I sometimes feel quite anxious when reviewing a book by one of the ‘greats’ such as the late Rene Chartrand, and in this case Stephen Turnbull. He has a knack for uncovering the oddities of military history, and Elephants and Gunpowder is no exception. This is No 30 in Helion’s ‘from Retinue to Regiment 1453-1618’ series.
If you’ve ever wondered what happens when the sheer brute force of war elephants meets the cold efficiency of gunpowder weapons, this book is your answer. The author masterfully traces the era when these massive, tusked tanks still had a place on the battlefield, but were increasingly outmatched by muskets, cannons, and good old-fashioned explosives. The book covers a wide range of historical encounters, from Asia to Europe, showing how different cultures wrestled with the dilemma of whether to stick with tradition or embrace the firepower of the future.
The writing is classic Turnbull: informative but never dry, peppered with fascinating anecdotes (like how the Portuguese gleefully realized they could turn war elephants into oversized, panicked liabilities for their enemies). It is an engaging read; the focus at times leans more on military strategy than the broader cultural implications. That said, if you love the nitty-gritty details of battlefield tactics and the slow, inevitable demise of war elephants as a viable force, this is one for you.
It also contains a beautiful centre spread of colour plates (there are 22 colour images in total), in addition to the numerous black and white images and photographs, and two maps.
Overall, Elephants and Gunpowder is a fantastic and engrossing dive into a weirdly specific but incredibly interesting slice of history. Turnbull delivers the goods as always—just don’t expect a happy ending for the elephants.
ISBN 978-1-804515-53-2 152 pages, softback
No comments:
Post a Comment