Books of Interest

By Terry D. Hooker

Covers the:

PreColumbian and Conquest period,

"Warlords of the Ancient Americas; Central America." by LTC.(Ret.) U.S. Army Peter G. Tsouras, pub. Arms and Armour Press, London, 1996, 230 pp. Colour and b/w illustrations, one in a series of 3 that will deal with South and North American Ancient Warlords, the first thing to catch my eye were the b/w drawings by Keith Henderson while the coloured plates give you an idea of the size of the streets and buildings that the conquistadors saw on their arrival, the text is clear and gives a good feel for the period and people while covering the various wars including the Venus-Tlaloc wars (Star Wars) makes this title one that ought to be bought if this is your period.

"Christopher Columbus", by Salvador de Madariaga, pub. Hollis & Carter, London 1947, 477 pp. most will know of this authors books on Latin America and as such this volume with it's highly readable text, although on a subject that is relatively well documented, is a title that should be read if not bought, my copy cost œ4.50 and I couldn't say no.

"Discovering the New World; based on the works of Theodore de Bry" edited by Michael Alexander, pub. London Editions, 1976, 220 pp. These plates first published in 1590 in thirteen volumes, although 100 years after the discovery, they depict scenes from the journeys and conquest of the Americas that have been used as reference material up to the present day, sometimes these illustrations seem rather far fetched but when accompanied by the text of the adventurer one can see how close to reality they could be, text and illustrations very illuminating for the period.

"Orellana; discovers the Amazon" by George Millar, pub. William Heinemann Ltd. London, 1954, 298 pp. a good story that is not often told in such detail, an amazing adventure in which the writer involves us through the eyes of Orellana's scrivener named Isasaga which makes the story come alive.

I don't normally include a magazine article with the book section but this time I will, "The Army of Manco Inca" by J. Batistuta, 1. Colby, B. Edge and C. Rothero, pub. in Ancient Warrior, Vol.1, Winter 94/95, Montvert Publications, P.O.Box 25, Stockport, SK5 6RU. England. Priced £ 3.00, 2 coloured plates 15 line drawings of various figures, the illustrations are based upon the work of Guaman Poma de Ayala compiled in 1600 with 1,000 contemporary illustrations and sent to Philip III of Spain and subsequently presented to the King of Denmark and was not re-discovered until 1924, a nice article with good ideas for wargamers in relation to contemporary costume.

Colonial Period

Now three books that include the early period of Spanish explorers in what is now the U.S.A.,

"The Spanish Borderlands Frontier 1513-1821" by John Francis Bannon, pub. University of New Mexico Press, Albuquerque, this edition 1979 and soflback, first pub. 1963, 287 pp. 12 maps, b/w illustrations, an updated version of the classic "The Spanish Borderlands" by Herbert E. Bolton pub.1921, both authors are known experts in this field of research, therefore a handy addition to the 1921 edition.

"New Mexico" by S.A. Roberts & C.A. Roberts, pub. University of New Mexico Press, 1988, 205 pp. a history from Pre-Colombian times until the 1980's, the first 110 pages bring the reader up to 1848, some interesting photographs, really a high school book though, as it tries to cover too much in one volume.

"The Spanish Pioneers and the California Missions" by Charles F. Lummis, pub. A.C. McClurg & Co., Chicago, 1929, a reprint on the death of the author, 343 pp. 23 b/w photographs, with a forward by A.F. Bandelier, yet another classic which was an inspiration to the scholars at the turn of the century and who are well respected today.

"Spanish Colonial Artifacts of the Gulf Coast Region, Part 1: Cast Metal Military Buttons, ca. 1700-1795" by John T. Powell, pub. Company of Military Historians, Washington D.C., Vol.XLVI No.1. 1994, pp. 2-11, there is very little on this subject that I know of in English, or Spanish for that matter, which makes this article very useful, I was also pleased to see that Rene Chartrand assisted with the article, I look forward to seeing the 2nd Part published sometime in the future.

Keeping with the Spanish Colonial period but on a general theme is the work on Spanish flags that some of you may already have "Banderas de Espaffa" by Jose Luis Calvo Perez and Luis Gravalos Gonzalez, pub. Silex, Spain 1983, it contains 675 different flags used by the Spanish armed forces from 842 through to 1981, I found 42 flags that relate to Latin America from 1492 - 1896 in it, I had seen it 14 years ago and knew then that I ought to have a copy.

Another work which falls into this heading is "El Ejercito de los Borbones", by M. Gomez Ruiz and V. Alonso Juanola, pub. Servicio Historico Militar y Museo del Ejercito, Madrid, Spain 1992, this two volume work is volume 3 in the series on the Army of the Spanish Bourbons, these two volumes Vol.3/1 and 3/2 are both on the troops in the Americas, V.3/1 covers Nueva Espana, the Captain General of Guatemala, the Philippine islands, The Viceroyalty of Peru, Captain General of Chile and the Southern Navy, 500 pp. V.3/2 covers Cuba, Puerto Rico, Santo Domingo, Florida & Louisiana, the Viceroyalty of New Granada, Captain general of Venezuela, Viceroyalty of Rio de Plata, plus Medical and Engineers, 531 pp. they contain many coloured uniform plates by A. Manzano (I may have spelt his name wrong as I cannot see it mentioned in the text and can only go by his signature on the plates) and many contemporary uniform and, even less well known, plans for most of the main fortifications, while the text gives contemporary staffing and organisational data for the different units, this is indeed a must as it contains really useful data, highly recommended.

