"Warrfarr Military Books: "Back in Stock!"" Topic

Great book – essential reading (whether you believe it all or not !")

Yes it is a great book and I believe most of it.

Thumbs up – excellent book.

I think this is the book illustrated by Peter Dennis?
The illustrations are awesome and will make you want to game ACW as soon as you see them

This little book is amazing – the illustrations are absolutely top-notch, and the analysis of tactics and logistics seems to be spot on. I agree – it makes me want to break out my 10mm ACW and forge ahead.

essential reading (whether you believe it all or not !")

Griffith's feathers have always been ruffled by the idea that American warfare (conducted by amatuer generals, not European careerists) could possibly move the state of tactics ahead, and his analysis shows pretty clearly that he works backward from his conclusion.

That sort of reasoning is not my thing, personally, so I wouldn't waste my money on another of his books, but others seem to like the analysis. I think that Nosworthy's Bloody Crucible of Courage is really a much better book, because he looks at all of the data, then draws a conclusion, rather than drawing a conclusion, and then looking for data to support it.

Despite my general agreement with PR I still think this book is valuable for the deployment diagrams, march statistics and those terrific illustrations. Highly recommended.

Porfirio,

There are a few of the usual Paddyisms but overall this book is not the same as the hard back, non-illustrated Battle Tactics of the Civil War (which is an exercise in statistical sophistry). The illustrations by Peter Dennis are fantastic and as others have said, inspirational.

his analysis shows pretty clearly that he works backward from his conclusion.

That sort of reasoning is not my thing, personally, so I wouldn't waste my money on another of his books, but others seem to like the analysis. I think that Nosworthy's Bloody Crucible of Courage is really a much better book, because he looks at all of the data, then draws a conclusion, rather than drawing a conclusion, and then looking for data to support it.

Really? You really think most historians don't work back from their thesis? As an long-term archivist who assists historians every day in their research I can assure you that the vast majority have a thesis in mind well before they set pen to paper to build their arguement. In our post-modern world we have to understand that all history is subjective. If you don't like Griffith's work fine, but to infer that he somehow marches to a different drum to that of his colleagues is nonsensical.

In the late 1980s I walked the fields of Chattanooga, Chickamauga and Kennesaw with Paddy. The guy really does know his stuff. He knows all about the weapons that people get obsessive about. He simply doesn't agree with the American hagiographical version of the ACW.

When I was dealing in the Fieldbooks line (I wrote the second in the series – of two, as it turned out – "Battle in Africa") I shipped a huge quantity of "Battle in the Civil War" on a regular basis to the battlefield park system. It was a popular and well-respected item.

From what I understand, Paddy has his view on all things military (right or wrong). He is the sort of person that throws it out there and lets you debate away on the merits of the topic. I really like his writing and approach because they don't go lock step with "conventional wisdom". He asks the hard questions. He doesn't let inconsistencies float by.

I'll probably pick up this book at some point simply because I enjoy his writing.

Paddy did a good job of analysis but *some* of his conclusions are easily debunked. He felt there was no difference between the smoothbore and the rifled musket when it was clear that the tactics changed with the advent of the rifle (a clear example was the ability to defeat artillery outside of cannister range by well trained or experienced troops.)

You won't go wrong reading these books and if it challenges your original views on the subject matter then that is a good thing.

I don't see this title on the website…Is it listed for sale?

I used this one as an introdution to the American Civil War. It was an excellent starting point in both schools and military classes I spoke to.
VR
James Mattes