The still definitive strategic study of the Fenian Raids on Canada 1866-1870.
583818
First published in the 1990s, this is an excellent study of the political and military strategy behind the last invasions of Canada from across the US border by Irish American Fenian insurgents in 1866-1870.  It is some what dated now in its "micro" level account of what happened during the culminating moment of these invasions in the Battle of Ridgeway on June 2, 1866, fought near Fort Erie, Ontario.

While there are more recent books out there today on the Battle of Ridgeway, Canada's first modern battle, Hereward Senior's overall study of the Fenian military strategy and politics behind the raids on Canada, still remains the master macro study of the Fenian Raids 1866-1870.

For more recent scholarship on the first and largest of the Fenian Raids in 1866 and an in-depth tactical level account of the Battle of Ridgeway that culminated the raids and its significance, see Peter Vronsky's 2011 published&nbsp;<a data-hook="product-link-linked" class="a-link-normal" href="/Ridgeway-The-American-Fenian-Invasion-and-the-1866-Battle-that-Made-Canada-The-History-of-Canada/dp/0670068039/ref=cm_cr_arp_d_rvw_txt?ie=UTF8">Ridgeway: The American Fenian Invasion and the 1866 Battle that Made Canada: The History of Canada</a>.

William Jenkins just published&nbsp;<a data-hook="product-link-linked" class="a-link-normal" href="/Between-Raid-and-Rebellion-The-Irish-in-Buffalo-and-Toronto-1867-1916-Mcgill-Queen-s-Studies-in-Ethnic-History/dp/0773540954/ref=cm_cr_arp_d_rvw_txt?ie=UTF8">Between Raid and Rebellion: The Irish in Buffalo and Toronto, 1867-1916 (Mcgill-Queen's Studies in Ethnic History)</a>&nbsp;follows through very nicely on the impact of trans-Atlantic insurgency on the Irish in Canada and the USA from after the 1866 Raid to the Easter Rebellion in Ireland in 1916.
898503
This 96 part series on the History of the Second World War is going on 40 years old but its over-all quality, detail and content continues to hold up remarkably well despite it's age. The focus is very "British Oriented" in its strategic overview/opinions and is generally very VERY favorable to P.M. Churchill, Field Marshall Montgomery, Allied Mediterranean Stragedy, F.M. Rommel, the overall wartime performance of the Red Army and Marshall G.Zhukov's military record and ability amoung other issues.

Some of the Russian perspectives and information in 2014 - 15 are now dated compared to what we know since the fall of the Soviet Union and David M. Glantz's many books published over the last 25 years. Still the information contained and overall quality of writing in these volumes is equal to or surpasses the current Osprey/Vanguard Campaign WW 11 books. Each individual issue is 25-28 pages which include chapters written by Historians, WW 11 Officers, enlisted men and {then} current military serving officers coupled with good pictures and very good maps.

Each volume is broken down into 3-6 separate chapters. Volume 3 includes - Graf Spee: The Trap, The Propaganda War, Goebbels: An Overview, Norway: Hitler Strikes North, The Norwegian View of the Invasion and The Phony War: The Time of Triviality which is a lot of information for a single 28 page issue. I discovered this series at flea markets in the mid-1980s and have been picking up issues ever since. The condition of the 23 volumes I have received over the last 3 years thru the amazon web site have been of excellent quality. This is a highly informative series for the general and even specialist reader covering the entire spectrum of WW 11. I highly recommend this series and give this volume and the entire 96 issue set - a 4 1/2 star rating.
4689905
Clark's extensive study of late 19th and early 20th century activities leading up to the first world war resonates strongly today.  He shows how simple notions of evil and blame are misdirected.  Confusion, poor communication, ideological differences, greed and political infighting led inexorably to the Great War and 31 years of destruction.  The echoes are clearly heard in current responses to the events in the Ukraine and elsewhere.  His detailed and thoroughly researched explanations for well known events are matched by his attention to the hundreds of minor incidents, many only recently documented, that influenced them.

I found the book to be a real page turner, and recommend it to anyone who enjoys the challenge of understanding the behavior of governments.  The lucid writing and extensive documentation make this work suitable for laymen and professional historians alike.
2605697
As Cook makes clear in his introduction, it is not an exhaustive look at Canada during the war. It solely focuses on the Canadian Corps, the army faction that fought; there is nothing about the air corps, navy, home front, and aside from brief mentions of Sam Hughes (minister of militia until 1916), no political details. As the title states, it starts from the Canadian entry into the war alongside the UK in 1914, and ends with the conclusion of the Battle of the Somme in October 1916.