"La Liberation de L'Amerique Espagnole, Seconde Partie - Tome 2: Argentina - Chile -Perou - Bolivie" pub. hy the Club Francais de la Figurine Historique, Special Issue 1995 IV, text by Daniel Peyrot and Louis de Beaufort, illustrated by Louis de Beaufort, 142 pp. 2 coloured plates, 8 b/w plates, 49 b/w nag illustrations plus numerous b/w illustrations, whether you can read French or not, this work with it's other 2 volumes are worth obtaining as there are things which are new to me in them, they cost 150 ff. each ( this works out to about £ 18 I believe?) and are obtainable from M. Clemenceau, 5 allee des Saules, 94240 L'Hay-les-Roses. France, recommended.

Latin America: General Titles

"A History of Latin America" by Hubert Herring, pub. Alfred A. Knopf, New York 1963, 845 pp. 30 maps, I must admit that books which try to cover so much tend to contain very little, the Pacific War is given one page, although on the political events in some countries it helps out where there are grey areas, while in relating to the 1950's his comments carry interest.

"The State of Latin America" by German Arciniegas, pub. Cassell and Company Ltd. London 1953, 416 pp. I like this writer, his work and his candid opinion, one comment that could be of interest is that Latin America has a large vote in the United Nations that is usually used on-block while more powerful countries can use but one vote, making some very interesting diplomatic manoeauvres by the U.S.A. during the last fifty years with it's Latin American neighbours, this book tries to enlighten the British reader of the early fiflies on what has been happening in Latin America during the forties when most British eyes were focused on the World War and later Russia, a most interesting read for this perspective.

"The United States and Latin America: A Historical Analysis of InterAmerican Relations" by Gordon Connell-Smith, pub. Heineman Educational Books, London 1974, 287 pp. beginning with the formulation of the Monroe Doctrine until President Nixon, bit of a heavy read but from a British view-point which must make it of interest.

Mexico

The U.S.-Mexican War will be dealt with at the end of this section,

"Historical Dictionary of Mexico", by Donald C. Briggs & Marvin Alisky, pub. The Scarecrow Press Inc. N.J. U.S.A. 1981, 259 pp. from a series of Latin American Historical Dictionaries this one is number 21 from the list, could be a useful book with its many descriptions of people, places and organisations.

"The Pueblo Revolt of 1680", by Andrew L. Knaut, pub. University of Oklahoma Press, U.S.A. 1995, 239 pp. 2 maps, 8 blw photographs, a good insight into this backwater of the Viceroyalty of New Spain and how thing went abit awry with the course of time.

"Bernardo de Galvez; Hero of the American Revolution", by Lorenzo G. LaFarelle, pub. Eakin Press, Austin, Texas 1992, 70 pp. any work on this person is a helpful asset, it seems only of late maybe the last 10 years or so that this Spanish General who helped fight the British in Louisiana, Alabama and Florida has been given the recognition that he deserves.

"Tragic Cavalier: Governor Manuel Salcedo of Texas 1808 - 1813", by Felix D. Almaraz Jr., pub. Texas A & M University Press, 1991, first pub. 1971, 189 pp. a difficult period to be a Spanish Governor with the different fractions fighting for power in the capital plus the later Gutierrez - Magee expedition to oust Spanish/Mexican power out of Texas, interesting reading about these days.

"Joaquin de Arredondo's report of the Battle of the Medina, August 18, 1813" translated by Mattie Austin Hatcher, pub. Texas State Historical Association, Vol. XI July 1907-April 1908, pages 220 - 251, and "The Magee-Gutierrez Expedition" by Harry McCorry Henderson, pub. S.W.Hist. Quarterly July 1951, both articles fit in with the previous book are would be most useful to any wargamer thinking of re-creating this event.

"A Black Corps d'Elite", by Richard Hill and Peter Hogg, pub. Michigan State University Press, 1995, 197 pp. 19 b/w photographs, 2 maps, this book deals with the Egyptian Sudanese Conscript Battalion that saw service in Mexico with the French expedition there in 1863-67, the only published book that I've seen in English on these troops, there's not too many articles on them in English or French either, so this work fills in a very large gap, I'm pleased to say. "Ley Organica del Ejercito Nacional", pub. Secretaria de Guerra y Marina, Mexico 1900, 147 pp. the title tells you all, this is the 1900 organisational law for the Mexican Army a mine of information that will be useful for the early Mexican Revolutionary period.

"I Had Nine Lives", by Joseph Crad, pub. Sampson Low, London 1936, 234 pp. the first 153 pages are on the author's exploits in the army of Pancho Villa while the remaining pages are when he joins the forces in Nicaragua of Sandino, some really interesting comments and first hand combat reports that give a pretty good feel for the period, alas not many dates are used.

