Featured battle : Antietam (Sharpsburg)

Part of American Civil War

Date : 17 September 1862

The bloodiest single day throughout the whole war. What was intended by McClellan to be a coordinated attack by his superior forces against both of Lee's flanks at once degenerated into a piecemeal assault along the line which Lee was able to hold. Early in the morning Hooker, Sumner and Mansefield attacked Jackson on Lee's left flank towards the Dunker church. Stff resistance and artillery held the line for Jackson but near the centre, many of his veterans in a strong position in a sunken road died when they were flanked. It became known as the Bloody Lane. In the afternoon Burnside finally attacked Lee's right flank across a stone bridge over the Antietam Creek. Although the creek was fordable, he lost many men taking the bridge and just as he was making progress against Longstreet's right, all confederate reserves being commited, A.P.Hill arrived from Harpers Ferry smashing into Burnsides flank. Burnside withdrew, and night fell. The following day McClellan refused to renew the attack, and Lee recrossed the Potomac into Virginia.

British Army of the Rhine - The BAOR 1945-1993

Paul Chrystal
Part of the "Cold War 1945-1991" series, this is quite a small book at only 126 pages, to cover such a large subject and I think that's it's biggest issue. It tries to cover too much. There are sections which are interesting and obviously well researched, particularly the chapters on the predecessors and formation of the BAOR, de-nazification & fraternisation and the 'families on the Rhine'. The sources and further reading sections are useful too. However the majority of the period of the BAOR's service is somewhat sparsely covered, and the token section on the RAF and the Royal Navy really should have been left out all together. There is hopefully a much bigger, more comprehensive book somewhere that this is taster for, and I would very much like to read it. The author has a good grasp of the subject and good photographs supplied by his family furnishing welcome detail and authenticity but it has definitely lost something in the edit.
Pen and Sword Military, Barnsley, 2018