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Monday 8 April 2013

My third Wargaming in History book

Once I had read both the first two volumes of the WARGAMING IN HISTORY series, I just had to buy the third volume, especially as it covered the Battle of Gettysburg. (I have watched the film GETTYSBURG more times than I can remember, and the scene where Colonel Joshua Chamberlain orders the bayonet charge sends shivers down my spine every time I watch it.)

WARGAMING IN HISTORY VOLUME 3: GETTYSBURG 1863 – BRANDY STATION, BARLOW’S KNOLL, SICKLES’S FOLLY AND PICKETT’S CHARGE is written by retired Major General John Drewienkiewicz and Adam Poole and published by Ken Trotman Books in 2011 (ISBN 978 1 907417 18 4).


There book has ten chapters and has numerous colour photographs and maps:
  • Chapter 1: Introduction
  • Chapter 2: Gettysburg: Doing it All in One Go
  • Chapter 3: The Gettysburg Campaign
  • Chapter 4: Cavalry: Reconnaissance by Fire
  • Chapter 5: Infantry Cold Steel: Barlow’s Knoll
  • Chapter 6: Artillery: Pin and Outflank
  • Chapter 7: Orders and Initiative, Sickles Obeys: What If?
  • Chapter 8: The Direct Approach: Pickett’s Charge
  • Chapter 9: Conclusions
  • Chapter 10: The Battlefield Today
Although I have only had a quick glance through the book, it strikes me as being as good as the previous two volumes ... if not better (but this latter judgement may be somewhat biased as the American Civil War has always been a conflict that has interested me). Furthermore I have wargamed and umpired alongside John Drewienkiewicz (or 'DZ' as he is usually known) and I know that what he has written will be historically well-researched and very readable.

I look forward to reading this newly acquired book in the very near future ... and I suspect that I will be ordering both of John Drewienkiewicz's and Adam Poole's later books in this series not long afterwards.

4 comments:

  1. There is nothing more crazy or depraved than a man in the depths of book buying spree.

    Be sure that this spree lasts long enough for you to get the whole damn lot. I re-read part of my four volumes last night.

    I'm trying to be disciplined and not buy the Peninsular volume until pay day.

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  2. I'll probably give in soon as well, I just wish they weren't $50 a pop. Unless you buy the "rare" ones that some are selling for $100+. Gettysburg is of particular interest to me as one of my ancestors fought there as part of the Vermont Grenn Mountain boys. Although I suspect there is some sort of myth building associated with the story.

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  3. Conrad Kinch,

    Do you deal with many people who have been driven crazy or depraved by books in your line of work? Guinness, Murphys, Jamesons, or Bushmills I can believe ... but blaming the collected works of Charles S Grant defies belief.

    In truth I can see me buying the complete series in time ... but like you I will have to wait until payday.

    All the best,

    Bob

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  4. Sean,

    As long as I can pace my purchases and not try to buy the whole lot at once I should be all right.

    I find Gettysburg a much more interesting battle than some of the others of the American Civil War, and I suspect that it is because of the many 'what ifs?' that it throws up.

    As far as I know, none of my direct ancestors took part in the American Civil War, although I did find references to someone with my surname serving with Stand Watie!s Cherokee Mounted Rifles alongside someone with my wife's surname. (Both our surnames are relatively rare.)

    All the best,

    Bob

    ReplyDelete

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