"The Mexican Revolution 1914-15" by Robert E. Quirk, pub. Indiana University Press, 1960. 314 pp. by dealing with only this year, eventful as it was, the author has managed to compile a useful work, rather than a rambling history of the Mexican Revolution which is a common occurrence, a handy reference work but mainly on the political side of events.

"Zapata; A Biography" by Roger Parkinson, pub. Stein & Day, New York 1975, a needed work on the famous leader and well researched.

"Alvaro Obregon; Power and Revolution in Mexico 1911 - 1920", by Linda B. Hall, pub. Texas A & M University Press, 1981, 264 pp. plus 16 pages of bibliography, 39 b/w photographs, to find a study on this person in English is indeed really helpful, often overlooked by writers who prefer Villa and Zapata to research this work gives a very good insight into Obregon's military and political career, a good reference work.

"Recuerdos de un Villista; Mi Campana en la Revolucion" by Adan Mantecon Perez, Mexico 1967, 125 pp. 74 b/w photographs, it would appear to be privately published as I cannot see a publishers title, the author fought with Villa and stayed in the army after the Revolution, gaining the rank of Colonel. This text deserves to have time to be translated as it covers the period 1910-1916 and first-hand Mexican accounts of the campaigns rather than the politics of the time are. I believe, few also some nice photos that I have not seen before. "Mexican 201st Fighter Squadron (Aztec [Eagles), 1944-1945" by Edward S. Milligan and illustrated by Bill Leftwich, pub. Company of Military Historians, Washington D.C., Vol. XLVII, No.1, plate No.731, additional information on this little known unit, pleased to notice Paul V. Walsh and Jean Goffi given a thank you in it.

Texas and US-Mexican War Now for the Texas and Mexican-U.S. War works.

"The Life of Stephen F. Austin; Founder of Texas, 1793-1836" by Eugene C. Barker, pub. University of Texas Press, 1990, first published 1926, 459 pp. a classic work that has stood the test of time.

"Texian Iliad; A Military History ofthe Texas Revolution" by Stephen L. Hardin, illustrated by Gary S. Zaboly, pub. University of Texas Press, 1994, 289 pp. plus 21 pages bibliography, 11 line drawings, 7 maps, a well written and researched work with illustrations to match, this is a must for anybody interested in this conflict.

"Los Tejanos; the true story of Juan N. Saguin and the Texas-Mexicans during the rising of the Lone Star" by Jack Jackson, pub. Fantagraphics Books Inc. Ct. USA 1982, 136 pp. this is in the form of a comic strip book and illustrated by the author, in my opinion this book is targeted for the 10-16 year old school children, it's text is very basic and modern in tone giving the wrong impression for the period, I must admit that there is very little in it that appeals to me other than the odd illustration, but they are few and far between, sorry guys I must be an old stick in the mud.

"Texas; The Rise, Progress and Prospects of the Republic of Texas" by William Kennedy, pub. Augustus M. Kelly, Clifton, NJ 1974, first published 1841, 939 pp. 2 fold out maps, a very interesting contemporary report first published in England when the two countries were too friendly for some North Americans in the U.S. at the time.

"Volunteers; The Mexican War Journals Of Private Richard Coulter and Sergeant Thomas Barclay, Company E, 2nd Pennsylvania Infantry" edited by Allan Peskin, pub. Kent State University Press, Ohio, 1991, by placing both journal together day by day we can obtain a much clearer view of events and people, an interesting and useful work.

"Autobiography of an English Soldier in the United States Army" by George Ballentine, edited by William H. Goetzmann, pub. The Lakeside Press, Chicago 1986, first published 1853, 32 b/w illustrations, 3 maps, 340 pp. a good narrative on the Mexican War by a Scot who had served in the British Army before going to America and then to join their army being promoted to the rank of corporal, his descriptive text is highly readable and useful.

"A Journal of the Santa Fe Expedition under Colonel Doniphan" by Jacob S. Robinson, pub. Princeton University Press, 1932, first published 1848, 91 pp. 5 b/w photographs, a nice little book on a lesser known expedition, a good contemporary account.

"Taos 1847; the revolt in contemporary accounts" edited by Michael McNierney, pub. Johnson Publishing Company, Boulder, Col. 1980, illustrations, 3 maps, 99 pp. trouble in New Mexico during the U.S. - Mexican War, an interesting episode of U.S. occupation.

"Eyewitness to War; Prints and Daguerreotypes of the Mexican War, 1846-1848", by Martha A. Sandweiss, Rick Stewart and Ben W. Huseman, pub. Amon Carter Museum and the Smithsonian Institution Press, Washington D.C. 1989, 358 pp. 2 coloured plates, 164 b/w prints and daguerreotypes, definitely a work to have and one that will be, if it isn't already, a must reference work, the accompanying text is very helpful too, more than I expected it to be.

