Notices of Books

1887 Royal United Services Institution Journal  
The Cainpabri OJ FrcderichCurg, Xor.-Dec., 16GS; n Study for Omccre of Voluntccrs. By n JJISE Orrrc~n. f i c g m Pnul, London, 18SG. Pp. 145. Sizc 73" x G), , x 3". Wcight nndcr 14 0 2 3 . l'ricc 5s. 8ucli i3 the wry inodcst and unnrjnming titlc of a book wliick is pimply ndinimblc of its kind. Thcro is ono puzzling qucstion in conncction with the titlc, aud that i?, why tho book is o study for OUiccr~ of "Voluntccrs" only. TLc author ntcs tho tactical knowIcdgc of thc rcgulm Olliccrs far
more » ... what R C Lnoir it to bc, if Iic imaginc3 that one in n hundrcd of tlicm r i l l not lcam n great dca! from a pcrural of tlic rludy hc 1133 d n m n rip. Thc nrnngcmcnt of tli6 eontciits of tIic work may bc tnkcn n3 o model by nll r h o would csny to dcscribc a bnttlc, for i t is with tho Dattlc of Frcdcricksbur fought bctwccu LCC and Uurnsidc 011 tho 13th Dcccmbcr, 1862, rather tliin witli t f c campaign that tllc a11f110r d d s . Thc a c p a i g n itsclf is, Iiowcrcr, succinctlj and clcnrlg dcscribcd, so t h t tlic clTcct of tlic rtmtcgy on tlic tactics may bc tIiorougiiIy Iindcrrtood. Thc orgnnizition, nrornlc, nrmamcnt, nnd cquipinciit of the contcndiug forccs arc dcscrihd, ns nlso the pcreond cbamctcristics of tlic Comninndcr~. Tlic topogmphy of t h C battlC-ficlc1, d l u s t n t d by wcll-crccutcd maps, i3 tlicn put bcforc tlic studcnt. l l i c disp:itions nix1 intcntions of tlic Commaudcr~, and thc coursc of the battlc, nrc drcii in siinplo Ian agc. Wliilzt sulwrfluour detail is omittcd, ~.uilicicnt detail is rccodcd t o c n X o tiic rcadcr to understand tlic c a u m of SUCCCSS nnd dcfcnt. Ilcrc nnd tlicro in tllc COUTIC of tlic narmtirc, thc Linc Oiliccr gircs us comlncnti not only of p a t vnloo to tho EtUdCnt, but slioning concluzircly that lie is in tlic hand3 of n coniwtcnt nut1 trustmortky tcaclier. Thc tono of criticism ndoptcd by tho Linc Officer kas somowhnt an air of ecrcritj, but t l i l cannot bo considcrcd ns a blcniish to tllc work. JLcisr~. h'cgan Paul nrc tlic most cntcrprising of military publirhcrs, but Iiitlicrto tlicir cntcrpriso uiay not, wc fcnr, hare nltogctlicr rcccircd its rciwd.
doi:10.1080/03071848709416411 fatcat:y2jmsyix4vbb7ipa7qo6na75dy