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Ezekial Baker was the inventor of the Baker rifle, and had 60 years of gun making to his credit, as well as the fact that is rifle was issued to the British Army. Baker writes about the early history of rifling, percussion locks, and casting lead balls for muskets and rifles. He also advises the reader on how to aim and use his rifle, as well as looking at fowling pieces (shot guns in modern parlance) and blunderbusses. The book is not just a self-encomium however, as he looks at the history of the early rifle, a subject of considerable importance to all military historians as well as firearms historians. There is also a description of the early method of proofing barrels, and how to burst a blunderbuss.The construction of firearms is described, with some valuable comments on stocking weapons and on the percussion lock, the important transitional firing method between flintlock and the firing pin.The appendices include a handy aide-memoire of shot to the ounce and a table of the weights and diameters of lead ball.

A history of the 32nd (Cornwall) Light Infantry, proudly narrating its service throughout the 18th and 19th centuries. Originally formed as Marines under the ill-fated Admiral Sir Cloudesley Shovel - later lost with his flgship in a wreck off the Cornish coast - the regiment's first major action was the sudden capture and subsequent defence of the Rock of Gibraltar in 1703 during the War of the Spanish Succession. It later mounted raids on the west coast of France, was disbanded at the war's end with the Peace of Utrecht in 1713, only to be promptly reformed in 1715 during the Jacobite emergency. In 1743, during the War of the Austrian Succession, the Regiment took part in the victorious battle of Dettingen against France - the last battle in which a British monarch ( George II) personally led his army. In 1745, during the same war, the Regiment fought at the battle of Fontenoy in which France's Marshal Saxe defeated the allied forces of Britain, Hanover, Austria and Holland under the young Duke of Cumberland. The Regiment fought in Europe in the Seven Years' War with France, but its finest hour probably came during the Peninsula War, Having served as Marines during Nelson's naval victory over the Danes at Copenhagen in 1807, the 32nd embarked for Spain and were present at the battles of Roleia and VImiera under Sir John Moore and in the retreat on and battle of Corunna in 1808. Returning to Spain in 1811, the 32nd were present at the Sieges of Roderigo and Burgois and the battles of Salamanca, Nivelle, Nive, and Orthes under Wellington. In 1815, the 32nd fought at the battle of Quatre Bras and Waterloo itself. In the mid- 19th century, the Regiment was posted to India where it was present at the Siege of Mooltan and the battle of Goojerat, before helping to quell the Indian Mutiny at Cawnpore and Lucknow. Later in the 19th century it saw service in Egypt.. The author, Col. Swiney, has gallantlyu filled the gaps caused by the repeated disappearence of regimental records with the diaries and recollections of brother officers. The book is plentifully illustrated with ten fine colour plates showing the evolution of the regimental uniform; notes on its costume and equipment; ten black and white pictures, and fifteen appendices on such interesting subjects as the regiment's VC holders, its roll of officers, and biographies and memoirs of its colonels and officers. An unusually full and complete account of a distinguished unit.

Volume II continues the narrative from the Lusitania sinking to the eve of the German Declaration of unrestricted submarine warfare on 1st February 1917. During these twenty months the war at sea passed through what the author calls an intermediate stage, though with one or two diplomatic exchanges between Germany and the USA over U boat tactics, with the America becoming the champion of the rights of the neutrals at sea. The German government was forced to exercise more control over the operations of their submarine commanders despite fierce opposition from their own naval and military commanders. A chapter is devoted to the task of transporting troops from all parts of the Empire to theatres of war and moving territorial divisions from England to India to replace the regulars being brought home, all achieved without any loss of life. The part played by the merchant service in the Dardanelles Expedition is described as well as the war in the Mediterranean where U boats had become very active. Arming merchant ships, operations off the Flanders coast, enemy mine-laying and submarine operations in coastal waters, attacks on the fishing industry, raids on the Dover Straits all feature in the narrative. In particular there is a detailed account of the blockade of Germany carried out by the 10th Cruiser Squadron, screening the 450 mile stretch between the north of Scotland and Iceland. It quickly became apparent that the eight old cruisers (completed in1891/1892) which made up the squadron were not suitable for the task and they were replaced by twenty-four armed merchant cruisers, commanded by RN officers and manned by merchant seamen. Finally there is a very good account of the cruises of the German raiders Moewe, Seeadler and Wolf and their attacks on our shipping. There is a full account of the notorious case of Captain Fryatt, who was tried by a German court-martial for attempting to ram U boat. The events leading up to his arrest, the trial and the personalities involved, his execution (July 1916) and the public outcry are all described in detail; a case of judicial murder if ever there was one. The period under review in this volume ends with the outcome of the struggle between the Imperial Chancellor, who wanted to maintain restricted submarine warfare, and the Naval and General Staff who wanted all restrictions lifted; the latter won and from February 1917 "intensive" (unrestricted) submarine warfare began.

German submarine operations in the First World War had an inauspicious start, with the Uboats having apparently no role to play in the war at sea. However by February 1915 their task was clear: a blockade of the United KingdomThis important book contains a complete history of the German Uboat campaign throughout the First World War and shows in great detail how great the threat to the Atlantic logistics and, later, personnel traffic was. The British Admiralty failed to appreciate this threat, and the Germans took full advantage of this, until the convoy system was finally applied in 1917, on the insistence of British Prime Minister Lloyd George.Importantly the book gives details of both overall strategy and individual boat tactics, and is one of the few such books generally available. In addition appendices look at the success of the convoy system and give a history of German submarine design 1904-1914. There are also details of German submarine construction and losses, German 'Aces' and merchant ship sinkings, together with details of Austro-Hungarian and Turkish submarines.This is an essential book for naval historians, and is well illustrated with naval charts and photographs.

A strong, solid account of the doings of a battalion of a West Country regiment in the Boer War. The Devonshires took a leading role in the relief of Ladysmith after a lengthy siege by the Boers. They subsequently fought at Inagane and Lydenburg in Natal and South-eastern Transvaal. Their battle honours included the charge at Wagon Hill outside Ladysmith, and the night action at Elandslaagte. In his introductoion, Gen. William Kitchener calls attention to the main qualities of the Devon men who served under him: their 'dogged devotion to duty' which helped overcome the Boers' stubborn resistance; their improvisation and their smart turnout in the worst of conditions. 'In conclusion' writes Kitchener, 'a more determined crew i never wish to see, and a better regiment to back his orders a General can never hope to have'. Iliustrated by some 25 photographs and two maps.H&A +RofH.