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Miniatures Adventure => Colonial Adventures => Topic started by: RedRowan on 09 January 2020, 02:23:45 PM
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What books would people recommend for an introduction to the Indian Mutiny? I have the Osprey Essential Histories title and have ordered the Osprey MAA one but what else do people feel is worth a read?
Thanks
Steve
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Hi
The indiam mutiny by saul david is excellent
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The best book by far that I have read is, Our Bones Are Scattered, Andrew Ward which was suggestion made to me by Col. Mike Snook when he first started the Iron Duke Indian Mutiny range.
It's a brilliantly evocative accurate historical narrative. He is an American historian so avoids any potential jingoistic pitfalls, not that this is usually a problem nowadays.
Amazon have copies here:
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Our-Bones-Are-Scattered-Massacres/dp/0805024379 (https://www.amazon.co.uk/Our-Bones-Are-Scattered-Massacres/dp/0805024379)
Of course, there's an absolute wealth of information (including the all important maps) on the Iron Duke website here:
https://www.irondukeminiatures.co.uk/historical-notes (https://www.irondukeminiatures.co.uk/historical-notes)
I hope that's of some help to you?
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“The Great Mutiny” (Hibbert) is a good overall introduction.
I’d second “Our Bones...” on Cawnpore. “A Season in Hell” (Edwardes) is good for Lucknow. “The Last Mughal” (Dalrymple) and “Rifles & Kukris” (Wallace) for Delhi.
“Naval Brigades in the Indian Mutiny”. (Rowbotham) is a good read and
Leonaur publish a lot of contemporary accounts of the Mutiny.
Definitely worth looking at the Iron Duke Miniatures website for a wealth of information and the FIBI wiki is a great online resource.
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Saul David's The Indian Mutiny is a fairly recent overview of the entire conflict which appears fair and reasonably authoritative. (I haven't read much else so am not in a position to say how it compares to other works mentioned).
https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/0141005548?psc=1&pf_rd_p=cab8f866-27b2-438f-8f39-1084eece4906&pf_rd_r=CYQ93026Q83HSG6D76G7&pd_rd_wg=QrmUY&pd_rd_i=0141005548&pd_rd_w=Ju6aT&pd_rd_r=49b13af4-6544-41cb-96fe-fc4209995b63&ref_=pd_luc_rh_crh_rh_sbs_sem_01_02_t_img_lh
From about the same publication date, there is also a study of the British army during the Mutiny, which should provide some of the military detail required for gaming it:
https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/0141005548?psc=1&pf_rd_p=cab8f866-27b2-438f-8f39-1084eece4906&pf_rd_r=CYQ93026Q83HSG6D76G7&pd_rd_wg=QrmUY&pd_rd_i=0141005548&pd_rd_w=Ju6aT&pd_rd_r=49b13af4-6544-41cb-96fe-fc4209995b63&ref_=pd_luc_rh_crh_rh_sbs_sem_01_02_t_img_lh
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From about the same publication date, there is also a study of the British army during the Mutiny, which should provide some of the military detail required for gaming it:
https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/0141005548?psc=1&pf_rd_p=cab8f866-27b2-438f-8f39-1084eece4906&pf_rd_r=CYQ93026Q83HSG6D76G7&pd_rd_wg=QrmUY&pd_rd_i=0141005548&pd_rd_w=Ju6aT&pd_rd_r=49b13af4-6544-41cb-96fe-fc4209995b63&ref_=pd_luc_rh_crh_rh_sbs_sem_01_02_t_img_lh
(Actually the link above just leads to the Saul book on Amazon)
Wow! I wasn't aware of the British Army study one- thanks :)
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Thanks guys, really appreciate it. Had completely missed the Historical Notes section on Mike’s site.
Steve
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I found think William Russell's War Diary to be very useful. He also covered the Crimean War for the Times. First class journalism from a man on the spot who knew how wars were fought.
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Indian-Mutiny-Diary-William-Russell/dp/0527781207
Hibbert is very good too.
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Many yeas ago I did a lot of research and published it on my website.
http://www.morvalearth.co.uk/Indian%20Mutiny/Indian_mutiny_index.htm (http://www.morvalearth.co.uk/Indian%20Mutiny/Indian_mutiny_index.htm)
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Some great links here, thanks guys.
Have ordered a copy of ‘Our bones are scattered’ and added the Saul and Hibbert books to my wish list to start with. :)
Steve
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Some great links here, thanks guys.
Have ordered a copy of ‘Our bones are scattered’ and added the Saul and Hibbert books to my wish list to start with. :)
Steve
I should perhaps have warned you, Our Bones Are Scattered is quite harrowing. I think you'll find it a gripping and informative read.
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Siege of Krishnapur by J G Farrel,a fictionalized account and very good.
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Glad to see Edwarde's A Season in Hell mentioned. I still find it the best book on the period I've read, much better than the Hibbert book which is okay (read it twice and the second read was a bit of a slog to be honest, Edwarde's book is a joy to reread).
Will have to check out the Iron Duke site to see what treasures await!
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Will have to check out the Iron Duke site to see what treasures await!
