Naval wargamers will find very useful "WARSHIPS AND NAVIES 1973" edited by Anthony J.Watts (£ 2.25 Ian Allan). It has quite a lot to say about modern navy especially the Royal Navy, and has numerous illustrations.
Our Western Gunfighters will find "WARRIORS ON HORSEBACK" by Stephen Longstreet useful. It is a reprint of an American book and while primarily a defence of the Indian has a ,reat deal of interest about the wars with the Plains Indians. Most of the main incidents are covered. There are however one or two irritating misprints. The author takes a rather more favourable view of Custer's leadership at the Little Big Horn than most modern writers do.
I think you have already referred to "THE WORLDS GREAT REGIMENTS which is a coffee-table book but has some good illustrations.
Graeme Cook's "COMMANDERS IN ACTION" will be useful for beginnings, but really, contains nothing not already well known. On a quite different track Colin Greenwoods book on "FIREARMS CONTROL" is very good indeed, and shows how utterly idiotic Carrs "Green Paper" is.
I think I have already mentioned "GUNS OF THE RAF 1939-45". If not, it will be useful to Air wargamers.
I have recently read two books on the Great Trek - "THE GREAT TREK" by Oliver Ransford and "THE VOORTREKKERS" by J.Meintjes. Both are very interesting. and would give plenty of ideas for early Colonial type battles with the Boer Wagon Laager.
Incidentally, again, this idea of wagon defences is quite interesting. From theGoths at Adrianople and Ziska's wagon fortresses to the wagon Laagers of the Boers on the African Plains and the Americans on the Great Plains. And of course tanks went into laager in the last war.
I have just read Philip Warner's book on the MEDIEVAL CASTLE its a good introductory volume to the subject. I have also found in my library a book on the Foreign Legion "MARCH OR BUST" by A. Cooper - more factual and less sensational than most books about the Legion.
QUEEN VICTORIA'S LITTLE WARS by Byron Farwell is a mildly interesting summary of Victorian campaigns. Did I mention Fredericks "THE SEPOY AND THE COSSACK" - a story of the Victorian Anglo-Russian manoeuvres in Asia. You might be interested in Michael Bar-Zohar's "SPIES FOR THE PROMISED LAND" -- ostensibibly an account of the Israel Secret Service it is primarily a biography of Iser Hasel - head of the Service until 1963. It shows the Israeli Service as pretty efficient and ruthless, but capable of some bad blunders -- I fancy recently it has become even more efficient.
I have also read, rather belatedly, Edgar Ballance's book on the Israel -Arab War (the "Six Days" war).
I have re-read Chevenix Trench's "HISTORY OF MARKSMANSHIP" which is quite good.
Have you read "WELLINGTON"S MASTERPIECE: SALAMANCA" by J.P.Lawford and Peter Young (Allan and Unwin) £ 5.25p (Ciudad Rodrigo, Badajos and Salamanca itself) with good detail of the moves of both forces. It is very well illustrated: line drawings, plans, portraits, and reproduction of sketches by contemporary officers. Details of representative British Officers, of the French Generals and of the forces engaged and casualties etc. An ideal book for any one fighting a Peninsular battle.
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© Copyright 1974 by Donald Featherstone.
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