Shock Troops of the Confederacy is a comprehensive history of the elite troops of the Confederacy; as well as an essential reference for historians; enthusiasts; and reenactors. Although little has been written about them; the sharpshooters of the Army of Northern Virginia played an important and sometimes pivotal role in many battles and campaigns in 1864 and 1865. Confederate general Robert Rodes organized the first battalion of sharpshooters in his brigade in early 1863; and later in each brigade of his division. In early 1864 General Lee adopted the concept for the entire Army of Northern Virginia; mandating that each infantry brigade field a sharpshooter battalion. These units found ready employment in the Overland campaign; and later in the trenches of Petersburg and in the fast-moving Shenandoah campaign of 1864. The term sharpshooter had a more general meaning in the mid-19th Century than it does today. Then it could mean either a roving precision shooter like the modern sniper (a term that did not come into use until late in the century) or a light infantryman who specialized in the petite guerre: scouting; picketing; and skirmishing. The book covers the history of the Confederate sharpshooters; the development of light infantry from 1700-1918; and the human story of the sharpshooters themselves -- in battle; on the skirmish line; and at their lonely picket posts.
#3505823 in Books Museum of Jewish Heritage 2002-03-01Original language:EnglishPDF # 1 12.32 x .79 x 9.26l; 2.76 #File Name: 0960997075123 pages
Review
0 of 0 people found the following review helpful. Four StarsBy samVery interesting story and pictures.0 of 0 people found the following review helpful. Five StarsBy Edna R. MullallyBeautiful images of people and a way of life that were subsequently destroyed.7 of 7 people found the following review helpful. A Timeless Story Told in Unique PhotographsBy CustomerI have recommended this book for several years to dozens of people. It contains over 100 of Kaplan's photgraphs of Jewish and non Jewish daily life in this small Polish town from the late 1800's until 1939 when the Holocaust began. The book is unique because it smashes the sterotypes of Jewish small town life in Poland during Russian;Prussian/German;Nazi German; and Polish rule. And; the photographs make the case. everyday lives. From the towns' theatre to schools; scout groups to families at the riverfront "beach";and civic institutions like the fire department;thse were ordinary people just living their lives. Most of the three million Polish Jews killed in the Holocaust; were from towns like this. The tragedy of Szczuczyn is that ninety nine percent of its Jewish citizens--including the photographer and his family-- were killed beginning in 1939; first by their Polish neighbors and finished by the Nazis. A timeline from the town's founding in the 1600's until 1945 and two incisive essays by Jonathan Rosen and Jeffrey Shandler put it all into perspective.Kaplans photographs will be part of the permanent exhibit in the new; landmark Museum of the History of Polish Jews;which will open in 2013 in Warsaw.