You will not be disappointed. There's a plethora of information- uniforms guides, Cawnpore - Lucknow, the Siege of Delhi, Battle of Agra, Organisation of regiments (British and Indian), Uniform Guides (British and Indian) and even a glossary!
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All excellent suggestions- especially the Iron Duke site!-
Will get Rifles and Kukris as I hadn't even heard of that one yet.
If allowed I would like to add They Fight Like Devils from Kinsley, again about the siege of Lucknow which I found a good read, and A matter of Honour by Philp Mason. Now the latter isn't strictly about the Indian Mutiny but gives a great insight in all things that led to it as well.
Images of Delhi 1857 ( Jason Askew) is a booklet of some 20 Illustrations (sketches and colour drawings) that are so characterful you'll immediately want to start painting!
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I’ll second ‘The Last Mughal’. It’s excellently written with a rare look at a portion of the conflict from the Mutineer side.
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I’ll second ‘The Last Mughal’. It’s excellently written with a rare look at a portion of the conflict from the Mutineer side.
This is a very important point. I wonder what's available translated from the various languages in India (hopefully without the jingoism that both nations have at various points been guilty of?
Does anyone have any ideas?
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(Actually the link above just leads to the Saul book on Amazon)
Wow! I wasn't aware of the British Army study one- thanks :)
I wasn't aware of it either until yesterday, it just came up on Amazon while I was looking for the David book (which I now see had already been mentioned). Apologies for duplicating the link. Here's the correct one, hopefully:
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Mutiny-Insurgency-India-1857-58-British-ebook/dp/B00BCOW25E/ref=sr_1_8?keywords=T+A+Heathcote&qid=1578679513&s=books&sr=1-8
Heathcote has written other books on the British army in India, which you will find if you click on his name on Amazon. I've a feeling one was published by Foundry, though I don't see it listed.
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This is a very important point. I wonder what's available translated from the various languages in India (hopefully without the jingoism that both nations have at various points been guilty of?
Does anyone have any ideas?
Dalrymple has a new book on the HEIC which might shed some light. I'm reading it but have not got to the Mutiny yet.
What we really need is someone like Amarpal Singh Sidhu to do for the Mutiny what he did for the Sikh Wars. Who knows Amarpal himself might do it.
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This is great stuff, going to keep me busy for a while!
Steve
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Siege of Krishnapur by J G Farrel,a fictionalized account and very good.
I would second that it's a fantastic book.
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I would also add Flashman and the Great Game, GMF whatever you think of him and his values, really can convey a sense of place and time all be it through the lens of Flashy. ;)
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Yes, the Siege of Krishnapur is an utterly brilliant novel.
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Not sure it adds much to the discussion at this point, but I must admit to loving Hibbert's book - a superb read and great introduction to the period.
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Friend of mine mentioned Flashman and the Great Game too so I ordered myself a copy and it arrived today along with the copy of Our Bones.
The Siege of Krishnapur looks like a good read to so I‘ve added that to the wish list as well. It really is a fascinating period.
Steve
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If you’re looking for more detail, Sir John Kaye
/Colonel Malleson’s History of the Indian Mutiny is virtually a first-hand account with some great detail for scenarios:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/George_Bruce_Malleson
If I recall correctly, the Hibbert book (which is excellent) drew on a lot of Kaye/Malleson.
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Not sure it adds much to the discussion at this point, but I must admit to loving Hibbert's book - a superb read and great introduction to the period.
I agree Christopher Hibbert's is suberb writer (I have just had a look and I have his books on Garibaldi, the Medici, the Mutiny Rome and Florence) and they are all informed and very accessable giving the reader a well measured overview of the subject.
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The Kaye/ Malleson books ( six volumes) can be downloaded freely from https://archive.org/details/texts?and%5B%5D=indian+mutiny&sort=-downloads&page=1
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The Kaye/ Malleson books ( six volumes) can be downloaded freely from https://archive.org/details/texts?and%5B%5D=indian+mutiny&sort=-downloads&page=1
That’s a really useful link, many thanks for that.
Steve
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All the absolute are worth a read, particularly Are bones are scattered. The British in India 1825 - 1857 by John French in the Foundry series is pretty good. For uniforms I’d swop if for all the Ospreys and it has every thing from Bhurtpore to the Mutiny inc 1st Afghanistan the Sikh wars and all sorts of more obscure actions.
It’s not an overview of the mutiny as such but it’s packed with detail on the particpents, uniforms, colours etc and also has quite a few battle maps, OOBs etc I should have checked before I posted but I think there is a Kindle version given the high price for hard copies
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All the absolute are worth a read, particularly Are bones are scattered. The British in India 1825 - 1857 by John French
Jeez! I totally forgot about John French's book!! I have a copy of it too o_o
AndyG is 100% correct. It is an essential book for anyone playing Indian Mutiny games.
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The Kaye/ Malleson books ( six volumes) can be downloaded freely from https://archive.org/details/texts?and%5B%5D=indian+mutiny&sort=-downloads&page=1
Fantastic link! Thanks for that, I’d only read two of the volumes so far.
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double posted apparently- ignore