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The Civil War in America from 1861 to 1965 was, from the outset, a gamble - firstly political, then psychological, later diplomatic and, finally, militarily. Once hostilities began, the conflict was littered with cavalier actions, by individual commanders and units of men, which held little guarantee of success.

In a masterly account of thirteen dramatic 'throws of the dice', Philip Katcher shows how at all levels of command the desperate chance was often taken. He sums up the considerations of the parties involved, the risks they were taking and the results which might have been expected by success and failure, before actually charting the action, the actual outcome and the effect it had.

Initially British officials were reluctant to accept the offers of loyal subjects to form fighting units but eventually the potential of a Provincial corps was realized. Yet they never received the whole-hearted support of the British regular army and this was a factor in their evental defeat. Nonetheless the Provincial Corps served with distinction - even fighting against the Spanish in Nicaragua and the Bahamas - and some remained in service for several more years by relocating to Canada. This book examines their experiences in this continental conflict and details their uniforms and equipment.

The bombardment by Confederate artillery of Fort Sumter on 12 April 1861 was the spark that finally ignited the American Civil War, quickly bringing thousands of eager volunteers for the Union cause. It proved especially easy to raise cavalry, since recruits naively believed that their military duties would be easier than in the infantry. This book investigates all aspects of the life and experiences of a Union trooper, covering enlistment, training, uniforms, weapons, cavalry tactics and the discrepancy between the recruit's view of swashbuckling charges and heroic hand-to-hand combat and the less glorious reality.

«Армия США» - первая выходящая в России книга английского издательства «Osprey», прославившегося подготовкой книг по истории, организации, обмундированию и вооружению армий всего мира. Автор попытался свести воедино множество самых разнообразных фактов, касающихся военного обмундирования, знаков различия, организации, развертывания подразделений. Наиболее пристальное внимание уделено детальному рассмотрению униформы. Все материалы для иллюстраций были выбраны исключительно из официальных источников. Цветные рисунки подготовлены на основании документов военного времени и сверены с фотографиями тех лет, а также с сохранившимися образцами…

In the heady days of the rush to arms in 1861, comparatively few Southern men volunteered for service in the artillery: most preferred the easily accessible glory of the infantry or cavalry. Yet those that did quickly earned the respect of their fellow soldiers, and a reputation for being able to "pull through deeper mud, ford deeper springs, shoot faster, swear louder ... than any other class of men in the service". Given that field artillery was invariably deployed in front of the troops that it was supporting, the artillerymen were exposed to a high level of enemy fire, and losses were significant. This title guides the reader through the life and experiences of the Confederate cannoneer - where he came from; how he trained and lived; how he dressed, ate and was equipped; and how he fought.

On the 27 June, 1862, with the American Civil War already a year old, General Robert E. Lee assumed personal command of troops engaged in driving the Federal Army of the Potomac out of Richmond - troops which would henceforth be known as The Army of Northern Virginia. Philip Katcher explores in absorbing detail all aspects of the army, including infantry, cavalry, artillery, technical and medical corps, paying particular attention to equipment, weapons and uniforms. Contemporary and museum photographs, together with the author's expert text, combine to a paint a vivid and accurate picture of what life was like for the average confederate soldier.

For General George B. McClellan, the dejected Union troops who poured into Washington fresh from defeat at Bull Run on Monday 22 July, 1861, were to provide the raw material which he would train, equip, organise and ultimately transform from a mere mob into an effective fighting force. In October 1861 the Army of the Potomac officially came into being. This entertaining volume from the same team of author Philip Katcher and artist Michael Youens who produced Men-at-Arms 37 The Army of Northern Virginia, explores how this transition came about, with a particular emphasis on weapons, uniforms and equipment.

Perhaps the most influential arm of either army in the prosecution of the American Civil War, the artillery of both sides grew to be highly professional organizations, centralizing their artillery, organizing artillery battalions from individual batteries and giving their commanders higher ranks than field artillerymen had previously held. In battle, the introduction of the 12-pdr. Napoleon , followed closely by rifled cannon, provided a range and power previously unknown on American soil. This book details this vital cog in the war-machine of both sides. New Vanguard 38 and 40 are also available in a single volume special edition as…

Because of the length of the coastline of the United States, from the beginning American ordnance and engineers placed an emphasis on heavy artillery mounted in coastal defences. The Union army organised its 'Heavy Artillery' into separate regiments, uniformed and equipped differently. While the Field Artillery was assigned across the fighting fronts Heavy Artillery units served the big guns in the forts and the defences of Washington. The Confederates did not differentiate types of artillery and those that became known as Heavy Artillery did so through informal association rather than formal designation. This book details the development and usage of the big guns. New Vanguard 38 and 40 are also available in a single volume special edition as ‘American Civil War Artillery 1861-65'.