"War of Manifest Destiny" by Diana Serra Cary, pub. Military History, April 1996, pages 46-53, 9 b/w & colour illustrations, two coloured illustrations of paintings makes this article of help to me, one of Santa Anna and the other of the Battle of Palo Alto that I don't think I've seen before.

"Mexican Army: Artillery Officers, 1840-1848" by Albert W. Haarmann and illustrated by Eric Manders, pub. Company of Military Historians, Washington D.C. Vol.XLVI No.2., plate No. 719, a very useful article dedicated to the memory of the late Detmar H. Finke, which is a nice touch by Al.

"Campaign Uniforms, U.S. Armed Forces, Mexico City, September 1847" by Fitzhugh McMaster and James T. Jones, pub. Company of Military Historians, Plate No.727, Vol. XLVI, No.4. 1994, interesting text and plate, although on a subject that might not be so obscure.

"Uniform Painting Guide to the Mexican / American War 1846 to 1848" compiled and printed by Outpost Wargame Services, 55 Westerdale, Hadrians Lodge West, Wallsend, Tyne & Wear, NE28 8UB, England, 33 pp. the schematic uniforms are all in colour with colour instructions by it's side, this is an interesting way of producing this sort of data and I am sure that future titles will improve the graphics, mainly the diagonal lines which are a little bit wavy and the lack of headgear in this edition, but at least they include 49 Mexican and 22 U.S. uniforms in colour, if there are mistakes in the colour printing read the text and that should remedy it, it costs £ 8.99 plus 10% p&p.

Brazil

"Historical Dictionary of Brazil" by Robert M. Levine, pub. Scarecrow Press Inc. N.J. 1979, 297 pp. number 19 from this handy series of historical dictionaries, it would be quite useful to obtain the whole set if Latin America was your only interest.

"The Dutch Power in Brazil 1624-1654" by George Edmundson, first published in 1896, reprinted by Pallas Armata, Tonbridge, Kent 1995, 57 pp. a subject which most members will know something about but maybe not in any detail, if that's the case then this title will help obtain a better understanding of the events.

"In Pursuit of Honour and Power; Noblemen of the Southern Cross in Nineteenth Century Brazil" by Eul-Soo Pang, pub. University of Alabama Press, 1988, more of a social history than military but a few interesting points included that help to obtain a clearer view of court life, politics etc.

"Dom Pedro; The Struggle for Liberty in Brazil and Portugal, 1798-1834" by Neill Macaulay, pub. Duke University Press, USA 1986, 344 pp. 7 b/w illustrations, 4 maps, a useful biography for the early years of Brazilian Independence and well researched.

"Slave Rebellion in Brazil; The Muslim Uprising of 1835 in Bahia" by Joao Jose Reis, translated by Arthur Brakel, pub. The John Hopkins University Press, Baltimore USA 1993, Brazilian edition 1986, 16 b/w illustrations, 4 maps, must admit that I've never heard about this muslim revolt which makes this title of interest, although quickly defeated it was one of the most important urban slave revolts in the Americas, the obvious one's that spring to my mind are Haiti and Jamaica, but because of the region where it was staged and who carried the revolt out both have helped to make this episode a field of research which has been easily neglected by historians in the past until this work.

"Brazilian Defence; Veiculos Militares Brasileiros, 1918 - Today" compiled by Fernando Costa de Sousa, published by himself at Rue Major Gondim 259A, Venda da Cruz - SG - RJ, CEP 24411-110, BRAZIL, 143 pp. there are only 13 pages of text without any illustrations all of the remainder have 1-8 pictures of either AVF's, Unit insignia, types of Artillery, in fact a good mixture of most things military, it has been produced as an extension to Fernando's hobby which is making plastic AVF kits, if you are interested in any of these subject write and see how to obtain a copy, he would rather have kits from his wanted list than money, the pages are on legal size paper and photocopied from his original pages each time which can make some of the photographs not as clear as one might wish but that is only a minor pain, a good effort that should be utilised more.

"Guerrillas in the Brazilian Amazon" by Colonel Alvaro de Souza Pinheiro (Brazilian Army), pub. Military Review, March-April 1996, U.S. Command and General Staff College, Ft. Leavenworth, Kansas, 18 pp. modern conflict in the Amazon Region with the 1972 campaign against the then illegal Communist Party of Brazil or the Araguaia Guerrilla Force as this unit called itself, and the 1991 Colombian Guerrilla (FARC) incursion into the Amazon Region, this is a very inforrnative article with good data I've not seen before.

"AMX: Brazil's Newest Strike Fighter" by Neil R. Anderson, pub. Air Forces Monthly, March 1996, pages 23-27, 9 b/w & colour photographs, should be good for latter research.

"Brazilian Naval Aviation Today" by Corne Rodenburg and Rob Schleiffert, pub. Air Power International, June/July 1996, pages 13-19, 7 coloured photographs, nice article on a neglected area, 4 unit badges shown on aircraft but too small to really now what there are and say, pity.

