Colonial Campaigns Club (CCC)

I should give a brief plug for visual media too:

1812: the Forgotten War. (Little Brick Schoolhouse Productions) VHS 2hrs

1812 (Gala Films) VHS 4 hrs

These are both produced by Canadian firms, so they tend to be more kind to Britain. The first is more even and has better living history folks.

Steve
Pvt, 36th US Inf

A favorite of mine is the other bio of Winfield Scott..

Agent of Destiny: The Life and Times of Winfield Scott by John SD Eisenhower (he also did a nice history of the Mexican American War I read years ago, don't recall the name)

Lt Gary McClellan
12th Virgina Light Dragoons
CO Northern Department

Gary,

John's Mexican War book was "So Far from God". I liked his Scott bio too, but Johnson's is more acurate and gets to the heart of the man.

Steve
Pvt, 36th US Inf

Steve,

Thanks about the movies. I've seen a good F&I War from a Canadian company, it was very good, funny in parts though. Re-enactors can be a hoot to watch at times <img src=icon_smile_wink.gif border=0 align=middle>.

Lt. Col. Al Amos
1st U.S. Dragoons 1812-R

Edited by - Al Amos on 08/01/2002 22:57:19

Al,

Both these film have real merit and are worth looking for or even buying, especially the Little Brick Schoolhouse film. I get a bit irritated with teh Gala Films production because they use footage from some other films (Waterloo, War and Peace, and I think Patriot).

Steve,
Pvt 36th US Inf

Steve, hmm... well, now I have another reason to go to the library.. see if I can ILL that one.. bit pricy to buy before I'm sure. Though, at the moment, I'm sort of obsessing on other things.

*side issue* so, what is everyone reading atm?
Myself, Chandlers edition of the memoirs of Robert Parker and the Count of Merode-Westerloo.

Lt Gary McClellan
12th Virgina Light Dragoons
CO Northern Department

Gary M,

I'm sure "So Far From God" can be ILL, its a popular account and a really excellent intro to the US Mexican War.

Try and get Johnson's "Winfield Scott: the Quest for Military Glory", it will be well worth the wait.

You may be able to get the films on ILL too, though most libraries don't loan video.

*side issue* I am currently doing a comparison of some 1812 battle figures based on various authors. And for extra fun i'm reading "Napoleon's Great Adversary: Archduke Charles and the Austrian Army, 1792-1814" by Rothenberg.

Steve
Pvt, 36th US Inf

I love it!! So much material and a lazy vacation coming up,.... I can't wait! As for library, it's a great idea but I am a book nut. Especially war and biography books. I have quite a library going. It's a good thing too since my library is really small.

A quick question though, especially Steve, are any of these titles written along the lines of Shelby Foote's classic? You know, a mixture of politics, tactics, brief bio's and first hand accounts? I would probably start with a title more along this line. Then greedily expand to all the other material..... <img src=icon_smile_big.gif border=0 align=middle>

Pvt Gary Foley
38th US Infantry Regiment
1812 Regulars

Edited by - gary foley on 08/02/2002 00:48:04

In regards to video ILL. My experience so far is 7 requests 5 were filled.

Maps are trickier to get <img src=icon_smile_wink.gif border=0 align=middle>.

Lt. Col. Al Amos
1st U.S. Dragoons 1812-R

While it's a bit more technical than some (haven't read Foote, so can't compare... spent too much time reading Catton), I like Hickey's book as a starter for 1812. No real "first hand" and maybe a smoosh dry, but it sets thing out nicely, gives a strong overview.

Lt Gary McClellan
12th Virgina Light Dragoons
CO Northern Department

Fellows,

There really isn't a War of 1812 work which does what Shelby Foote did with the Civil War material. Glenn Tucker's "Poltroons and Patriots" is probably Foote-esque. Pierre Berton's works "Invasion of Canada, 1812-13" and "Flames Across the Border, 1813-14" is also very chatty, homey, and personal.

I think Gary's suggestion about Hickey (War of 1812: A Forgotten Conflict) is on the mark. As a companion to this, I'd read J C A Stagg's "Mr Madison's War".

Steve
Pvt, 36th US Inf

Guys, you'll have to forgive me but could one of you give me a little brief on what inter-library loaning entails. I could take a guess from the term but...I'd like to get it from all of you.

*side issue*I'm reading John Keegan's The Second World War and it has been outstanding. I'd also recommend Omar Bradley's A Soldier's Story if you're interested at all in the Second World War (a nice personal view of the command structure of the Western Allies).

Private Jim Johnson
2nd Continental Light Dragoons
Northern Dept. Continental Army

Jim,
Every library has it's own approach, but it's simple enough as a rule.

You go to the library with the information on the book(s) you want. Author and title will usually do the job. Speak with the librarian, and they will order the books for you. Fee's if any are nominal (my library asks that we reimburse them for shipping... generally just want a buck a book). Usually, you can find most anything.

I've even managed to get a copy of Petre's "Napoleon and the Archduke Charles" book on the 1809 campaign that they got from the library at the War College at Ft Leavenworth (or is it Fort Scott.. somewhere in Kansas, that I recall)

Lt Gary McClellan
12th Virgina Light Dragoons
CO Northern Department

Thanks Gary, I'll have to try that out when I get back up to Oklahoma.

Private Jim Johnson
2nd Continental Light Dragoons
Northern Dept. Continental Army

Jim, well, if you are in OKC, you may be able to get alot of them directly anyway.. about half of mine come from the OU library in Norman

Lt Gary McClellan
12th Virgina Light Dragoons
CO Northern Department