Featured battle : Trevilian Station

Part of American Civil War

Date : 11 June 1864 - 12 June 1864

After Cold Harbour, Grant wanted to regain the initiative so sent Sheridan and 2 divisions of cavalry on a raid westward into the Shenandoah to distract Lee. Lee countered by sending his cavalry under Wade Hampton and they met and engaged 60 miles northwest of Richmond. 2 days of confused and bloody fighting ensued while the Union cavalrymen tore up the rails but the plan had to be abandoned and Sheridan's men withdrew. Around 20% casualties were suffered by both sides, the highest for a cavalry action in the war.

Hitler's Ardennes Offensive

Danny S Parker Ed.
This second book from the same stable [see 'Battle of the Bulge, a German view' reviewed earlier] follows on to deal with the period of attack and its ultimate failure. I felt a privileged and fascinating insight into the Battle of the Bulge. I particularly valued the detail about the attempts to take Bastogne. I have come to realise that the seemingly exaggerated American accounts of the 'glorious defence' are neither exaggerations nor understatements. The book suffers from the same fault as its predecessor in being short on maps, the reader needs a fairly large scale map to fully understand the detail of the manoeuvres. Reading with a map really rewards the effort.
Our view is that this a very good piece of work by the editor and is thoroughly recommended to all who who wish to gain greater insights into the Second World War in Europe.

Frontline Books. Pen & Sword Books Ltd., 2016