"Verde-Oliva Exercito Brasileiro, Vol.XXIII, No.145, July/Aug. Rio de Janeiro 1995, 44 pp. a glossy magazine for the Brazilian Army all photographs are in colour unless reproduced from original b/w ones pre-WWII, two interesting photographs in this issue were one of the modern day mounted trumpeter of the Presidential Guard showing trumpet banner, the other illustration of note, for me that is, is shoulder patch of the Centro de Instruc,ao de Aperfeicoamento de Sargentos / Sur, helpful photographs and data make this bi-monthly magazine very interesting if you can obtain it.

Central America and the West Indies

"The Darien Disaster" by John Prebble, pub. Secker & Warburg, London 1968, 349 pp. 9 illustrations, 4 maps, the un-successful attempt to establish a settlement of Scottish adventurers on the Isthmus of Panama 1698-1700, often only given a passing mention, if at all, when this period of Dutch, French and English expansion into the Spanish Colonies of the Americas are discussed, making this well researched work an extremely helpful book, it should also be remembered that Scotland at this time was not part of the Union, therefore free to do it's own trading with the world but it spent half of the nation's capital on the venture!

"Operation Just Cause; The U.S. Intervention in Panama" by Col. (Ret.) Rod Lenahan, pub. National Defense University Press, Washington D.C. 1995, 292 pp. a very good coverage of events up and during the conflict, being that the author was Director of Intelligence Operations, U.S. Army Southern Command and on the staff of the U.S. Air Force Special Operations Command he should have a better overview of the intervention than most, and in my opinion he does, a useful reference work.

"Armored Fighting Vehicles of El Salvador" by David Spencer, pub. Museum Ordnance Special Number 7, Darlington Productions lnc. Maryland, U.S.A. 24 pp. with 108 b/w photographs of AFV's, if this is your field then I'm sure you will find something of interest in this work, I must admit I'm not a buff on this subject, so whatever is published can only boost my slim files.

"El Salvador: A Dirty Little Distant War" by Al J. Venter, pub. Air World International, August 1996, pages 34-39, 10 coloured photographs, one showing unit insignia for helicopters, some helpful information on the 1980's.

"Nicaragua's Air Force" by Julio A. Montes, pub. Air Forces Monthly, June 1996, pages 23-27, 12 b/w & colour photographs, I map, for me all of these aircraft articles that appear in the various aircraft magazines that relate to Latin America and the Caribbean countries are very helpful as they update and illustrate this service arm very well, while there appears to be more articles published on Latin American air forces than army and naval units in English language magazines, I wonder why, anyway the article contains very useful data and not only on the present day.

"The Angry Admiral" by Cyril Hughes Hartmann, pub. William Heinemann Ltd. London 1953, being the later career of Admiral Edward Vernon, Admiral of the White, including the capture of Porto Bello, Cartagena and the Cuban Expedition, 1733 - 1743, an easy to read and understand book that makes one want to sit down at night in front of the fire and read it cover to cover, if only I had the time.

"La Martinique 1802- 1809" by Didier Davin, pub. Le Briquet, No.3 1995, pp. 33-36 plus I b/w plate, details of French units on that island, some nice details.

"Power Pack; U.S. Intervention in the Dominican Republic, 1965-66" by Lawrence A. Yates, pub, Combat Studies Institute Fort Leavenworth, Leavenworth Papers No.15, 1988, a good military based book that also highlights the problems that faced the U.S. forces in outdated operations plans, poor communications and co-ordination, hasty planning and inadequate staff and facilities, lessons that would quickly be learned in time for the 90's.

"Haiti's Future; Views of Twelve Haitian Leaders", edited by Richard M. Morse, pub. Wilson Center Perspectives, Washington D.C. 1988, 126 pp. some interesting comments on their perceived views of Haiti's future.

"El Libro del Mambi" by Juan Padron, pub. Editora Abril de la UJC, Havana, Cuba 1985, 148 pp. b/w photographs, line drawings and 8 coloured pages of uniforms 4-12 figures per page, it deals with the guerrilla wars in Cuba from 1860 - 1898 with a section on the U.S. invasion of 1889, I was sent photocopies of this book by two members of the society some four years ago and I've wanted to buy it since then, although it looks like a child's educational book, which it really is, the data that it contains makes it a work that any wargamer or researcher would find very helpful, this copy cost me $18.00 from Florida, recommended.

"The Lessons of the Spanish-American War" by Vice Admiral P.H. Colomb, plus "Main Features of the Spanish American War" by Rear Admiral M. Pluddemann, a Pallas Armata reprint, 45 pp. 2 maps, first printed 1899, as one might guess from the author's titles this deals with the naval side of the war, from an American and German viewpoint, a nice addition.

"Flashpoints; The Cuban Missile Crisis" by Robert Beggs, pub. Longman Group Ltd. London 1971, 100 pp. using speeches, communiques, letters and press reports on this crisis, some data and letters that I've not seen before.

South America

"Venezuela; a Country Study", edited by Richard A. Haggerty, pub. Federal Research Division of the Library of Congress, Washington D.C. 1993, 253 pp. 3 maps, b/w photographs, a quick reference book for the country with chapters on history, politics and national security, this series of books are sponsored by the U.S. Department of the Army which gives the section on national security a bit more depth than the norm.