The southerner of the mid-19th century had been bred to ride horses. In addition the period southerner had long been used to handling firearms, through hunting for pleasure, food or simply for sport. The combination of these factors promised that when the southern states began to secede in December 1860, the cavalry would be a major combat arm. This title looks at how the men of the Confederate cavalry were recruited, trained, lived and fought. Both routine and campaign life are covered, as well as the weapons and equipment that served them in their combat roles. Key encounters such as the 1863 clash at Brandy Station are also covered in this authoritative text.

‘There never was so fine an American army,' wrote second-lieutenant, John Sedgwick, in describing the troops under Major-General Zachary Taylor in 1846. Another then second-lieutenant, destined to see many more armies; U.S. Grant, also thought highly of them: ‘The rank and file were probably inferior … to the volunteers that participated in all the later battles of the war; but they were brave men, and then drill and discipline brought out all there was in them.' Philip Katcher writes the story of the regulars and volunteers who fought in the Mexican-American War, detailing the infantry, cavalry, artillery and staff of both the American and Mexican armies.

When the American Civil War broke out in 1861 both Confederate and Union experts decided that specialized sharpshooter units should be formed. These highly trained marksmen served in a front-line role and, due to the technological developments of the 1850s, were equipped with weapons that could guarantee greater accuracy over increased range than traditional muskets. This title examines the recruitment, training, tactics and deployment of sharpshooters from both sides of the conflict. It also takes a close look at the specialized personal weaponry of the sharpshooter, the rifle and its accoutrements, as well as the sharpshooters' unique insignia and identification patches.

The wars between whites and Indians, the most famous of which were fought on the great Western plains between 1860 and 1890, were among the most tragic of all conflicts ever fought. To the victor went no less than the complete domination of the continent, to the loser total extinction. Accustomed only to small scale skirmishing and raiding, the Indians were doomed from the start. They had never fought a European-style war with its constant pressure and co-ordinated strategies. Philip Katcher details the armies of both sides, paying particular attention to their organisation and uniforms.

When the War Between the States broke out in 1861, the US Army had only four line generals - and only one of them was not a septuagenarian veteran of the War of 1812. With about one-third of all professional officers choosing to offer their swords to the South, the government's urgent need to find commanders for the vastly expanded Federal army put generals' stars on the shoulders of men of very varied backgrounds and talents. In time the shock of war would separate the born leaders from the over-promoted and the political opportunists. This first of four volumes examines the careers and often colorful personalities of nearly 30 Union generals whose service was mainly in the Eastern theater of war.

This book examines the uniforms, equipment, history and organisation of the US Army from 1890 to 1920. The Spanish-American War, China, Mexico and World War I are all covered, and uniforms are shown in full illustrated detail.

The generals who led the brigades, divisions, corps and armies of the Confederacy were very largely products of the same professional backgrounds as their opponents in Union blue - indeed, many of them were former West Point classmates and brother officers in the pre-war US Army, who had served together on the frontier or in the Mexican War. In terms of field experience they were also similar to the vast majority of Union commanders - none of them had ever commanded so much as a brigade before 1861, and they had to learn by trial and error. Some whose pre-war record had promised much were to fail the test of war; some more obscure officers were to rise to the challenge remarkably. This first of two volumes devoted to the Confederate generals details the careers, personalities and appearance of 25 commanders who made their names mainly with the Army of Northern Virginia in the Eastern theater of war.

When the War Between the States broke out in 1861, the US Army had only four line generals - and three of those were over 70 years of age and veterans of the Napoleonic period. About one in three of America's professional officers chose to serve the Confederacy, and the government's urgent need to find commanders for its vastly expanded army put stars on the shoulders of men of very varied backgrounds and talents. The trials of war would soon separate the born leaders from the over-promoted and the political opportunists. This second volume devoted to Union generals examines the careers and personalities of 25 commanders whose service was mainly, or at first, in the Western theater of war.

In the Western theater of war the Confederacy had the misfortune to face, with inferior resources, some of the outstanding Union leaders early in their careers. The Southern commanders who faced Grant, Sherman and Sheridan in these campaigns were of varied backgrounds and talents: some had been sent West in disfavour, others were foolishly quarrelsome, and after A.S.Johnston's death at Shiloh there was no single figure with the authority to dominate them. Some were nevertheless of the highest class: men like Joseph E.Johnston, the cavalry leader Nathan Bedford Forrest, and the little known Patrick Cleburne and Alexander Stewart earned ungrudging respect. This book details the careers, personalities and appearance of 24 generals of the Army of Tennessee and the other Confederate commands in the West.

Philip Katcher provides an overview to the conflict that engulfed Vietnam following the division of the country into two along the 17th Parallel in 1954. The uniforms and insignia of the US forces, including the army, Special Forces, air force, navy and marine corps, are dealt with in detail, together with those of the ARVN, the Allied Forces (such as the Royal Thai Army and Korean troops), and also the Communist NLF (Viet Cong) and NVA forces. Mike Chappell's colourful artwork provides plenty of detail to accompany this authoritative text.