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Posted: Fri Jul 27, 2007 11:08 pm

Just a short notice for the avoidance of confusion. I've changed the subtitle of my new book due out on 1 October. The main title is still 'Into the Jaws of Death' but the subtitle is now 'British Military Blunders 1879-1900'.

As ever

Mike

Posted: Sun Jul 29, 2007 11:19 am

Colonel,

'British Military Blunders 1879-1900' - are you limiting yourself to just one volume?! [Sorry, it's Sunday!]

Seriously, do you have a list of chapters yet - just to wet our appetite?

I look fwd to the book�s publication.

Regards

AMB

Posted: Sun Jul 29, 2007 4:19 pm

Andrew,

Yes, extraordinary as it may seem, somehow I have managed to cram all those blunders into one [admittedly thick] volume.

Chapter Headings are:

Prologue (Isandlwana based)

1. The Victorian Army in an Age of Transition.
2. Wounded and Left on Afghanistan's Plains.
3. Floreat Etona
4. Hill of Doves
5. White Pashas
6. Desert Column
7. Sold by a Damned Gunner.
8. That Complete Shambles.
9. School of Hard Knocks.

Covered in detail: Maiwand, Bronkhorstspruit, Laing's Nek, Ingogo, Majuba, Hicks Pasha, Val Baker (1st El Teb), Abu Klea, Abu Kru, Wilson & Beresford on the Nile, Colenso, Spion Kop.

In passing: Magersfontein, Modder River, Kabul Residency, Jameson Raid, Siege of Khartoum, El Obeid, too many Egyptian defeats in the Sudan to immediately recall, Alexandria and Tel-el-Kebir, Stormberg, Talana, Elandslaagte bla bla bla.

Cast of characters: Wolseley, Roberts, Duke of Cambridge, Buller, White, Metheun, Warren, Colley, Cavagnari, Fred Burnaby, Herbert Stewart, JDH Stewart, Anstruther, Burrows, Charlie Beresford, Churchill, Gandhi, Kruger, Joubert, Cronje, Botha, Clery, Wauchope, Lyttelton, Woodgate, Hicks, Val Baker, Kitchener, Gordon, the Kaiser, The Mahdi, the Khalifa, Nicholaas Smit, Butler, Count Gleichen, 'The Swell of the Ocean', Arabi Pasha, Jameson, Rhodes, Charlie Pope, Charlie Parsons, Cromer, Gladstone, Lansdowne, Hartington.... and many many more!! Not bad eh?

Also quite a lot of stuff on organization, systemic failings of and reform of the Victorian Army.

All set then to knock J.K. Rowling and Harry for six...........!! After all if people are prepared to read about wizards, how could they not want to read out this? Very Happy

Regards

Mike

Posted: Mon Jul 30, 2007 7:43 am

"7. Sold by a Damned Gunner." .... I didn't know that you were a Spurs fan, Mike??

Seriously, though, I look forward to reading the book and adding more to my knowledge ... !

Very Happy

Posted: Mon Jul 30, 2007 10:23 am

P

Not my words....a quotation...honest! Laughing

As ever

Mike

Posted: Tue Jul 31, 2007 8:06 pm

.."too many Egyptian defeats in the Sudan"....

hmm..something in the water, eh?...

Mike...I presume I'll be able to spend a couple of bucks here on this one right?

Posted: Tue Jul 31, 2007 8:07 pm

and heh heh Spurs fans..even Boateng won't save ya in 07-08!..... Cool

Posted: Wed Aug 01, 2007 11:37 am

Hi Rich

I don't know about the water - something to do with a quite hairy-scary roughy-toughy mob of Sudanese with sharp swords I expect!

Yes the book will certainly be freely available in the good old US of A. So far as I am aware it will come out at the same time as in the UK, but will check on the release details for you and let you know.

As ever

Mike

Posted: Wed Aug 01, 2007 12:38 pm

thank you...I'll be looking for it..and hey don't you do book tours? can't you get a trip out of the book fellows and visit???...how come Rowling gets all the fun and you don't, eh???? Wink

Posted: Wed Aug 01, 2007 1:54 pm

Rich

Perhaps on reflection I should have put more magic in. Harry Spotter and the Jammed Gatling of Doom. That sort of thing.

As ever

Mike

Posted: Wed Aug 01, 2007 2:15 pm

..maybe you could do the Hogwarts meet the Fuzzy-Wuzzys????... Cool

Posted: Mon Aug 06, 2007 11:04 am

Rich

The US publisher is the Naval Institute Press.

As ever

Mike

Posted: Mon Aug 06, 2007 11:55 am

got it.....thanks...very familiar with the publisher...you're in great "seas" among the sands... Wink

Posted: Mon Aug 06, 2007 8:40 pm

Colonel,

Many thanks for your list of chapters. I look fwd to your book arriving in the book shops (Bookstores, if you live across the pond!).

I trust that the RMP or MMP (as they were) get a mention during El-Teb (we �saved the baggage train� [so I gather] and Cpl Howie was our first WIA).

Regards as ever,

AMB

Posted: Tue Aug 07, 2007 9:27 am

A,

I fear you confuse your El Tebs, old chap. You mean Second El Teb, whereas it is First El Teb which appears in the book. Rather confusingly, there was an earlier engagement in roughly the same area. Which I guess means that, when it comes down to it, what we call 1st El Teb is really 2nd El Teb, and 2nd El Teb is really 3rd El Teb. 'Confusing isn't it, Dutchy?'

But putting that aside...

1st El Teb is the Valentine Baker disaster. Interesting saga. Baker of course is commandant of police in Egypt, (still in disgrace at home after the ahem.... 'incident'.... in the railway carriage) and in the aftermath of Hicks Pasha's misfortune in Kordofan, gets sent with his scratch gendarmerie battalions to take care of the Suakin area on the Red Sea Coast where the Hadendawa under Osman Digna are playing up. He is accompanied by his friend Colonel Fred Burnaby of the Blues, who is one of my favourite Victorian personalities.....and the rest as they say is history. Read all about it...but sad to say 'the bloody provost' don't get a look in on this occasion.

Regards as ever

Mike