The writing is very clear and straight-forward, and makes great use of quotations from memoirs and letters from soldiers at the front. Cook does a good job to present the horrors that the soldiers had to face, making constant references to the conditions of the trenches, often noting the presence of decaying bodies and human remains scattered about. Naturally, the artillery that characterised the front is also detailed, sometimes preceding the mention of the dead and wounded.

The individual is a constant theme throughout the book. As Cook makes heavy use of soldier's writings, he focuses on them at times; for example, in several instances he will go to lengths detailing how various soldiers acted during a battle, giving the reader a close-up perspective on how it felt. This has a certain effect, amplified as some of these accounts are closed by the somber note that the soldier was later wounded or, quite often, killed later on. Though Cook focuses on the front-line soldiers, he also takes time to detail the officer corps, noting the political aspects that gripped the leadership of the Canadian military to some extent.

Though heavily focused on the battles the Canadians took part in (Second Ypres, St. Julien, Festubert, Somme, to name some), Cook also spends a good amount detailing the other aspects of the war. Chapters explaining the construction and maintenance of the trench system, the rotation of units, their training, and the medical system are just some of the topics covered, giving a more rounded and nuanced impression of life for the soldiers.
925533
This is a must have book for folks engaged in living history activities for the War of 1812 from Canada to New Orleans.
4915562
A researcher friend in Canada recommended this book to me. I ordered the Kindle version. It was EXCELLENT! As an American I learned a considerable amount about the major role of Canada in this important battle and the detailed descriptions of the personal experiences of the participants of all ranks. The knowledge that I gained from reading this book will make my planned visit next July to Vimy Ridge more meaningful. Highly recommended.
4899791
The Kaufmann's have done it yet again--a definitive treatment of an important (and immense) fortification. There are many books on Hitler's 1941-44 attempt to fortify the coastline of occupied Europe, but most are in French or German. Here clear language, good diagrams, and photos lay out the whole huge attempt to do the impossible--deny the Allies a foothold for invasion. In the end, despite often impressive gun batteries (built by thousands of often slave laborers), the mid-1944 Normandy invasion was able to crack through the line with little difficulty. The rest of the line--from Norway down to the Channel Islands (one of the most heavily fortified areas, one well worth visiting today) and farther south, never were used as designed and simply sat out the war, or were taken by ground forces from behind in 1944-45. Today, the batteries and smaller bunkers slowly decline into the sea after decades of beach erosion. Some have become memorial parks, as visitors to Normandy seven decades later can attest. This is a near-definitive treatment of a lost cause (and thank the Lord it was lost) and the huge effort that went into creating it.
2325934
'Pawns in a Larger Game' provides a well researched perspective of the settlement in 1820, of four thousand people, from Britain, in the Eastern Cape Province of South Africa. It uses the mechanism of the author's antecedents to anchor the complex story. The events and people are well described and the work is impartially structured, allowing the reader to undertake further research. It is more readable than many factual commentaries and is well worth the purchase price for anyone with an interest in any one of the many perspectives covered.
4453839
This is an interesting and methodical look at the history of the folk known as the Scotch Irish (being of that fiesty genetic predisposition myself, I prefer Scots Irish, as the Scots are a people and scotch is a beverage), Ulstermen, Irish Presbyterians, and other less complimentary names. The author's extensive research reveals his knowlege of the subject, which is presented in an unusually fair, even-handed manner. I enjoyed it, but found that the detail would be a little tedious for all but the most dedicated readers. I recommend this book to those who want to do some deeper plowing into their Scots Irish heritage.
2228784
Paul Kennedy presents a readable series of essays focusing largely on the strategic choices made by certain great powers in the years 1870-1945. His account of Anglo-German relations prior to the First World War are particularly well-enunciated (with an emphasis on the naval dimensions of their relationship) and he manages to challenge some commonly-held notions surrounding the competition between powers during this historical period. All in all a well-written account.
729920
This is a fantastic work. Seems to be very well researched and the author really makes the reader feel like they are there in the action. The epilogue, or follow up after the main event is excellent and one gets to follow the figures through the rest of the war and beyond.

