South America:

Simon Bolivar, by Gerhard Masur, pub. University of New Mexico Press, Albuquerque, 1948, illus., pp.725, a book quoted as being "the outstanding work on Simon Bolivar" by Prof. John Lynch, and the two hours that I spent reading various sections of it helped to confirm this opinion, although Salvador de Madariaga's "Bolivar" pub. 1952, is better on the military aspect but not on the person, if interested in the Wars of Independence this will help to pull it all into perspective, at least for the Northern Campaigns, he also translates references from O'Leary and Bolivar's Letters held in Caracas and Madrid which is most helpful, as the only thing on his letters in English that I have is Vicente Lecuna's "Selected Writings of Bolivar" 2 volumes, pub. 1951 by the Banco de Venezuela and printed by the Colonial Press Inc. New York, the Spanish version has 20 volumes!

Renato Beluche; Smuggler, Privateer and Patriot, 1780-1860, by Jane Lucas de Grummond, pub. Louisiana State University Press, Baton Rouge, 1983, 14 maps, illus., pp.289, most people would have read of Luis Brion and his ships that assisted Bolivar, so this work brings to light another navy man who helped in the Liberation of Gran Colombia, who I cannot remember reading about or have noticed in a quick check that I have just done in the index of a number of books on this period, he is included in Hasbrouck's "Foreign Legionaries etc." as a Frenchman, an informative book that also contains 3 chapters on the Battle of New Orleans where he served as an artillery commander under Andrew Jackson (he was born in New Orleans in 1780) helpful chapters for this war, but for me a real find for the Wars of Independence period.

Les Berets Verts Venezueliens, Les Rangers de Cumin, text and photographs by Gilles Rivet, pub. RAIDS magazine, No.144, May 1998, pp.46-51, as always with this magazine some nice photographs and informative text, the only thing missing was the photograph of the various cloth and metal insignia issued to these units, which I always find most helpful, lets hope they don't forget them in the next Latin American article, whenever that might be?

King of the Night: Juan José Flores & Ecuador 1824-1864, by Mark J. Van Aken, pub. University of California Press, Berkeley, 1989, pp.372, born in Venezuela and became the first President of Ecuador, although he believed that Ecuador was ungovernable under a republican form of government and favoured a monarchist system, a problem that faced many, if not all, newly created Latin American Republics, this work tells of these struggles in Ecuador up to 1864, it also makes one wonder about other Latin American nations, who although not adopting a monarchist system very easily ended up with home-grown autocrats in their place. It would appear, to me, that this topic, Republic or Monarchy, could become a subject that will evoke historians in the future to re-examine our interpretations of the policies and politics of the struggling new republics and just how many toyed with the idea of monarchy and then thought it politic to amend it to republicanism? I do not know if such a work has been published but it cries out that a non-Latin American should produce a balanced and unbiased book on this matter.

La Bandera del Regimiento de Granaderos de Reserva del Ejército Real del Alto Perú, 1810-21, by Julio Mario Luqui-Lagleyze, pub. Dragona magazine, No.4. 1994, Vol.2., pp.39-43, includes 5 line drawings of escudo's given to honour a battle, also a coloured figure of a Captain of Provincial Grenadiers 1812, all helpful information for the period.

The Magnificent Field of Enterprise: Britons in Peru 1815-1915, by Arthur R. B. Robinson, pub. by the author, printed and bound in Lima, Peru 1997, softback, illus., pp.238, mainly relates to British business and religious institutions that were stated during this period, the 2nd chapter has details on Gem William Miller and Admiral Thomas Cochrane during the War of Independence, while volunteers from Peru and other Latin American nations to Briton to fight in the First World War are also included in the last chapter, a small note; of the 4,852 Britons who went home from Argentina to the war, nearly 1 in 20 joined the 1st or 2nd King Edward's Horse that was formed from volunteers from the colonies or overseas. The volunteers from Peru included a Victoria Cross recipient R. A. J. Warneford and two Military Cross winners. A special cloth badge was designed and approved by the King to be worn by those officers and soldiers who "were residing in South America (including Central America and Mexico) at the outbreak of the war and who voluntarily came to the country to join the Army." This badge was in the shape of a diamond, having a field of blue cloth with an inner diamond of yellow lace and bearing the letters "B" top corner, "V" bottom corner "L" left corner and "A" right corner also in yellow lace, this was to be worn over the right breast pocket of the soldiers uniform. Not designed to be a military book, it has it's little gems of information in the text like the three that I have included, copies of this book are obtainable from the author at this address: 2a Brecksfield, Skelton, York, YO3 6YD, they are priced at £ 12.00 plus £ 1.50 p&p

