book on the NYC campaign, Barnet Schecter's recent tome is not bad (read the reviews though):-

link

I'm not interested in general overview books as "1776". I know the course of battle.
I'm looking for decent, modern battle and campaign description, with good OOB and more than one map for the whole battle.
A kind of recent Brandywine book by M.C. Harris would be an ideal.

BTW I'm not sure, but monthly strenght reports of Continental Army could be found in Nafziger's lists (now available online for free).

Silly me – I forgot the Orbat books by Greg Novak!

There's an Osprey on the NY campaign, but I'm not sure how good it is. It definitely very doesn't have detailed orbats. I still think Boatner has the best description of the Long Island engagement.

I've read Osprey and found it quite informative, but I'd like to get 'real' book.

@dantheman
With Greg Novak's book in hand I can confirm that it has wonderfull Orbat with regimental strenghts listed.

"A kind of recent Brandywine book by M.C. Harris would be an ideal."

I'm reading that now. I'll reserve judgement when I complete the entire book, but his section on the British army is kind of a mess. Some wrong info and unsupported conclusions.

SM – Did you read this one yet?

No. On the Xmas list.

The author makes some glaring mistakes when talking about the 60th in the F&I period (no excuse given Campbell's recent outstanding work on that regiment) and goes on some weird tangent about the British did not learn/apply the lessons learned from the F&I to the Rev War – which makes on sense since the F&I war was one of conquest against an enemy trying to defend territory, as opposed to the 1776 army trying to be both an army of conquest and occupation – which has hardly the case given the scarcity of population in New France and the lack of any resistance from the population.

I found O'Shaugnessy's assessment in The Men Who Lost America more thoughtful and reasoned – comparing the American Civil War and the number of troops/ships needed for both jobs, and the casualties likely sustained in doing so.

Still, I am looking forward to reading the battle sections next.

Well, I didn't read "Brandywine" neither.
I've only looked into battle chapters and found numerous maps and detailed action description. I've read Spring's "With zeal and baoyonets only" so I feel "biasproof" when concerning British Army.

Mark Urban's "Fusiliers" is a very useful book to read in conjunction with Spring. Urban looks at the war through the eyes of the 23rd Foot – one of the few regiments to serve throughout the conflict in the 13 Colonies – and there's lots of useful stuff on regimental administration and the "office politics" of the 23rd in particular and the Army as a whole.

Enjoying reading the battle account of Brandywine. SM, I'll be interested in your take on it. It makes me question the set up provided in the BG scenario book though, if this new book is correct.

Eric I. Mannders. The Battle of Long Island. Phillip Franeau press, Monmouthbeach NJ. 1978.
Hard to find, but it is outstanding. Excellent research and sane old rehashed. Very good order of battle.
The publisher did these as a labour of love. All are very very good. The Bunker Hill book by Eating is in a class by itself.

That whole series is excellent – even now, it's hard to find better info on some of these battles. I'm not familiar with the Long Island book, and it's not listed in the forewords of any of the others. IIRC, there were 11 books in all

- Bunker Hill (Elting)
- Trenton (Smith)
- Princeton (smith)
- Fight for the Delaware (Smith)
- At General Howe's side (Kipping)
- Saratoga (Elting)
- Valley Forge: Crucible of Victory (Reed)
- Monmouth (Smith)
- British Maps of the Revolution (Guthorn)
- American Maps & Mapmakers (Guthorn)
- Hessian Views of America (Kipping)

They also came out with one on Brandywine.

Almost done with the Michael Harris book on Brandywine. Really good read (minus his section on the British army) and good accounts of the battles at a lower level.

I didn't realize the author was the guy who used to work at the state park.