The book mainly concentrates on the Northern theater during the French and Indian War. This would be New York state, especially Albany and above, Montreal and the St Lawrence river up to Quebec. There are references and small sections that discuss General Braddock's defeat and the siege of Louisberg and their relation to the events of 1757. It was a tough life on the frontier back then and one never knew how or when their end would be met.

The only deficiency I would note of this book is a lack of maps other than at the beginning of the book. I found myself referring back to that theater map on occasion. I have noticed that in many bokks centered around lesser know events and campaigns the map work can be lacking. However, I would not this deter anyone from buying this book.

Again, excellent work and I tip my hat to the author.
4890670
Leon Metz is one of my favorite Old West authors because of his scholarly approach, and his unrelenting search for the truth.  This book was written in the 1970's, and although there have been many new tidbits of truth that have surfaced about all the subjects in this book since then, Metz's thorough research still stands out.  The book shows him to be a master of the Texas and New Mexico cowboy scene, and it is apparent that his knowledge is especially brilliant concerning the town of El Paso.  I thought his research was the weakest in the chapter about Butch Cassidy and the Wild Bunch.  But overall, this book tells a very truthful tale of some of the most exciting lives that are remembered from the days of the Wild West.
4437295
As a person who has led campaigns against the Canadian Sealing industry for 25 years, I can vouch for the accuracy of the events portrayed in this book. Mickey Dwyer is a sealer and no friend of mine but what he writes in this book speaks more to the issues of cruelty and waste than anything that I or any other opponent could write. We would be called liars for stating what Dwyer proudly confesses to in this book. It is a worthwhile book and deserves a place in the history of the bloody Canadian seal hunt.
1498318
This is simply a great book.  It deals with the Cree living in northern Quebec near James Bay and how in the late 1960s and early 1970s there traditional livestyle, already negatively affected by the workings of the Canadian government, was under attack again.  This time it was the government of Quebec led by Robert Bourassa; they had this grand idea that they would turn northern Quebec, which they viewed to be barren and useless land, into one major power generating station.  This meant daming rivers and flooding huge tracts of land, land which happened to be the traditional hunting ground for several thoudand Crees, who, despite facing years of injustice and discrimination, continued to subsist to a large degree off of the land.  Prior to this period, the Quebec government would likely have been able to proceed unhindered, but by the late 1960s the Native people of Canada were beginning to assert their rights, and Bourassa soon found himself facing very strong opposition.  The issue went to court and after a long legal battle, the courts ruled in favour of the Cree.  It was a victory that was, however, very short-lived, as within days the ruling was overturned.  The Cree intended to continue the fight, but it soon became evident that nothing would become of it; it would take years before the matter would be resolved, and by that time the James Bay project would be complete.  So the Cree reached a settlement with the Quebec government.
Although the book's central focus is the struggle between the Cree and the Quebec government over the James Bay project, the book also provides the reader with a very intimate and compelling portrate of the Cree people and their lifestyle which was then dying out.  It should be noted too that the author was also responsible for several documentary films about the Cree: "Job's Garden" and "Cree Hunters of Mistassini" both of which provide an excellent visual account of the Cree people and the "barren" land that they inhabited and were fighting to save.
This book was reprinted in 1991 with an additional chapter updating events since the book was initially published in 1975.
1637977
This is an excellent,exaustively researched account of the most terrible ship sinking in Canadian history. When people think of the greatest ship disaster in history,the Titanic is the one that always comes to mind. This book tells all there is to know about the sinking of the Empress of Ireland on May 29,1914. It gives the history of this magnificent ship,goes into greast detail about its construction,describes how it was outfitted in a luxurious manner,and even details of how it was one of the finest ships in the world at the time. It gives complete details on the crew and passengers on the night it sank and who were lost and who were saved. It follows up on many of those survivors and what happened to them in later life. It details how the ship sank,the inquiry that followed ;all accompanied with a large number of photographs and illustrations. It even details efforts to reach the sunken ship shortly after it sank and also of the many expeditions and dives made over the years and describes what was found,what was brought back to the surface ,as well as where these artifacts have been kept and where exhibits now display them. As I said,this book covers it all in great detail.
 It is necessary to put several things into perspective. Let's look at several other major disasters that took place around that time.