Historia de Chile, by Walterio Millar, pub. Zig Zag, Santiago, Chile 1968, paperback, illus., pp.337, produced so that the children of Chile could have a reference book that contained plenty of illustrations in colour and b/w and a good history text, although basic in content, which the youth of Chile could afford and use in their studies, included is a list of Spanish Governors and Chilean Presidents, each President having a page of text, including a b/w illustration of them.

O'Higgins de America, by René Peri Fagerström, pub. Red International del Libro, Santiago de Chile, 1992, softback, pp.142, a study of this Chilean national hero that incorporates contemporary quotes into the text, I would not say that it was a military book but more on the statesmanship and policy of Bernardo O'Higgins.

La expedicion de Guillermo Brown y el comercio peruano-chileno, by Cristián Guerrero Lira, pub. Thalassa, Lima, Peru, 1997, pub. in a annual journal for the Asociacion de Historia Maritima y Naval Iberoamericana was this article, pages 55-66, it gives details of the effects that this small Argentine fleet managed to cause to the Royalist commercial shipping during the 1816, stopping 25 such vessels during this year, a voyage that has often been overlooked.

Nueva Mirada a la Historia, edited by Esther Edwards O, pub. VER, Santiago, Chile 1996, softback, pp.244, 10 essays on the common bond between Chile and Argentina, from Colonial times through to 1966, including how the two subdued their different native indian population in the Colonial period, how they united against the Spanish Naval attack on Chile in 1866, and the relationship between President's D. Carlos Ibańez and Juan Domingo Peron (1952-54), published to help relations between these two countries and to highlight how, in the past, both countries have co-existed favourably with one another, only 2,000 were printed.

Rompan Filas: Fotografias de Jorge Sáenz, pub. Servicio Paz y Justicia Paraguay, Asuncion 1996, pp.62, it would appear that conscripts into the Paraguayan armed forces start as early as 16 years of age and some of these photographs make them look even younger, there is a list of killed soldiers from 1989-1995, 35 in all, showing their ages which rang from 14 - 22, (1x14, 3x15, 6x16, 14x17, 1x18, 1x19, 1x22, 27 in total, the ages for the rest are not shown), a nice find.

Heroes on Horseback: a Life and Times of the Last Gaucho Caudillos, by John Charles Chasteen, pub. University of New Mexico Press, 1995, softback, 1 map, pp.232, relates to two brothers, Gumercindo and Aparicio Saravia, who in the 1890's led revolts in Brazil 1893-4 and Northern Uruguay 1897-1904, both are events that few people outside of those countries appear to know much about, making the pages that cover the military side of these revolts very interesting.

Reglamento de Uniformes para el Ejercito (R.U. 50) 1953, pub. Ministerio de Defensa Nacional, Montevideo, 9th Nov. 1953, alas only a b/w photocopy but that will suffice for me, 65 plates showing various items of uniform plus their text, I do try to collect copies or actual Dress Regulations manuals from Latin America and Caribbean nations, so any additional one that is sent to me or I find is highly prized.

The Army & Politics in Argentina 1928-1945 Vol.I & 1945-1962 Vol. II, by Robert A. Potash, pub. Stanford University Press, California, 1969 & 1980, illus., pp.306, & 404, I had already bought Vol. II about 10 years ago in London, naturally I've been looking for Vol. I ever since, an extremely helpful and detailed account of these periods which should be required reading for anyone interested in this period and country.

