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The Rifle Musket in Civil War Combat - Reality and Myth (Paperback)
Loot Price: R562
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The Rifle Musket in Civil War Combat - Reality and Myth (Paperback)
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List price R676
Loot Price R562
Discovery Miles 5 620
You Save R114 (17%)
Expected to ship within 10 - 15 working days
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The Civil War's single-shot, muzzle-loading musket revolutionized
warfare-or so we've been told for years. Noted historian Earl J.
Hess forcefully challenges that claim, offering a new, clear-eyed,
and convincing assessment of the rifle musket's actual performance
on the battlefield and its impact on the course of the Civil War.
Many contemporaries were impressed with the new weapon's increased
range of 500 yards, compared to the smoothbore musket's range of
100 yards, and assumed that the rifle was a major factor in
prolonging the Civil War. Historians have also assumed that the
weapon dramatically increased casualty rates, made decisive
victories rare, and relegated cavalry and artillery to far lesser
roles than they played in smoothbore battles. Hess presents a
completely new assessment of the rifle musket, contending that its
impact was much more limited than previously supposed and was
confined primarily to marginal operations such as skirmishing and
sniping. He argues further that its potential to alter battle line
operations was virtually nullified by inadequate training,
soldiers' preference for short-range firing, and the difficulty of
seeing the enemy at a distance. He notes that bullets fired from
the new musket followed a parabolic trajectory unlike those fired
from smoothbores; at mid-range, those rifle balls flew well above
the enemy, creating two killing zones between which troops could
operate untouched. He also presents the most complete discussion to
date of the development of skirmishing and sniping in the Civil
War. Drawing upon the observations and reflections of the soldiers
themselves, Hess offers the most compelling argument yet made
regarding the actual use of the rifle musket and its influence on
Civil War combat. Engagingly written and meticulously researched,
his book will be of special interest to Civil War scholars, buffs,
re-enactors, and gun enthusiasts alike.
General
Imprint: |
University Press of Kansas
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Country of origin: |
United States |
Release date: |
July 2016 |
Authors: |
Earl J Hess
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Dimensions: |
229 x 152 x 15mm (L x W x T) |
Format: |
Paperback
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Pages: |
296 |
ISBN-13: |
978-0-7006-2383-9 |
Categories: |
Books >
Humanities >
History >
General
Books >
History >
General
|
LSN: |
0-7006-2383-3 |
Barcode: |
9780700623839 |
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