"FAV at 7S" pub. Air Forces Monthly, February 1996, pages 31-37, 11 b/w & colour photographs, I map, a well researched article with a semi close-up of the insignia of the 11th Air Group, plus one of three Air Force Generals in flying overalls showing rank etc.

"An Account of the Expedition to Carthagena with Explanatory notes and Observations" a Pallas Annata reprint, first published 1743 London, 58 pp. it is nice to see a contemporary account (and spelling, some words with "s" in them have a "f" instead, keeps you on your toes) with a good amount of information on the units that were there, if any member wishes to obtain a list of available booklets from this company please send two International Reply Coupons for Europe and three for the rest of the world to; Gareth Simon, 98 Priory Road, Tonbridge, Kent TN9 2BP, England, I don't think that you will be disappointed.

"When Colombia Bled; A History of the Violencia in Tolima" by James D. Henderson, pub. University of Alabama Press, 1985, 339 pp. 21 photographs, 5 maps, covering the urban conflicts that occurred during 1946-9, 1949-53, 1953- 1965 with a good 126 pages informing the reader on the period pre- 1949, a worthy read for anyone trying to understand 20th century internal politics and early guerrilla movements in Columbia.

"Training the Elite Units of Colombia" by JoMarie Fecci, pub. Raids, February 1996 No.51, 30-37, 14 colour photographs, the article is on the Escuala de Lanceros, Colombia's Special Forces Centre, the special forces mainly contend with guerrilla and drug traffickers, a nice photo of the school insignia, it would appear to me that this was the last issue of the English version of this French magazine, as my W.H.Smiths no longer stock it for me, if this is correct (?) could anyone inform me whether the French version is still available and in print as the photographs printed with the various articles on Latin American Armies and their insignia are of help whatever language the text is in.

"Fuerzas Armadas" pub. Colombian Ministry of Defense, No's. 419-424, each one is 48 pages in length with b/w & coloured photographs, Spanish text but each issue has numerous photographs that can be of help of uniforms etc. of all four services, I include the Police.

"War and Peace in the Amazon: Strategic Implications for the United States and Latin America of the 1995 Ecuador-Peru War" by Gabriel Marcella, pub. Strategic Studies Institute, Washington D.C. 1996, 28 pp. 3 maps, a quick read but one that helps to clarify the past and future problems that have and may happen again between these two countries, it mentions that Ecuador used satellites to help pinpoint enemy targets, who owned these satellites it does not say although U.S. relations towards Peru have not been at their best for a number of years.

"Condor Conflict" by David Oliver, pub. Air Forces Monthly, December 1995, pages 25-29, 10 b/w & colour photographs, I map, interesting article on the Ecuadorian Air Force and the recent war with Peru. "Fuerza Aerea del Peru", by Peter R. Foster, pub. Aircraft Illustrated, July 1996, pages 76-80, 13 b/w & colour photographs, although a very good article I do wish that when they have a chance they would photo the unit insignia that's painted onto the aircraft, this article has two such photos which are reproduced in b/w and are of the craft making the insignia too small to be recognised, the vast number of aircraft articles are exactly the same, more's the pity but maybe I'm the only one who want's to see these sort of things?

"Canberra: 40 Years of Service in Peruvian Air Force" by Peter R. Foster, pub. Air Power International, AprillMay 1996, pages 446, 3 coloured photographs, a nice and informative little article.

"The Chaco War: Bolivia and Paraguay, 1932-1935" by Bruce W. Farcau, pub. Praeger, Westport, Con. U.S.A. 1996, 241 pp. 1 map, for most people the only book that is known on this war in English is David H. Zook's "The Conduct of the Chaco War" pub. Bookman Associates, New Haven, USA, 1960, after 36 years here is another well informed work that could well rekindle interest in this forgotten war, I hope so, a most welcome addition with some very good research into the various battles.

"Paraguayan Paratroopers" by Antonio S. Carmo, pub. Raids, January 1996, No.50, pages 32-35, 8 colour photographs including 8 badges of insignia, I organisational chart, a brief history of the unit and it's modern training and usage.

"Dark Days in Chile: An Account of the Revolution of 1891" by Maurice H. Hervey, pub. Institute for the Study of Human Issues, Philadelphia, 1979, a reprint of the 1892 London edition, the author was a special correspondent for The Times of London who reported this civil war in Chile while also being with the Chilean Squadron that sank the "Blanco Encalada", like most contemporary accounts there are always good quotes and this is not the exception, while the subject matter is rarely seen in print these days other than reprints of the occasional 19th century account and there was not too many of them, a very interesting and useful account.

"The Capture of Valparaiso in 1891: Reports of the Commander in Chief and Chief of Staff of the Constitutional Army" translated from the Diario Official 1891 by the British Intelligence Division of the War Office in 1892, a Pallas Armata reprint, covers the same topic as the previous title but from the opposing side, it also has an order of battle which is handy.