Not Mentioned in Despatches….: The History and Mythology of the Battle of Goose Green, by Spencer Fitz-Gibbon, pub. The Lutterworth Press, Cambridge, U.K. 1995, 14 maps, pp.204, and you thought you had seen it all about Goose Green, a most readable account with plenty of maps and details of various unit strengths, it would appear that both sides had nearly the same amount of men, and it was the out-dated tactics that were used by both sides which really helped create the myths, some interesting findings and should be looked at by anybody interested in this War.

Mexico / Texas:

The Eagle: The Autobiography of Santa Anna, edited by Ann Fears Crawford, pub. State House Press, Austin, Texas 1988, 1st pub. 1967, illus., pp.287, a good base to cross reference from, plus an interesting insight into this famous Mexican and his recollection of these events from his life, a useful reference.

How Davy Probably Didn't Die, by William C. Davis, pub. Journal of the Alamo Battlefield Association, Vol. 2. No.1., Fall 1997, pp.11-37, most of this issue is taken up with this article, by bringing together contemporary accounts of the end of the siege at the Alamo a picture of how Davy Crockett might have died, but their is not a definitive answer to the question, only ones own opinion of the events and how & when they were recorded, sent in by Kevin R.Young.

The Mexican War Correspondence of Richard Smith Elliott, edited and annotated by Mark L. Gardner and Marc Simmons, pub. University of Oklahoma Press, 1997, illus., 2 maps, pp.277, this journal is on the campaign of Gen. Stephen W. Kearny to Santa Fe, with his notes on the later expedition of Col. Doniphan into Chihuahua, and Kearny's into California plus the Taos Revolt, some really useful contemporary data here on the lesser known expeditions.

Captain Sam Grant 1822-1861, by Lloyd Lewis, pub. Little, Brown and Company, Boston, 1st pub. 1950, this 1st paperback edition 1991, pp.484, a true mine of information on the young U.S. officers who would later become famous through the U.S. Civil War, also it was an enjoyable read, I do not normally find the time to sit down and read a whole book but this one I managed, must be a good read.

Revolution on the Rio Grande: Mexican Raids and Army Pursuits 1916-1919, by Glenn Justice, pub. The University of Texas at El Paso, Southwestern Studies No.95, softback, illus., pp.100, this work has some good details on events which are often overlooked or covered only by a page of text, if that, such as the Neville Ranch Raid, the Massacre at Porvenir and the Burning of Pilares, do not expect to find details of Gen. Pershing expedition in this work, although the later expedition 19th - 25th August 1919, is covered, a handy book that helps to fill in a few gaps.

Mexico in Crisis, by Donald E. Schulz, pub. Strategic Studies Institute, U.S. Army War College, Pennsylvania 1995, softback, pp.62, giving a brief, but helpful overview of Mexican Politics during the period from 1982-1995, but mainly 1993-95, having a nice section on the Revolt in Chiapas with the Zapatista National Liberation Army (EZLN), if like me you could not find any information on what was happening in Mexico during this revolt from British newspapers, then this work will help produce a clearer picture of what occurred and why.

Between a Rock and a Hard Place: The United States, Mexico, and the Agony of National Security, by Donald E. Schulz, pub. Strategic Studies Institute, U.S. Army War College, Pa. 1997, softback, pp.44, an update on the previous title and covers the period of 1995-7, he names a Mexican guerrilla group that I have not heard of before, it is the Clandestine Revolutionary Workers Party - Union of the People-Party of the Poor ( or PROCUP-PDLP), while also mentioning the Revolutionary People's Army that is composed of 14 tiny leftist factions, including the PROCUP-PDLP, no wonder guerrilla groups get recognised by their initials rather than their official names, nice to keep up with the current thinking of the U.S. with it's Southern neighbour.

Brazil:

Brazil: The Forging of a Nation 1798-1852, by Roderick J. Barman, pub. Stanford University Press, California 1988, pp.319, more of a social and political based work on the beginnings of Independent Brazil, than a military reference aid for this period, although for me politics (and religion) is always part of military history.