 On april 15,1912,the Titanic sank after hitting an iceberg. It had only 22 lifeboats for the total of 2207 passengers and crew on board. It sank in 2 4urs and 40 minutes. Only 705 survived. 637 passengers died and 865 crew died. Being a luxury ship it had a greater ratio of crew to passengers than a normal. Plus, the longer time in sinking,meant there was more control in saving women and children first. A total of 705 survived.
 On May 7,1915,the Lusitania was torpedoed off Ireland by a German submarine. Of a total of 1924 passengers and crew,1119 died and only 805 survived.
 On May 29,1915 the Empress of Ireland was struck by the Storstad off Rimouski in the St Lawrence after having left Quebec ,heading for Europe. This ship has been re-equipped with enough lifeboats for all on board as a result of recommendations because of the so few that were on the Titanic. That night there were a total of 1477 passengers and crew on board. After being struck,the ship quickly rolled over and sank in only 15 minutes,840 passengers and 172 crew died;465 survived. The reason so many passengers died( more than died on the Titanic) was because it all happened in only 15 minutes ,with most asleep in their cabins and so many were below deck and were trapped there;many never even got out of their rooms.
 If all that wasn't enough,and at the height of the First World War;another shipping disaster happened.
  On December 6,1917,a ship loaded with explosives for shipment to Europe for the war effort,collided in Halifax Harbor,with a ship loaded with coal. A huge explosion occurred. While there were only small crews on these ships ,and the explosion totally destroyed the ships ;the explosion almost wiped the City of Halifax off the map;killing over 2000 people and badly injuring over 5000 others. This explosion was the largest man made explosion in the world until the first atomic bomb was dropped on Hiroshima in WWII.Dr. Oppenheimer actually studied the effects of this explosion to get an idea of the severity of an atomic explosion. If you want to know more about the Halifax Explosion check out "Curse Of The Narrows" by Laura Macdonald,which I reviewed on December 5,2009.
 What dark days those were in the 5 years between 1912 and 1917 and WWI.People could only have asked themselves; "What's Next"
 As a bit of trivia,"Ripley's Believe It Or Not! wrote about a crew member who oiled machinery who survived all three sinkings of the Titanic,the Lusitania and Empress of Ireland.
286919
Anyone familiar with the modern contretemps over the authenticity of the so-called Vinland Map, a purported chart drafted around 1440 showing, for the first time on any map, the Northeastern Canadian shore as discovered by Viking explorers in the 11th century, will appreciate geographer Babcock's efforts to explain a score or so of other apparently mythical places once engraved on navigator's atlases. The still sought-after Atlantis is a good starting point for Professor Babcock, who not only provides explanations of how and why non-existent places got recorded on navigational aides, but also gives readers a nice tour of early exploration and myth-making. Since this book was published almost 90 years ago, there have been other efforts to trace the origins of map-making errors, notably some essays by Eva Taylor in the 1950s and 1960s and Woods Hole hydrographer Henry Stommel's Lost Islands, published in 1984. Stommel only deals with places that were shown on Admiralty charts, a practice begun by the British Hydrographic Office in 1795, so much of the lore described by Babcock is missing from his study. Babcock does show prudent skepticism about most of these alleged sightings and visits to places no longer on the map but leaves open the possibility that some of them may represent actual places somehow either mis-located or mysteriously disappeared. The book is an excellent baedeker for those who might want to create their own fictional places in a novel, poem or work of art.
2026155
A summary of the review on StrategyPage. Com:

'Boscawen is a former British Army officer and rather prolific historian of eighteenth century naval and military history, who not incidentally is a descendant of the Adm. Edward Boscawen, who figures prominently in the work.  He gives us an account of the reduction of the French fortress of Louisbourg, on Cape Breton Isle, during the Seven Years War.  Boscawen opens with a look at the shaping of British strategy, followed by one on the history of the fortress, from 1715, through its capture by a New England expedition in 1745, its return to France by treaty, and on through 1757.  He follows these with chapters covering overall planning for the operation, the preparatory naval campaign and the blockade of the fortress, army and navy preparations for a joint expedition, and the initial landings on Cape Breton Isle.  Boscawen devotes three chapters to the eight-week siege, from the initial investment, through the opening of siege lines, and on the final sustained bombardment that led to its surrender on July 26, 1758.  Two more chapters discuss the consequences of the fall of Louisbourg and offers some general conclusions.  This is an important work for those interested in eighteenth century military history and also for students of expeditionary warfare, as it is an excellent account of the sophistication of British joint expeditionary operations in the mid-eighteenth century."

For the full review, see StrategyPage. Com