"Chile: The Crime of Resistance" by Suzanne Labin, pub. Foreign Affairs Publishing Co. Ltd., Richmond, Surrey England, 1982, 271 pp. on the Allende period of government and it's overthrow, reported to be an expose on the Communist inspired government and it's abuse of power, if you are really into this political maelstrom of Chile in the 70's it might be of interest, but to most it could appear a bit one sided.

"Garibaldi in South America, Part 2: Uruguay and the Siege of Montevideo" by Paul Parsons, pub. Wargames Illustrated No. 103, April 1996, pages 35-38, a useful article in two parts on Garibaldi in Brazil and Uruguay, nothing new here for me but to most wargamers it will be, a good summary of events and overview of the carnpaigns considering who many pages he used.

"Fuerza Aerea Uruguaya" & "Armada Naval Uruguaya" by George Kamp and Dick Lohuis, pub. Air Forces Monthly, September 1996, pages 31 - 37, 16 colour photographs, these two articles cover the modem Uruguayan Air Force including the naval side.

"Uruguayan Naval Aviation Today" by Peter R. Foster, pub. Air Power International, January 1996, pages 18-21, 5 colour photographs, goes very well with the previous article plus these photographs are closer to the aircraft although no squadron or unit insignia on any aircraft or helicopter. My Argentine pile also includes the Falklands / Malvinas War, which makes it a reasonable amount, the first one then is, in my opinion, the best of the pile

"Los Cuerpos Militares en la Historia Argentina: Organizacion y Uniformes 1550-1950" by Dr. Julio Mario Luqui-Lagleyze, pub. Instituto Nacional Sanmartiniano, Buenos Aires 1995, 296 pp. numerous illustrations and photographs all in black and white, 2 coloured photographs of militaria on the front and back cover, although this is a paperback which is a litle bit smaller than A4 in size, the amount of photographs that I have not seen before on personnel from the 1850's and of actual jackets, kepi's etc. makes it a must, the text naturally is in Spanish which should not be too much of a problem as it mainly deals with uniform details rather than campaigns, this is divided into these chapter periods; 1550-1800, 1800-1810, 1810-1826, 1825-1830, 1830-1852, 1852-1862, 1865-1870, 1875-1900, 1900-1950, it includes illustrations by Jorge H. Rivas, I,ouis de Beaufort, Alberto del Pino Menck and the author, he was also helped by Christian Fernandez who must have suggested that he send me a review copy so that I could include details of it here, thanks Christian, as for the price and where to write for it I've no idea although I have this bookshop in Buenos Aires which may be of assistance Libreria Rodriguez, Frente a Plaza San Martin, Galeria Larreta, Locales 43-44, Florida 971, Buenos Aires, Tel. 311 3779, if I ever win the "Lottery" then this would be one of the first books that I would have translated into English and published in colour, a must for anyone interested in Argentine military uniforms.

"The San Martin Papers" selected and edited by Cristian Garcia-Godoy, translated by B. Pluntley and P. Libra, pub. The San Martin Society, Washington D.C., 1988, 949 pp. 31 b/w plates, as you can guess there are numerous notes and letters in this work that do not normally appear in print in English, great for quotes and contemporary details while also covering his early career in the service of Spain and his expatriation in Europe until his death, some really interesting data here.

"The Admiral from Mayo; A Life of Almirante William Brown of Foxford" by John de Courcy Ireland, pub. Edmund Burke Publisher, Dublin 1995, 155 pp. 20 b/w illustrations, 1 colour plate, 5 maps, some good details of sea and river warfare that the Argentine Navy was involved in during the period 1811 - 1845, the political narration of events are pro-Argentine (Buenos Aires) and pro-Rosas, while it appears to me that the author would have liked fraction of material the author, a retired naval Lieutenant Commander, received in response to his appeal for narrative from combatants, it would be nice to see another book published with the best of the rest printed for a clearer view of life and death afloat during the war, a good addition to the subject.

"Her Majesty's Interrogator: Falklands" by Guy Bransby, pub. Leo Cooper, London 1996, 155 pp. 7 b/w photographs, one of the few Falklands War books that I've read cover to cover since 1985, mainly because of the rare picture of how the British took onboard, for thc first time since the Second World War, a programme of large prisoner of war interrgation for a quick appreciation of each situation that happened for an instant remedial response, a very good read and a bit of an eye-opener on a few internal disagreements that were not about how to beat the enemy, but officer inter-unit rivalry and pique, a very helpful and interesting book.

"Pucara's Wrong War" by Salvador Mafe Huertas, pub. Air International, April 1996, pages 248-251, 7 photographs b/w & colour, a good helpful article.

Miscellaneous

In this section I will list titles that although initially do not appear to relate to Latin America actually do have some details or chapter on this region, the first one is a title that I have been wanting to acquire for some years.

"Parachute Badges and Insignia of the World" by R.J.Bragg and Roy Turner, pub. Blandford Colour Series, Dorset 1979, I don't think that I need to you what this book is like, just that it contains details of 17 countries from Latin America which is very helpful.

"All the World's Fighting Ships" by Fred T. Jane, first published 1898, reprinted 1985 by Jane's, England, contains data on Argentina, Brazil and Chile, nice drawings of the various ships, it would appear that the Chilean "Almirante Cochrane" was built in 1874 at Hull, while many ships for these countries were built at Birkenhead.

