Julian Spilsbury

This is a good book, and is a worthy introduction to the Mutiny. It is written with a good pace, and can be an easy read.

What I like in the edition that I read, is the inclusion of a few maps. The chronology can be a bit confusing at times, and if you do not know too much about the Mutiny, this can confuse.

While he does cover the possible origins of the Mutiny, this part would probably need more analysis. The aftermath has been dealt with swiftly and well.

As in most other books on the Mutiny, most of the quotations in the book are those of the British, and this tends to portray the British in a sympathetic light. While atrocities were done to them, the tone of the quotes tends to show the Indians in an unflattering light, and this is one-sided.

All in all, a good introduction to the Mutiny.… (mehr)

My girlfriend got me this book as a Christmas present. She did it thinking the book would be what I expected from the title: a tongue-in-cheek look at blunders. Instead, it tries to be a serious military history giving the narrative of various battles, with an emphasis on the losing side's preparations and actions. Unfortunately, the tone of the narratives seemed too colloquial to me. Also, too much of the history seemed suspect to me on account of too many "must have"/"may have" conjectural statements.… (mehr)