Филип Кэтчер – лучшие книги

«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…

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.

Typically the United States is said to have declared war on Great Britain in 1812 because of the Royal Navy's impressment of American seamen and the British desire to create an Indian buffer state. An Englishman William Cobbett, described the real cause of the conflict: 'There seemed to be wanting just such a war as this to complete the separation of England from America; and to make the latter feel that she had no safety against the former but in the arms of her free citizens.' Regardless of the reasons, however, on 4 June 1812, U.S.President James Madison, asked Congress to declare war.

Between 1890 and 1920 the US Army underwent profound changes in organization, function, composition and appearance. The Army was transformed from a small, blue-clad force whose primary weapon was the single-shot rifle, into a mighty host of men dressed in dirt-coloured combat uniforms, using automatic weapons, tanks and aircraft to fight enemies on fields across the world. This book details the Army's developments during its involvement in the Spanish-American War, the Boxer Rebellion and World War I. Particular attention is given to the evolution of the Army's uniforms, which are illustrated vividly throughout the book.

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.

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 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.

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.

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.

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.

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 ‘American Civil War Artillery 1861-65'.

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 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.

The regimental or battery set of colours was more than simply a unit designation, issued for the ease of a commander in identifying his units in the field. It was the very symbol of the regiment; it was its heart, the thing that drew its members together. As such it was fiercely defended in action, where it flew in the centre of the line. Complemented by numerous illustrations, including eight full page colour plates by Rick Scollins, this book by Philip Katcher provides a fascinating examination of the Union flags of the American Civil War. Men-at-Arms 252, 258 and 265 are also available in a single volume special edition as 'Flags of the Civil War'.

Most Civil War soldiers, although they served in a national Union or Confederate Army, fought under a state designation and often felt that they were representing their state as much as their country. So it was only natural that many carried state flags, or national flags with state seals and mottos, as their regimental colours. Complemented by many photographs and illustrations, incuding eight full page colour plates by Rick Scollins and Gerry Embleton, Philip Katcher's engaging and informative text explores the flags of the State and Volunteer troops of the American Civil War. Men-at-Arms 252, 258 and 265 are also available in a single volume special edition as 'Flags of the Civil War'.

The very heart of the Confederate fighting unit was its flag, which came in a variety of designs and colours. The flag was the rallying point on the field of battle and it marked the unit headquarters in camp. In 1865, at the war's conclusion, the furling of the defeated Confederate banners signalled the end of that episode in history. As the first of three books focusing on flags of the Civil War, Philip Katcher's text provides a detailed look into Confederate flags. Full colour illustrations and rare photographs portray the myriad variations of flags used to represent the seceding southern states.

Uniformed volunteer units were raised by individuals, usually from an area's social élite who had enough spare money and time to spend on such enthusiasms. They voted on their unit designation, their officers and non-commissioned officers, their unit rules, and their uniform. Many future leaders learned their skills in these ranks, and volunteer militia units formed the core of many fighting units on both sides of the Mason-Dixon line. With the help of numerous photographs and illustrations, including eight full page colour plates by Ron Volstad, Philip Katcher does a fine job of detailing the uniforms of the volunteer militia of the American Civil War.

The development of US Army infantry equipment has been a story of trial and error, of adopting new designs to meet new problems. It was not until 1910 that a whole system of equipment, including everything from the waist belts to the canteens to the cartridge-carriers to the haversack, was officially adopted. Prior to that, each piece of equipment was designed to meet a specific need, without any consideration of anything else the soldier had to carry. Packed with photographs and illustrations, this book explores the history of US Infantry equipments from 1775 to 1910, covering everything from blankets to bayonets.

‘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.