"Pictorial History of Tanks of the World 1915-45" by Peter Chamberlain and Chris Ellis, pub. Arrns and Arrnour Press, this edition pub. by the Military Book Society 1972, a classic that contains details of tanks from Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Cuba, Ecuador, Guatemala, Mexico and Peru, not much though maybe one or two photographs from each country, but it all helps.

"Military Small Arms of the 20th Century" by Ian V. Hogg and John Weeks, pub. Arms and Armour Press, 5th edition 1985, London, contains details from these countries Argentina, Brazil, Dominican Republic and Mexico of their own produced weapons.

"Military Pistols and Revolvers" by Ian V. Hogg, pub. Arms and Armour Press, London 1987, contains data on Argentina, Brazil and Mexico.

"Military Insignia" by Derek Avery, pub. Wordsworth Colour Handbooks, Hertfordshire, U.K. 1995, contains six illustrations of cloth and metal badges from Argentina (1), Bolivia (3), Cuba (1) and Jamaica (I) the book was only a pound which was worth the price of the three Bolivian badges colour photographs.

"Arming The Free World: The Origins of the United States Military Assistance Program, 1945- 1950" by Chester J. Pach, Jr., pub. The University of North Carolina Press, 1991, included are some helpful and interesting sections that cover the U.S. and Latin American arms sales, a good reference book on this topic.

"Terrorist Group Profiles" pub U.S. Government Printing Office, Washington D.C., 1987, a very helpful book with a chapter on Latin American Terrorism pages74- 111 naming 17 groups in operation there, if you require a primer to build upon then this is it, very helpful.

"Carden Loyd Mk. VI" pub. Armour in Profile, No.16, Profile Publications Ltd., London 1967, an 11 page pamphlet needed it for data on the Chaco War.

"Strategic Assessment 1995: U.S. Security Challenges in Transition" & "Strategic Assessment 1996: Instruments of U.S. Power" both pub. by National Defense University, Washington D.C. both deal with Latin American subjects among other things, most interesting from a British perspective.

"A History of Artillery" by Ian V. Hogg, artwork by John Batchelor, pub. Hamlyn, London 1974, I didn't have a book on Artillery so this could be my first, nicely illustrated, I will have to begin to look for titles that cover, say Krupp or Armstrong so that I have an idea of the different models.

"The Organisation of the Spanish Army" by W.H. Cromie, a Pallas Armata reprint, first published in the United Services Magazine 1883, 21 pp. thought this would be of help with Cuba and Puerto Rico.

"The Foreign Element in the British Army 1793-1815" by Capt. C.T. Atkinson, a Pallas Armata reprint, first published in the Journal of the Royal United Services Institution, 1914, 32 pp. some data on the troops in the West Indies but not as much as I had hoped.

"Four Modern Naval Campaigns" by Sir William Laird Clowes, a Pallas Armata reprint (4 booklets), first published in 1895, has chapters on the Pacific War 1879-81, The Chilean Revolutionary War of 1891 (this is the third title on this war that I've included, norrnally there's nothing!) and the forth chapter is on the attempted revolution in Brazil 1893-4, not bad three Latin American carnpaigns under one title.

"Military Review", pub. U.S. Army Command and General Staff College, Fort Leavenworth, Kansas, Vol. LXXIV, Oct. 1994, this issue has 7 articles on various Latin American topics i.e. the Drugs War, U.S. Policy towards Nicaragua, and the Zapatista Rebellion in Chiapas, all are topical and history in the making.

"History and Naval History Forum" pub. by the Historical Miniatures Gaming Society (East), P.O. Box 222, Annapolis, MD, 21401, started in 1994 with an annual journal it now produces half-yearly journals of 110 pp. each, the latest issue has 8 article by the likes of Donald Featherstone, Paddy Griffith and Thomas Coveney on all periods of military history, from pages 71 to 109 are the book reviews usually of 800 to 1,000 words in length, because this is produced mainly by academics the articles can be quite interesting. Subscription rates are $10.00, although I believe this to be the rate only for the U.S. (?).

Well I finally reached the end of the books on hand, I stopped adding to the pile two weeks ago that were to be included, I have now another smallish pile (10 books) waiting for the next issue, I hope that you have found my comments of interest and that you may have seen a title that is of help to your studies.

I would like to thank these people for sending in books to be included in this review; Paul V. Walsh, Andrew Preziosi, Christian Fernandez, Bob Scheina, Ed Milligan, Marco Dini Bruno, Richard Brooks, Charles H. Bogart, Philip Greenough, Bryan Ansall, Gareth Simon, Fernando Costa de Sousa and Ernie Stewart, without their help only half of these books, if that, would have been brought to your notice, hoping that you have seen a title or two of interest.

Back to Table of Contents -- El Dorado Vol VII No. 4
© Copyright 1997 by The South and Central Military Historians Society

This article appears in MagWeb (Magazine Web) on the Internet World Wide Web.
Other military history articles and gaming articles are available at http://www.magweb.com