Waging War in America - Review

 

This book takes a look at the operational challenges facing the British, French, Spanish, German states’ and Continental armies during the American Revolutionary War of 1775 to 1783.

Author Don Hagist has put together a fascinating collection of essays from a number of extremely accomplished authors and military historians from the United States, the United Kingdom and Europe, each focussing on one of the armies or one of the particular challenges facing the commanders, officers and men and indeed the wider civilian population. Putting this combination of expertise together within the pages of one book is an accomplishment in its own right, one which the author and Helion should be congratulated for, and allows readers to absorb the materiel presented and then, armed with this knowledge pursue their own particular lines of interest or research.

The stand-alone essays are clearly written, well researched and pose some challenges to popular thinking, and are particularly diverse in their subject matter. As an example, we have chapters covering the British army training objectives and their suitability for operations in North America, the tactics of the ‘Hessians’, the Loyalist militias of New York, the French and Spanish expeditions, problems facing the Continental Army and the impact of massacres on the frontier. There are a number of black and white illustrations, several useful maps and the authors make good use of original correspondence and documents to add to the narrative.

For those with an interest in the armies of the American Revolution this is a book you will find both enjoyable and enlightening.


From Reason to Revolution 1721-1815, No. 120
ISBN 978-1-804513-46-0 soft covers, 212 pages

 

The Pattern - The 33rd Regiment and the British Infantry Experience During the American Revolution 1770-1783.

Author Robbie MacNiven has given us a finely detailed and well written narrative of the ‘History of the 33rd Regiment of Foot and the British Infantry Experience during the American Revolution, 1770-1783’. The Pattern tells the fascinating story of this regiment, one of the most heavily engaged regiments during the war, and with a well deserved reputation of being the best trained regiment in the entire British Army, hence the title ‘The Pattern’.

We are treated to a fascinating journey accompanying the regiment as it campaigned from its arrival in 1776, from Long Island, Brandywine, Germantown and Monmouth in the northern theatre to Camden, Guildford Courthouse and ultimately Yorktown. Many primary sources have been used, including a number of previously unpublished ones. Most engaging is the inclusion of accounts from an officer and an enlisted man, adding these enlightening personal reflections to the narrative.

The book is well illustrated with a variety of black and white photographs, either contemporary images, photos of surviving artefacts and some of uniformed re-enactors, maps, and a central spread of eight pages of colour plates. These are primarily more photographs of re-enactors in very authentic looking period uniforms (I’m sure I recognised at one of the ‘models’ and I had to smile when I saw the photographer’s surname is Gage). There is also one specially commissioned painting of a soldier of the regiment on campaign which is very striking.

Another great addition (No. 106) to Helion’s from Reason to Revolution series and for enthusiasts of the American Revolutionary War, be they historians, wargamers or just the curious.

ISBN 978-1-804511-89-3. Soft back, 266 pages