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Nashville 1864 - Mark Lardas |
- By Nick-D
This book in Osprey's 'Campaign' series covers the 1864 Franklin–Nashville campaign that formed a prominent part of the final stage of the American Civil War. The book was written by Osprey regular Mark Lardas, who appears to cover a wide range of topics for the company.
This book is a good example of a mediocre Osprey work. It covers its topic competently, but without much passion or expertise on the part of the author. The book competently describes the background to the campaign (albeit rather repetitively) and the course of the fighting but feels a bit less than the sum of its parts. The Franklin-Nashville campaign was a total fiasco for the Confederates, but the rather colourless prose doesn't really help readers to appreciate this. Unusually for an Osprey work, the maps aren't particularly good and it's somewhat under-illustrated.
On the positive side, Lardas provides an interesting account of the Union Army. He convincingly argues that the Union forces left behind by Sherman during his march to the sea were, on the whole, highly competent units. The coverage of the African American units is particularly interesting - for instance, I learned that they tended to be better armed and led than white units as their officers were hand picked by the war office rather than elected and they were issued with the latest weapons. Not surprisingly, they fought well in this campaign. The coverage of the Confederate Army is rather brief in comparison, unfortunately, and doesn't convincingly describe the condition it was in.
Overall, this is a useful introduction to this campaign. However, there have to be better works on the topic.
Publishing details: Lardas, Mark (2017). Nashville 1864: From the Tennessee to the Cumberland. Oxford: Osprey.
ISBN
9781472819840.{{
cite book}}: CS1 maint: date and year (
link)
Recent external reviews |
Cole, Myke (2021). The Bronze Lie: Shattering the Myth of Spartan Warrior Supremacy. Oxford: Osprey.
ISBN
9781472843753.
Short, William Rhuel (2021). Men of Terror: A Comprehensive Analysis of Viking Combat. Yardley, Pennsylvania: Westholme.
ISBN
9781594163609.
Cervantes, Fernando (2021). Conquistadores: A New History of Spanish Discovery and Conquest. New York City: Viking.
ISBN
9781101981269.
- Ricks, Thomas E. (23 November 2021). "Warriors of History and Legend". The New York Times.
Gapps, Stephen (2021). Gudyarra: The First Wiradyuri War of Resistance - The Bathurst War, 1822–1824. Sydney: NewSouth.
ISBN
9781742236711.
- Richards, Jonathan (8 December 2021). "Gudyarra: The First Wiradyuri War of Resistance - The Bathurst War, 1822-1824". Professional Historians Australia.
Adler, Jessica L. (2017). Burdens of War: Creating the United States Veterans Health System. Baltimore: Johns Hopkins University Press.
ISBN
9781421422879.
- Nowowiejski, Dean A. (3 December 2021). "Burdens of War". Military Review. Army University Press.
Britts, Angus (2021). Ikara: Australia’s Cold War Wonder Weapon. Sydney: Naval Historical Society of Australia.
ISBN
9780648776079.
- Mortimer, John (December 2021). "Ikara: Australia's Cold War Wonder Weapon". Australian Naval Institute.
Sixsmith, Martin (2022). The War of Nerves: Inside the Cold War Mind. London: Profile Books.
ISBN
9781781259122.
- Smith, PD (26 November 2021). "The War of Nerves by Martin Sixsmith review – inside the cold war mind". The Guardian.
Delves, Cedric (2018). Across an Angry Sea: The SAS in the Falklands War. London: Hurst.
ISBN
9781787381124.
- DiEugenio, John (December 2021). "Review of Delves, Cedric, Across an Angry Sea: The SAS in the Falklands War". H-War, H-Net Reviews.
Various works
- War on the Rocks Staff (2 December 2021). "The 2021 War on the Rocks Holiday Reading List". War on the Rocks.
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Nashville 1864 - Mark Lardas |
- By Nick-D
This book in Osprey's 'Campaign' series covers the 1864 Franklin–Nashville campaign that formed a prominent part of the final stage of the American Civil War. The book was written by Osprey regular Mark Lardas, who appears to cover a wide range of topics for the company.
This book is a good example of a mediocre Osprey work. It covers its topic competently, but without much passion or expertise on the part of the author. The book competently describes the background to the campaign (albeit rather repetitively) and the course of the fighting but feels a bit less than the sum of its parts. The Franklin-Nashville campaign was a total fiasco for the Confederates, but the rather colourless prose doesn't really help readers to appreciate this. Unusually for an Osprey work, the maps aren't particularly good and it's somewhat under-illustrated.
On the positive side, Lardas provides an interesting account of the Union Army. He convincingly argues that the Union forces left behind by Sherman during his march to the sea were, on the whole, highly competent units. The coverage of the African American units is particularly interesting - for instance, I learned that they tended to be better armed and led than white units as their officers were hand picked by the war office rather than elected and they were issued with the latest weapons. Not surprisingly, they fought well in this campaign. The coverage of the Confederate Army is rather brief in comparison, unfortunately, and doesn't convincingly describe the condition it was in.
Overall, this is a useful introduction to this campaign. However, there have to be better works on the topic.
Publishing details: Lardas, Mark (2017). Nashville 1864: From the Tennessee to the Cumberland. Oxford: Osprey.
ISBN
9781472819840.{{
cite book}}: CS1 maint: date and year (
link)
Recent external reviews |
Cole, Myke (2021). The Bronze Lie: Shattering the Myth of Spartan Warrior Supremacy. Oxford: Osprey.
ISBN
9781472843753.
Short, William Rhuel (2021). Men of Terror: A Comprehensive Analysis of Viking Combat. Yardley, Pennsylvania: Westholme.
ISBN
9781594163609.
Cervantes, Fernando (2021). Conquistadores: A New History of Spanish Discovery and Conquest. New York City: Viking.
ISBN
9781101981269.
- Ricks, Thomas E. (23 November 2021). "Warriors of History and Legend". The New York Times.
Gapps, Stephen (2021). Gudyarra: The First Wiradyuri War of Resistance - The Bathurst War, 1822–1824. Sydney: NewSouth.
ISBN
9781742236711.
- Richards, Jonathan (8 December 2021). "Gudyarra: The First Wiradyuri War of Resistance - The Bathurst War, 1822-1824". Professional Historians Australia.
Adler, Jessica L. (2017). Burdens of War: Creating the United States Veterans Health System. Baltimore: Johns Hopkins University Press.
ISBN
9781421422879.
- Nowowiejski, Dean A. (3 December 2021). "Burdens of War". Military Review. Army University Press.
Britts, Angus (2021). Ikara: Australia’s Cold War Wonder Weapon. Sydney: Naval Historical Society of Australia.
ISBN
9780648776079.
- Mortimer, John (December 2021). "Ikara: Australia's Cold War Wonder Weapon". Australian Naval Institute.
Sixsmith, Martin (2022). The War of Nerves: Inside the Cold War Mind. London: Profile Books.
ISBN
9781781259122.
- Smith, PD (26 November 2021). "The War of Nerves by Martin Sixsmith review – inside the cold war mind". The Guardian.
Delves, Cedric (2018). Across an Angry Sea: The SAS in the Falklands War. London: Hurst.
ISBN
9781787381124.
- DiEugenio, John (December 2021). "Review of Delves, Cedric, Across an Angry Sea: The SAS in the Falklands War". H-War, H-Net Reviews.
Various works
- War on the Rocks Staff (2 December 2021). "The 2021 War on the Rocks Holiday Reading List". War on the Rocks.
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