Customer Reviews

Nothing but Blood and Slaughter: Military Operations and Order of Battle of the Revolutionary War in the Carolinas - Volume One 1771-1779

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

 

 

The book is written in a terse military style, which only adds to the book. It lists every land, naval, battle or skirmish. I could never make any sense of the fuss about the savage fighting in the Carolinas, until I read this book. I can hardly wait to see what happens to Lord Cornwallis's army when he invades the Carolinas in the following volumes. It is a gold mine of Militia unit information.
Dwayne

I bought this book since I was interested in the Revolutionary War in the South. I know of the War Between the States, but I wanted to know more about what came before. Not many books have much in them about the Southern campaign. They only mention Yorktown, or Cowpens. However this book contains everything, and I mean EVERYTHING, about the war in the South. It is not just North and South Carolina, but Georgia too. It is incredibly detailed and it seems that most of the sources are from primary account. This is a huge project that Patrick O'Kelley has tried to put on paper. There will be more volumes, and I can't wait until the next. The book is easy to read and explains what happened in a way that makes the story flow smoothly. I highly recommend it!

While the title might sound like a late night movie, it is a statement from the famous Quaker General, Nathaniel Green, describing the fighting in the Southern Campaign. This is not a book that you take home for a good read, but a well-documented reference you keep as a handy tool. If you had ancestors that participated in the battles in Georgia or South Carolina you will find this a useful book. The author has started with the Battle of Alamance, North Carolina, that actually preceded the Revolutionary War in 1771 and ends with the failed attempt by the Patriots and French to retake Savannah, GA, in 1779. Considered the first volume of three Mr. O'Kelley plans to write, every skirmish, sea battle and engagement that is known is included with an order of battle format. This book lists the units that participated, key leaders, casualties and overview of the engagements. This is an excellent tool for compatriots who are doing history programs for local schools.

Patrick O'Kelley seems to have covered every Revolutionary War Battle and Skirmish during 1771-1779 for N.C & S.C. in this book. He has done the same for 1780, 1781 & 1782 in his other books. These are a must have for the Revolutionary War enthusiast or researcher.

The format, which is almost outline in nature,makes for easy reading. However the author seems to be working on the assumption that everyone who reads this book will have the same intimate knowledge of this much overlooked theater of conflict. This makes the experience ideal for the history buff who enjoys doing the research and providing the desired level of context. Someone looking for a comprehensive thumbnail sketch would be advised to look elsewhere.