The National Army Museum Book of the Crimean War: The Untold Story

The Crimean war is one of the most famous conflicts in history. The Charge of the Light Brigade, the Thin Red Line, the Lady of the Lamp, the Soldiers' Battle at Inkerman: all have passed into legend. No less familiar are the tales told of wholesale incompetence and of the sufferings of the troops; how a failure of supply, coupled with exposure and disease, led to the deaths of thousands during the cruel Crimean winter spent before a besieged Sevastopol. Never before - and rarely since - has a war so impinged on the national consciousness. Although this book does not neglect the familiar, it has - as the subtitle indicates - many new stories to tell. Drawing on the hitherto under-exploited Crimean War archive of the National Army Museum, the vast majority of material used in this book has never before been published. Read for the first time, in his own words, what Captain Nolan was really thinking in the weeks before his fateful intervention at the Battle of Balaklava. Learn the full extent of the animosity between the harsh disciplinarian Sir George Brown and his dark horse subordinate, General Codrington. Encounter the debut in print of the cocksure Tom Harvey, the malingering Major Mundy, the conscientious Surgeon Bellew, and many, many others. The viewpoint of the British soldier in the Crimea, from the commander-in-chief Lord Raglan to the lowliest private, is represented as never before. Whether it is Victoria Cross winners, tragic friendships, shattered nerves, accusations, rivalries, friendly fire incidents, looting, amputations, decapitations, sexual disease or transvestism, the untold stories are at last revealed.

Massie, Alastair

History

Pan/Macmillan

This book is based on unpublished material, from single letters by barely literate private soldiers to the voluminous correspondence of commander-in-chief Lord Raglan. The whole experience of fighting in the Crimea is captured here: the thrill of combat, the men's impressions of their allies--French, Turkish and Sardinian--the horrors of their first winter in the Crimea, the scandalously inadequate medical arrangements and the impact made by Florence Nightingale. Written by a leading authority in this field, this is a colorful, fresh account of one of nineteenth century's most famous conflicts.

Europe

PALGRAVE~MACMILLAN

Wives and Sweethearts: Love Letters Sent During Wartime

What is it like to fall in love with a soldier? What is it like to be a soldier in love? Throughout history, those serving in the British Army have combined romantic relationships with their military duties. In wartime especially, all the usual emotions experienced by men and women in love are felt to a heightened degree. The sense of danger, and the sometimes years of separation imposed by service abroad, make the heartache of loss and the joy of reunion all the greater. For loved ones parted by war, writing has always been of crucial importance in maintaining contact. Even when it was difficult to send a letter, or not easy to explain feelings when one could, soldiers - be they generals, young officers or privates - have persevered. In a celebration of love on the frontline during the First and Second World Wars, the archives of the National Army Museum, replete with letters, diaries and photographs, are thrown open to reveal fascinating stories of soldiers, their wives and sweethearts. Love found, love lost and love enduring all have their place in the pages of this book.

Simon Schuster(uk)

Great Britain and the Defence of the Low Countries, 1744-1748: Armies, Politics and Diplomacy (From Reason to Revolution)

By revealing how the progress of the fighting in the Low Countries influenced politics back in London, and how political decisions reached, as a consequence, affected the course of military operations, this book fuses together both an analysis of the military campaigns and an examination of their political management. Amongst much else, it will show how the weakness of Lord Carteret's position within government during 1744 - and a consequent lack of guidance from him - reinforced Marshal Wade's natural caution in the field, a caution that so exacerbated inter-allied tensions as to lead to a nugatory campaign, fueling dissension within the ministry at home. Carteret's resulting removal from power by his rivals presaged an attempt to reach a new political settlement, but the policy-change required - regarding Britain's employment of its Hanoverian troops - had a disastrous bearing on the conduct of the war in the Low Countries. Indeed, were one mischievous, it could be argued that it was William Pitt who lost the Battle of Fontenoy.Military failure now changed the government's preoccupations. With the threat of French invasion and the prospect of a Jacobite uprising, the question was whether home defense or the war in Flanders were to take priority. The fate of a besieged Ostend became the initial focus of this concern, as politicians and military commanders engaged in a tug of war over its reinforcement. Later, the disagreements over whether troops were needed more in Brabant or Scotland reached their climax in a tussle over the destination of Britain's Hessian auxiliaries, indirectly leading, on the one hand, to the resignation of a government in London and, on the other, to the fall of Brussels.In 1746, the pattern of defeat in the Low Countries continued. London's decision to deny overall command of the British-paid contingent, and full general's rank, to Sir John Ligonier helped contribute to a fracturing of the allied army before the Battle of Rocoux, an outcome instrumental in securing French victory. The following year, another reverse at the Battle of Laffeldt and the subsequent fall of Bergen-op-Zoom did not, surprisingly enough - and for diplomatic reasons that are explained - lead to a British re-evaluation of the viability of continuing the war (despite an important element within the ministry hoping it might). Nevertheless, the pertinacity of the leading proponent of war measures, the Duke of Newcastle, was shaken early in 1748 as the reality of a dire military situation made itself apparent. The progress of peace talks at Aix-la-Chapelle thereafter mirrored exactly the path of impending military catastrophe, with the mighty fortress of Maestricht firmly in French sights.This is an important study of Britain and the War of the Austrian Succession that does away with the tendency of a past historiography to compartmentalize the subject into distinct military, political and diplomatic silos.

Helion and Company

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Books by Massie, Alastair

See the best price to sell, buy, or rent books by Massie, Alastair. BookScouter helps to compare book prices from 25+ online bookstores and 30+ buyback vendors with a single search.

The National Army Museum Book of the Crimean War: The Untold Story

The National Army Museum Book of the Crimean War: The Untold Story

Wives and Sweethearts: Love Letters Sent During Wartime

Great Britain and the Defence of the Low Countries, 1744-1748: Armies, Politics and Diplomacy (From Reason to Revolution)

Great Britain and the Defence of the Low Countries, 1744-1748: Armies, Politics and Diplomacy (From Reason to Revolution)