Customer Reviews

Khartoum 1885: General Gordon's last stand (Campaign)

5 star:		(1)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

This book does an excellent job of covering the numerous battles fought by the British against the forces of the Madhi. In fact, only a small portion of the book is focused on General Gordon. The author, Donald Featherstone, covers the various campaigns that surround the British units in the Sudan. He provides a clear chronological narrative. This is not easy as there were widely disparate events such as the desert and river columns that attempted to reach General Gordon, the battles involving General Graham in the eastern Sudan, and Sir Charles Wilson's race up the Nile River to Khartoum.

The first third of the book is focused on the commanders, tactics, and weapons. The author then covers over seven major engagements. This is admirable given the limited amount of space available in Osprey books. The narrative is both clear and concise. Also, the maps make the battles very easy to visualize. In particular, the author included maps for the battles at El Teb, Abu Klea, Hashin, and Tofrik. The operations at Kirbekan, Khartoum, and Tamai are covered with 3D bird's eye maps. The most beneficial map is the overview of British operations in the Sudan from 1883 - 1885. This map significantly aids the reader in following the various campaigns.

Another positive aspect is that the book contains numerous drawings from that time period. These drawings were made by people involved in the various expeditions. They are located in the book, next to the applicable part of the narrative. This is notable as it is not always the case in some Osprey books. These drawings significantly add to the book and give the reader a sense of being there.

Bottom line: This book is well organized. The combination of a concise narrative, clear maps, and period drawings, make this an easy book to read. The reader should have no problem gaining a clear understanding of both the entire campaign and the specific battles.

This book is much more about the events that were ancillary to the battle of Khartoum (i.e., actions of relieving columns, battles afterwards) than the actual battle itself. The book also does a good job at discussing the geopolitical situation leading to the battle, the English forces and their opponents, their strategies and fighting tactics and their leaders. Book is also well illustrated, especially in terms of troop illustrations and contemporary illustartions of ancillary battles.

The main weakness of the book, however, is its lack of discussion of the actual siege. Not only is the actual siege battle almost not discussed but little space is given to the strategies of each side in the siege, its forces and their strategies. Hence four stars instead of five.