"Best" colonial books or sources?

[mdomino]

Greetings, mostly a lurker here, but just sitting down to paint up some Essex Sudan lancers and getting ready to head to Crete in June to play the big Indian Mutiny game. I got to wondering what everyone likes to read for their favorite colonial campaign? I am overly fond of the early Sudan and the Mutiny. Sudan is easy for me with Fuzzy Wuzzy by Robson, War on the Nile by Barthorp, and the TVAG 2 volume set providing just about all I need. Mutiny is more problematic, but They Fight Like Devils by Kinsley is very good. I've got Battles of the Indian Mutiny by Edwardes, The Great Indian Mutiny by Collier, and Kaye's and Malleson's History 6 volume set, but I don't feel like I know much with the exception of the march to Cawnpore and the relief of Lucknow campaign.
What do people like to read for coverage of, for example NWF, China, the Crimea? How about the later campaigns of the Mutiny?
Mike D

[Gluteus Maximus]

Greetings, mostly a lurker here, but just sitting down to paint up some Essex Sudan lancers and getting ready to head to Crete in June to play the big Indian Mutiny game. I got to wondering what everyone likes to read for their favorite colonial campaign? I am overly fond of the early Sudan and the Mutiny. Sudan is easy for me with Fuzzy Wuzzy by Robson, War on the Nile by Barthorp, and the TVAG 2 volume set providing just about all I need. Mutiny is more problematic, but They Fight Like Devils by Kinsley is very good. I've got Battles of the Indian Mutiny by Edwardes, The Great Indian Mutiny by Collier, and Kaye's and Malleson's History 6 volume set, but I don't feel like I know much with the exception of the march to Cawnpore and the relief of Lucknow campaign.
What do people like to read for coverage of, for example NWF, China, the Crimea? How about the later campaigns of the Mutiny?
Mike D

Even though you are happy with your Sudan books (and the ones you mention are indispensable), I'd still strongly recommend Mike Snook's "Go Strong Into The Desert". Best Sudan book I've ever read and features the early stuff rather than the 1898 campaign.

"Blood Red Desert Sand" by Michael Barthorp is also a very good book, as is Michael Asher's "Khartoum".

Also Howard Whitehouse's Battle In Africa 1879-1914 is a must for gamers, giving a splendid amount of background info on logistics, organisation etc. A lot of the info is also useful for other theatres.

If you can get hold of "The Frontier Ablaze" by Michael Barthorp, this is a superb account of the 1897-98 Rising on the NW Frontier, with some lovely uniform prints and loads of organisational detail.

[elysium64]

For the Indian Mutiny I have read two history's both excellent.

The Great Mutiny, India 1857 - Christopher Hibbert, available cheaply from Abe books

The Tale of The Great Mutiny - W H Fitchett, recently found this in a 2nd hand book shop. Great read available: http://www.abebooks.co.uk/servlet/SearchResults?an=fitchett&bt.x=46&bt.y=12&sts=t&tn=mutiny

For journals of the soldiers/civilians out there try http://www.digitalbookindex.com/_SEARCH/search010hstmilitarysepoyrebelliona.asp
all free downloads. This site is brilliant for all history buffs as there are thousands of free books that can be searched for by subject.

For entertainment you have to read the Flashman books by George MacDonald Fraser, great stories with accurate history (Flashmans exploits are cleverly fitted into the history, often accounting for mysteries/unexplained events of the time.

[mdomino]

Yeah I have the Snook Sudan book and it is beautiful. I just finished reading it. Flashman and the original release of GDW Space 1889 actually got me interested in British Colonials.
Mike D

[n815e]

You should consider firsthand accounts, many available for free on the internet.

[answer_is_42]

At the moment I'm reading A Tidy Little War by William Wright, which is an account of the British invasion of Egypt in 1882. Strongly recommended for anyone interested in this war.

For more general reading I can only put forward the superb Scramble for Africa by Thomas Pakenham, and The Colonial Wars Source Book, by Philip J. Haythornthwaite. The former of which deals in great depth with the political as well as military side of the colonisation of Africa, whilst the latter is simply a fantastic book, covering nigh-on every colonial war Britain has ever fought, with notes on armed forces etc.

