War in Practice. Some Tactical and Other Lessons of the Campaign in South Africa, 1899-1902

Crown 8vo; original tan cloth, with red lettering to spine and upper cover; pp. 280, incl. index; plates; diagrams in text. Cloth somewhat mottled and rubbed; backstrip a little frayed at ends; corners a bit worn, and top fore-corner of upper board bumped; earlier owner\'s name signed on verso of front free endpaper and on half-title; all plates present, though one trimmed down and another working loose. Good condition. Uncommon treatise on a more canny form of warfare than that generally practiced in the nineteenth century, based on lessons learned in South Africa. Written by the brother of the hero of Mafeking. (Hackett, p. 128; Mendelssohn I, p. 63) \'Major-General Baden-Powell remarks in the Introduction, that \"no officer, even the youngest of us, has so great an experience that he may not with advantage supplement it by the experience of others.\" The irony of the General may well be excused in the face of the shower of irresponsible criticism which assailed the officers engaged in the South African War. The principal subjects dealt with are \"Strategy and general conduct of Operations,\" \"Attack,\" \"Defence,\" \"The Selection of Ground and Positions,\" \"Fortifications,\" \"Outposts and Protective Screens,\" and \"Arms and Armaments.\" There are numerous criticisms of the conduct of the operations, the author being of opinion that \"the value of pushing forward on the flanks seems scarcely to have been considered by our Generals in the early stages of the war.\" He considered that \"almost every one of our reverses in South Africa can be ascribed to our being taken unawares.\"\' - Mendelssohn.