The Battle of Dorking: Reminiscences of a Volunteer (Dodo Press) [Paperback]

George Chesney (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: January 25, 2008

Sir George Tomkyns Chesney (1830-1895) was British Army general and brother of Colonel Charles Cornwallis Chesney. Educated at Blundell's School, Tiverton, and at Addiscombe, he entered the Bengal Engineers as second lieutenant in 1848. He was employed for some years in the public works department and, on the outbreak of the Indian rebellion of 1857, joined the Ambala column, was field engineer at the battle of Badli-ke-serai, brigade-major of engineers throughout the siege of Delhi, and was severely wounded in the assault (he received a medal and clasp and a brevet majority). In 1860, he was appointed head of a new department in connection with the public works accounts. His book Indian Polity (1868), dealing with the administration of the several departments of the Indian government, attracted wide attention and remains a permanent textbook. In 1871, he contributed to Blackwoods Magazine a highly influential short story called The Battle of Dorking: Reminiscences of a Volunteer, a vivid account of a supposed invasion of England by the Germans after their victory over France.

Product Details

• Paperback: 48 pages
• Publisher: Dodo Press (January 25, 2008)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1406591114
• ISBN-13: 978-1406591118
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 6 x 0.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,993,819 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A rather entertaining book, May 18, 2009

By 

Kurt A. Johnson (North-Central Illinois, USA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: The Battle of Dorking: Reminiscences of a Volunteer (Dodo Press) (Paperback)

In 1870, the Prussian Army overwhelmed the French Army in a series of land-battles, defeated the nation, and forced it to pay heavy reparations. A Lieutenant-Colonel in British Army, George Tomkyns Chesney (1830-95), became alarmed at what he perceived to be Britain's lack of preparation to defend itself in a war with Prussia, and decided to issue a wakeup call. He wrote a short story that told the story of an Anglo-Prussian War, in which an ill-prepared Britain suffered catastrophic defeat. When the story appeared in Blackwoods Magazine it became wildly popular, and was reprinted a number of times.

I must say that I found this to be a rather entertaining book. It is notable for its founding of the "Invasion Literature" genre, and for its obvious influence on H.G. Wells' outstanding book, The War of the Worlds. But, beyond that, it is an entertaining read. I found the story to be well written and the action quite interesting. Indeed, in many ways, this is perhaps one of the first "alternative history" books ever written.

I did enjoy this short book, and think that you will as well.