[mjkerner]

If you don't mind downloading and printing them (or reading off the monitor) try Google Books.  There are many free ones, out of copyright, for the Sudan and NWF (and other colonial wars), by  Burliegh, Coleville, Churchill and others.  I have a couple that go into detail about Hicks and Baker's defeats, and the early Sudan campaigns.

[oxiana]

For Sudan, Churchill's 'The River War' is gripping stuff - don't forget that he was actually there.

Another vote too for Pakenham's 'The Scramble For Africa'. My copy is so battered it's been read so many times...

[Arthur]

John French's The British in India (Foundry Books) is another superb resource book for campaigns and uniforms, athough it mostly covers the 1820-1854 period. The chapter on the Mutiny is both extensive and excellent though. Ian Knight's Go To Your God like A Soldier (Greenhill Books) is another excellent general work on the British army during the age of empire.  

Re the Sudan campaign, Michael Barthorp's War On The Nile (Blandford) remains an excellent read if you wish to supplement Mike Snook's superlative tome If you're interested in Indian forces (including the post-HEIC years), then Boris Mollo's The Indian Army (Blandford) is the book you want if you can manage to track down a copy, as it's been out of print for many years.    

[Gluteus Maximus]

Several of the works of Michael Barthorp have been cited above, and my favourite colonial book is one of his too. "To face the daring Maori". It contains many first hand quotations but also illuminates the vastly differing mind set of the opposing foes.

The story of a strange and exotic conflict, told supremely well. And now with a brand new, excellent range of figures released thius week for those wishing to game it.

Aha! Thanks for that recommendation! I'm a big Barthorp fan and must get that book. The trouble is, reading it will then lead to me buying lots of Maori Wars figures that a) I can't afford and b) I won't live long enough to paint.   

[6milPhil]

One of my faves if purely for flavour:


http://www.amazon.co.uk/Flashman-Great-George-MacDonald-Fraser/dp/0006512992

[archangel1]

Just took a quick look through my library and found a couple that might be of interest.

Queen Victoria's Little Wars by Byron Farwell.  Covers the period from 1837 to 1900.

Mr.Kipling's Army - All the Queen's Men by Byron Farwell.  '...an upstairs-downstairs view of the Victorian-Edwardian army, one of the world's most peculiar fighting forces...'

Omdurman by Philip Ziegler.  Guess!

The Savage Wars - British Campaigns in Africa 1870-1920 by Lawrence James.  This one's been sitting on my shelf for over 25 years and I just realized I haven't read it! Something new to explore!

[Gluteus Maximus]

Let me know how you get on finding it GM. If you can't locate a copy I can loan you mine.

Thans for the offer, but with my shoddy memory you probably wouldn't see it for a decade 

[the Mutineer]

Here are my favourite books related to the Mutiny

The Indian Army (boris Mollo) simply the best book on uniform guides ISBN 1-85079-045-0
http://www.abebooks.co.uk/search/sortby/3/an/Mollo+/tn/+Indian

Rifles and Kukris Delhi 1857 (seige of delhi and the ridge battles) ISBN 978--09549370-1-0 great book on the delhi battles
http://www.abebooks.co.uk/servlet/SearchResults?isbn=ISBN978-0-9549370-1-0&y=13&x=57

Bengal Native army to the year 1895 ISBN 1-845741-86-2 contemporary book no piccies but great reference work
http://www.abebooks.co.uk/servlet/SearchResults?isbn=ISBN1-845741-86-2&y=10&x=61

The shannons brigade in India (naval Brigade) great book lots of scenario opportunities can be developed. ISBN 1-84734-195-0
http://www.abebooks.co.uk/servlet/BrowseListingsResults?n=100200046&pics=on&vci=812291

They fight like devils, Stories from Lucknow ISBN 1-85367-456-7 by DA kinsley

The kashmir gate by Roger Perkins ISBN 0-902633-87-2

Cawnpore and lucknow a tale of two sieges DS Richards ISBN 1-84415-516-1

NWF
The frontier ablaze is superb