Customer Reviews

To the Last Cartridge

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

 

 

I first read this book back in 1995, when I was in basic training. It was my only escape from the monotony of Army indoctrination. It is a very enjoyable read filled with stories of valiant last stands and last minute reprieves won by hard fighting soldiers throughout history. Unfortunately my drill sergeant took my copy away from me and I have never seen another copy of this book in stores since then. This is the book that got me started reading military history books, and I have never found it's equal in terms of sheer entertainment value and ease of reading, I strongly recommend purchasing this book.

This has got to be one of the best reads out there for history books. It is about some of the most gripping and inspirational last stands from Western military history. Military history books are just about all I buy these days and I rarely read one more than once. I read this book three times! Like a dork, I loaned it to a friend and never saw it again. It's out of print now, but if you can get it, don't hesitate.

You can pick this book up at any time and enjoy it just as much as you did originally. Well written and very interesting.

The one question I would put to the author can be summed in five words: The Alamo; where is it? I have to 2nd what was said by another reviewer on this item regarding the French Foreign Legion. They were in a lot of bad spots, but so were a lot of others. Perhaps it's just that I live in Texas, but when I think about soldiers in a tight spot, the Alamo leaps to mind. Apparently, this was not true for this writer. It is well-written military history, but there's no theme that ties it all together; no lesson learned; no truth uncovered. That would have been nice.

This is another compilation volume, collected writings of one guy who writes a lot of military history. Several of the pieces in this book are reprints of articles that originally appeared in various magazines. Unlike many other compilation volumes, there's no attempt at any criteria here, other than soldiers in desparate circumstances. So you get stories from centuries ago, and from Viet Nam, and you get stories a couple of paragraphs long, and some 20+ pages long. Some spend a lot of time on analysis of a situation, others none. Some of the actions involved here are large, others very small. There's no attempt at organization beyond chronological order.

There isn't any attempt at an overall analysis, some lesson the author learned while studying these battles, some truth he might have learned. While the writing's decent, the stories are all over the map, and the last half of the book seems devoted almost exclusively to the French Foreign Legion, which the author apparently admires beyond all other foreign soldiers. There's only one story from the era of the U.S. in Viet Nam, but there are several from the French involvement there.

Again, I don't want to be too critical. If all you're looking for is stories of battles, then this may be the book for you. If, on the other hand, you want to know why things came out the way they did, you'll have to look elsewhere.

I don't normally review books, but this is over the top. I purchased it because it is a nice compendium of "last battles"... Let's just say that there are two problems throughout this book. Much of it seems to be taken from Victorian ( or other) accounts that were greatly embellished - artillery in use all over the place at the Siege of Constantinople 1453!?!?!? Just one example - plus there is an annoying "Great White Man" theme. Locals are savages being "saved" by France, Britain or whatever 19th century power occupies them; almost every one of the natives seems, to the author's surprise, to resent foreign occupation. The Nazi's would blush at some of the the various atrocities committed by seemingly every non white, or non Christian in the book.

I guess I just like to read eyewitness accounts unembellished...