Plassey 1757: Clive of India's Finest Hour (Campaign) [Paperback]

Peter Harrington (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: October 17, 1994 | Series: Campaign (Book 35)

After relatively lowly beginnings as a writer in the East India Company, Robert Clive rose to be perhaps the most important single figure in the history of British involvement in India. At Plassey on 23 June 1757 Clive's 3,500 native and East India Company troops faced an army of 50,000 under the French supported nawab Siraj-ud-daula. Having succeeded in keeping his powder dry in a torrential rainstorm, Clive's guns were able to open a murderous fire on the enemy. Siraj-ud-daula's attack was beaten off and the counter-attack which Clive launched swept the field; with only the French gunners fighting to the last.

Editorial Reviews

From the Publisher

Highly visual guides to history's greatest conflicts, detailing the command strategies, tactics, and experiences of the opposing forces throughout each campaign, and concluding with a guide to the battlefields today.

About the Author

Peter Harrington is Curator of the Anne S. K. Brown Military Collection at Brown University Library in Providence, Rhode Island, USA. A native of Manchester, England, his research interests include the archaeology of the English Civil War, and artists and war. He has written numerous articles and books.

Product Details

• Paperback: 96 pages
• Publisher: Osprey Publishing (October 17, 1994)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1855323524
• ISBN-13: 978-1855323520
• Product Dimensions: 7.3 x 0.2 x 9.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 1.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,633,540 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

7 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars A Disappointment, January 28, 2000

By 

Ron (North York, Ontario Canada) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Plassey 1757: Clive of India's Finest Hour (Campaign) (Paperback)

This book lacks the excitement and insights that other ones showed in the campaign series. Perhaps it's because of the rather unspectacular historical engagement from both armies. The book is a straightforward and is a fairly dry account of the events leading up to the battle. The illustrations are not as good as some other ones in the series. The lack of photographs of the battlefields and geographical features of East India also contributes to the poor showing of the book.

2.0 out of 5 stars This jumbled mess leaves the reader more confused after reading than before, February 14, 2009

By 

Yoda (Hadera, Israel) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Plassey 1757: Clive of India's Finest Hour (Praeger Illustrated Military History) (Hardcover)

THis book is part of the Praeger series (in turn based on the Osprey series) of campaign books. Books in this series normally provide good succint histories of the campaigns and battles they cover. Unfortunately this one does not.

Books in the series start out some perspective as to the campaign or battle covered. They provide context as how the campaign/battle fit into the war parties' strategic and operational aims. Unfortunately this book provides no such discussion. The Seven Years War is barely even mentioned. Hence the reader has no idea as to how or why this campaign/battle fit into the bigger picture.

Books in this series also provide sectioins regarding the commanders involved, forces and their dispostions before the battle and pre-battle strategies. This book provides almost nothing regarding these.

The books also provide, most importantly, a short succinct history as to how the battle unfolded. This book provides a very confused account instead. Also, too much time is spent on ancillary issues such as the French side's allies traitorous generals. Though this is of importance, it should not have 2-3 pages dedicated to it. The book also does not provide a discussion of the implications of the battle in either the strategic context of the Seven Years war or even of the French and English positions in India for that matter.

Last but not least the book is poorly illustrated. Few accurate etchings, etc. are provided of the time. There are no color plates either of equipment or troops (very unusual for an Opsrey Campaign/Battle series book).