Crossing the Deadly Ground: United States Army Tactics, 1865-1899

Jamieson, et al. have done a very good job of trying to come to grips with the one of the hottest topics in military histroy - the way that armies in the late 19th Century attempted to cope with technological innovation and newer, more destructive weapons. Additionally they cover that most peculiarly American of all military campaigns, the Indian Wars, with an intelligence and incisiveness that I have not seen anywhere else - forget about the glorious charges of the Saturday matinee! My only gripe with this book is that it relies too heavily on letting the factual material speak for itself. A greater degree on analysis would have made the book longer, but it would have made it better too. Overall, it is a welcome addition to the growing literature on the revolution in military affairs which was taking place at the time, and it serves as a reminder at our own 'fin de siecle', about the continuing need for new ideas in military tactics.