Churchill -- long before his political career leading the free world against Germany in World War II -- wrangled his way into Kitchener's campaign up the Nile. He recounts the rise of the Mahdi; the defeat of Gordon at Khartoum; and the use of "scientific warfare"-- a combination of telegraph; railroad; armored steamboats; and the new Maxim Gun; combined with the discipline of the British Army -- to ultimately win a British victory. A fascinating account of the earliest days of modern warfare; many lessons can be learned from The River War. "Churchill wrote this account of the campaign at Omdurman in Arabia in 1899 when he was still soldiering for the queen. It was his first major historical work and is still considered one of his most riveting." -- Library Journal
#1761970 in Books 2001-06-01 2001-06-01Original language:EnglishPDF # 1 8.56 x .81 x 5.83l; .90 #File Name: 1556228465288 pages
Review
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful. Excellent reference for any Alamo aficionado.By J. CloudConsiderable gathering of resources was needed to compile this book; as well as research to support or debunk those resources. It was both enlightening and disheartening to see how many of the truthful eyewitnesses could forget or confuse their recollections of the events. Also added to muddy the waters; was the aggravating propensity of Santa Anna and some of his staff to change the numbers of the defenders killed and the numbers of their own men killed. We will never get an exact accounting of the siege of the Alamo whether good or bad. What is apparent is the determination and courage of most of those defenders to fight against overwhelming odds. To be sure; many stayed initially because Travis was sure that much help was on the way. Once the Alamo was surrounded by thousands of troops; and Santa Anna declared that no quarter be given; escape and surrender became just about impossible. Consequently; the defenders fought bravely and as hard as they could given the weapons of the time. The last fighting within the long barracks and the chapel itself was agreed by those who recalled it as incredibly savage; bloody; loud; and confused. The excitement and confusion through the thick smoke caused many Mexican soldiers to wound and kill some of their own accidentally. The burning of the corpses of the defenders was looked upon as a grisly scene by soldiers and civilians alike. Another interesting scenario was that so many dead Mexican soldiers were eventually thrown into the flooded San Antonio river by the order of the city Alcalde; Ruiz. Santa Anna had ordered his dead buried in the city cemetery as he soon left San Antonio. However; there were so many bodies and putrification being an immediate problem; they threw many of them into the fast moving waters. Bodies log jammed at some bends in the small river; and they had to eventually be worked loose to continue their floating. This event was witnessed and recalled by more than one person. I was born and raised in San Antonio and have always been familiar with most of the stories in this book; but not all of them. I recently found out that the lookout in the San Fernando church who spotted Santa Anna's army and who rang the bell; was Daniel William Cloud; and he is an ancestor of mine; but I am not sure as to cousin; uncle; etc. Lon Tinkle's book "13 Days to Glory" mentions Daniel William Cloud on the first page and several pages afterwards. I was amused when reading Seguin's reference to the bell tower lookout as a "reliable man" but his "name escaped" him at the moment of recall. I enjoyed reading this book; but I wish the author had revealed the reliability of each source before we commenced to read them. I found myself taking down with interest many references; only to find out at the end that the whole source was fraudulent. A great book of reference for any Alamo historian of any degree. Read and enjoy.1 of 2 people found the following review helpful. Received book in excellent condition. Good overview of the famed battle of ...By Barry P. DixonReceived book in excellent condition. Good overview of the famed battle of the Alamo. Groneman is classified as a 'grassroots historian' that is one who is an "amateur; untrained enthusiast; an ordinary citizen who want to know about some special corner of the past. They spend long hours in courthouses; state archives; and regional libraries". From the Forward by Professor Paul Andrew Hutton. Groneman verifies that the story was retold to subsequent interrogators by Joe; the surviving slave of Col. William Barret Travis; and Susanna Dickinson; wife of one of the slain Alamo soldiers. History at its best.14 of 16 people found the following review helpful. A great resource for studying the AlamoBy Bruce TrinqueBy compiling all known first-hand accounts of the siege of the Alamo (including some with a debatable authenticity; duly noted by the author); Bill Groneman has produced an excellent; handy resource for studying this famous incident. Going back to the original sources is always the best way to gain a sense of what really happened; and "Eyewitness to the Alamo" lets the reader do this with a minimum of trouble. Groneman's comments about the various source documents are a helpful guide to their reliability; although of course not everyone would necessarily agree with his every assessment (I have particularly in mind the De la Pena "Diary"). This book makes a great companion to Alan Huffines "Blood of Noble Men" in which Huffines arranges excerpts from many of these accounts into chronological order to tell the Alamo story.
