Top 10 Books: Military - Specific Conflicts

1. The Crimean War by John Sweetman

Sweetman has made near perfect use of the standard Osprey format, and this overview of the Crimean War exudes class. Good introductory material is followed by a narrative that carefully balances many different aspects of the topic - although the UK dominates - alongside helpful maps and illustrations. If you don't know anything about the Crimean War but want to start, get this book.

2. The Crimean War 1853 - 1856 by W. Baumgart

A longer volume than pick 1, this book examines the Crimean War in greater depth and detail, including sections on the diplomacy before the war, battles occurring outside the Crimea and the resulting peace conference. The text also discusses the complex political pressures which affected many European states, and which are often omitted from military accounts.

3. The Crimean War by Paul Kerr

Produced to accompany a UK television series, this book focuses on visual and oral history, including a large amount of photographs and extracts from letters, diaries and other written material. The book is at its most effective when the reader has a good, but not expert, knowledge of the Crimean War, and as such this will compliment picks 1 and 2 perfectly.

4. The Northern Wars by Robert Frost

The Northern Wars caused vast changes in northeastern Europe, as the once dominant Sweden and Poland fell to Russia, and later Prussia. Frost covers a range of themes - military and non-military alike - in a revisionist work which covers the late sixteenth, seventeenth and early eighteenth centuries.

5. The Thirty Years War by Ronald Asch

A modern examination of the Thirty Years War, Asch's book covers a range of topics, including the crucial conflicts in religion and state. The text is aimed at mid to higher level students, balancing straightforward explanations with historiographical discussion. The book may be short, but it's concise, and a far more approachable volume then pick 6.

6. The Thirty Years War by C.V. Wedgwood

Published in the late 1930's, Wedgwood's book is a historical classic and, thanks to a relative dearth of material on the Thirty Years War, still relevant. The analyses may be dubious, and the style is often criticised for being stodgy and wearying, but the facts are largely correct.

7. The Franco-Prussian War by Michael Howard

Focusing more on the political events than the military specifics, Howard's large book is an excellent explanation of the Franco-Prussian war and its consequences. The text may be forty years old, but it's still a valid and comprehensive work; current editions have a new introduction.

8. The Reality of War by Leonce Patry, trans. D. Fermer

Written by a soldier who fought in the Franco-Prussian war, and translated into English by Douglas Fermer, this book is compelling, insightful and sometimes shockingly brutal. Patry is not a blind patriot, and consequently he is often critical of his commanders and honest about the wrongdoing committed by both sides.

9. The Seven Years' War by Daniel Marston

An attractive looking volume, The Seven Years' War is a good military introduction to said conflict. The lack of political detail is compensated by a considered and well-structured narrative of the war itself, while the artwork is both illustrative and entertaining. The book may be too brief for many interests, but the clear text and bright design make it perfect for those who don't like reading.

10. Moltke and the German Wars 1864 - 1871 by Arden Bucholz

Not only did Helmuth von Moltke harness modern technology and transform the Prussian army in the later nineteenth century, but he made it work, an achievement which has seen him described as the inventor of modern warfare. This book uses a variety of techniques to examine Moltke and the three wars of German unification.