Highland Furies: The Black Watch 1739-1899 Hardcover – 26 April 2012

'Highland Furies' was purchased just a couple of days before Christmas but not for Christmas. Imagine my pleasant surprise when it arrived on Christmas Eve. Full marks to the independent bookseller.This is a very comprehensive history of the 'Black Watch' written by someone with complete access to the regimental archives. I bought it because my great grandfather was directly quoted several times and the Black Watch museum and archives are closed for several months for serious refurbishment so I couldn't get to the originals. I shall be donating the difference in price between this and one from the museum to the Black Watch Association at: [...] (Right hand sidebar)Now, if only Amazon would do the decent thing and pay their taxes In the UK then I would go back to buying my usual quota of books from them. Amazon itself is disgraceful!

The paper version costs £35 and is probably very heavy with it. Getting it on kindle makes it accessible both financially and physically. It is well written and I am enjoying what I have read so far. The second volume is not yet written but I expect to be buying it on kindle when it is published.

An excellent history of the World Famous Black Watch by an excellent author, who has tackled the history in a scholarly and interesting way. Waiting for the second volume with great anticipation

well researched book by Victoria Schofield on the famous Black Watch from its formation to 1899

Excellant book. Great service.

Huge heavy book!

Gift for someone...they enjoyed it. Arrived promptly.

"The Highland Furies: The Black Watch 1739-1899" is the first book in a two volume set covering the history of the Scottish Highland regiment that became famous as the `Black Watch'. The author, Victoria Schofield, has been allowed full access to the regiments' archives and has used diaries, letters and memoirs from soldiers and officers who served in the Black Watch to make her book a highly readable history.This volume covers the formation of the Black Watch in 1739 from its beginnings as independent companies patrolling the highlands through to its foundation as a Regiment to fight for the King. The author follows the Regiment as part of the British Army through the many campaigns and battles fought during the 18th and 19th centuries, from the American Revolution, through the Peninsular campaign during the Napoleonic Wars, and onto Waterloo, then the Crimea, the Indian Mutiny to Egypt and finally the Sudan.The book offers the reader a very general account of all the battles, campaigns skirmishes that the Black Watch participated in during its long and illustrious history. Too many to provide any detailed and in-depth accounts but more than enough to keep you interested and the use of many first-hand accounts makes the book a pleasure to read. There are a number of general maps covering all areas where the Black Watch served to assist the reader in following its story, from country to continent.As stated above, do not expect a full-blown military history covering each battle in-depth, this would be near impossible to complete in 538 pages of narrative (the book is 728 pages in total) however expect some great stories and accounts from the mouths of those who were there, like this from Captain Stirling, serving in American prior to the War of Independence:"After twelve years in North America, Captain Thomas Stirling was hoping the Regiment would be sent to Germany, `for I am heartily tired of this Country as is every officer in it'. As he wrote to his brother: `Long may Peace reign here, for sure God never intended any war should be carried on by any other besides the natives for the soldiers are wrought like horses & the officers can acquire no honour in a Country where as the New England people says, every Tree is a fort and every man a General'."Or this account of that famous charge of the Scots Grey at Waterloo:"At this critical moment, the Earl of Uxbridge, who famously lost his leg at the close of battle, ordered a charge of the 1st and 2nd Cavalry Brigades. As the 42nd opened ranks to let the 2nd `Union' Brigade - under General Ponsonby's command - gallop through, ` "Scotland for ever!" bursts from the mouth of each Highlander, as the Scots Greys pass through our ranks,' recalled Anton with pride. `What pen can describe the scene?' he continued graphically in his memoir. `Horses' hoofs sinking in men's breasts, breaking bones and pressing out their bowels. Riders' swords streaming in blood, waving over their heads and descending in deadly vengeance. Stroke follows stroke, like the turning of a flail in the hands of a dexterous thresher'."Another first-hand account from the aftermath of the battle for the Alma in 1854 during the Crimean War:"`This battle field is exactly like pictures you see', Wilkinson described to his sister, `horses and men all dead in awful positions killed instantaneously, arms and shoulders torn off, men groaning, pots and pans and thousands of packs soon ransacked ... you can't imagine how horrid the smell is. I have got quite accustomed to the horrors, dead being carried past me even now.' `What moved me most was a nice-looking young lad, about my own age,' Robb recorded, describing a wounded Russian. `He waved his hand towards us. Tom Steele stepped out to him, gave his a drink out of his water keg, took off his knapsack and laid his head on it. The poor fellow took Tom's hand and kissed it. A short time after he died'."And finally, this description of the trials and travails of a British officer during the campaign in India to suppress the Mutiny of 1857:"As Wilkinson related, night marches during the campaign were a trial. `Camels roaring outside and elephants, and tent pegs giving. You get up and your tent has to be packed, elephants loaded and camels. Bugles sound and you march off, after hearing 20 different lies about the enemy. Daylight appears, and you still go in clouds of dust, cavalry dashing past you making dust so that you can eat it. Out comes the sun enough to bake you, and after 14 miles you arrive on a piece of ground 2 hours before your tent is pitched. If Field Officer you post your picquets, and visit them by night and day. If you are not shot, or fall down a well you come back to bed for about 4 hours, and again the same routine, sour bread and dust, no sugar, 9 servants that drive you wild, none being fit for anything'."These accounts and many more like them make this a great and easy book to read as we follow the Black Watch fight it's way across most of the world where the British Empire had hoisted its flag at sometime or other.Volume two will continue the story covering the Boer War, WW1 & WW2, Korea, Malaya and the modern conflicts that blight the world today. This is a good book for those who enjoy an easy to read history of brave soldiers.