Miscellaneous:

South American Decorations and War Medals, by Harrold E. Gillingham, pub. Lenard L. Babin, New York, 1970, reprinted from the American Numismatic Society edition of 1932, I had this as a photocopy for my files, but had never seen a copy for sale until now, a really great reference book that has black and white photographs of 116 medals and orders while giving details on 197 medals and decorations with a small note on the battle sometimes, an excellent reference work for the 19th century.

Uniforms of the World; Army, Navy & Airforce Uniforms 1700-1937, by Richard Knötel, Herbert Knötel and Herbert Sieg, pub. New Orchard Editions, Poole, Dorset U.K., 1980, illus., pp.484, the English translation of the classic German work; Handbuch der Uniformkunde, 1st pub. 1896 and enlarged in 1937, I have seen this work for many years. In fact when I was thinking of researching Latin American uniforms and military history, way back in 1969, as a subject that very few people knew about, or so I thought at the time, it was these pages on the Latin American countries that I went and photocopied during a lunch break from Tradition, in a library in Leicester Square, so as to include them into my files, that I was busy trying to put something in, I did not read German so I asked my best friends girl to translate the text for me, which I still have today. Since then I had promised myself to buy a copy of it, warts and all, and when the English version was published there was nothing to stop me other than having better things to spend my money on, so when I saw it a few weeks ago I could not resist it, if only to remind myself of those heady days of youth and my colleagues at Tradition.

The First Golden Age of Rocketry: Congreve and Hale Rockets of the 19th Century, by Frank H. Winter, pub. Smithsonian Institution Press, Washington D.C., 1990, pp.312, illus., chapter seven covers rockets used in the Americas by the U.S., Brazil, Chile, Peru, Argentina, Cuba, Mexico and Paraguay, see pages 141-168, for me this is a really good reference work on a subject that is often asked about, although a lot more research is needed for the Latin American countries as this is covered by only 6 pages from this chapter, still it is a good point to start from, a boon to any wargamer who wishes to have a surprise for his opponent.

Les Révolutions Ibériques et Ibéro-Américaines ŕ l'aube du XIX sičcle, edited by Bernard Lavallé, pub. Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, Paris 1989, softback, pp.435, the first half of the book deals with mainland Spain while the second half looks into the knock on effects that the French Revolution and its ideals had on Latin America, some helpful notes.

Eickhorn Edged Weapons Exports, Volume I: Latin America, by A. M. de Quesada Jr. & Ron G. Hickox, pub. Pioneer Press, P.O. Box 684, Union City, Tennessee 38281, U.S.A., 1995, illus., pp.121, large format softback, illustrated throughout using the catalogues published during the 1880's -1930's, countries that weapons were sold to and included in this book are Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Cuba, Ecuador, El Salvador, Guatemala, Mexico and Peru, as I do not have any book that relates to the various manufacturers of weapons that were used in Latin America during the 18th, 19th & 20th centuries, making this work very interesting and helpful for me, I have see only a few swords that were issued to Latin American armies, and all of these were produced in Germany during the turn of the century (19th - 20th), I have not seen anything on locally made weapons from, say Mexico or Brazil, or any work which describes the various cadet daggers issued from the Academies in Brazil, Chile, Colombia etc. etc. which would be an interesting title, but I digress, a really useful work for the researcher of military weapons.

The Gringo in Latin America, by Richard West, pub. Jonathan Cape, London 1967, illus., pp.263, a reasonably good contemporary account of how North Americans were looked upon in Latin American countries from 1960-67 by a reporter, rather than a military historian, but it still some notes of interest.

Security in the Americas, edited by George Fauriol, pub. National Defense University Press, Washington D.C., 1989, pp.369, there are some interesting chapters, from a military viewpoint, out of the total of 17 that are included and all are a good read using ten years hindsight on the problems.

I would like to thank these people for sending me many of the books and articles that have been included above; Paul V. Walsh, Ed Milligan, Richard Brooks, Ron Field, René Chartrand, Robert Scheina, David Prando, J.Y. Goffi, Y. Plasseraud, A. Robinson.

More Book List

Pre-Columbian & Conquest, Colonial Period, Central America and the West Indies