Victorian Colonial Warfare: India, from the Conquest of Sind to the Indian Mutiny

by Donald F. Featherstone

Provides first-hand accounts - with contemporary illustrations - of the rule of the British Empire in India. The book is aimed at historians and at military enthusiasts.

Genres: Military Fiction, History

160 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1992

About the author

Featherstone (who sometimes used his middle initial and sometimes didn't) served in the Royal Armoured Corps in World War II before becoming a physiotherapist. He worked for Southampton Football Club and Hampshire County Cricket Club, writing books on sporting, dancing, and industrial injuries.

Later, he turned his attention to his childhood hobby of toy soldiers, writing dozens of books on the subject and becoming instrumental in the development of wargaming as a pasttime. He also wrote books on military history.

Reviews

[Andrew McAuley · Rating 3 out of 5]

having recently read Featherstonw's 'Colonial warfare: Africa', it seemed inevitable that I should progress to this volume, albeit with less enthusiasm than with which I took up Africa, having felt somewhat let down by that volume.

India is compiled, unsurprisingly, in the same manner as Africa, relying on firsthand accounts and newspaper reports to carry the weight of the text. Featherstone's input is reduced to tying accounts together and a brief introduction to each section. I was surprised to see that even the two-page conclusion was left to a contemporary of the events recorded rather than in the author's own words.

there are plenty of black-and-white illustrations throughout which are taken largely from newspapers of the mid 19th century, which is fine, but the maps included are not overly readable and often reproduced in a smaller scale, making the handwritten keys difficult to to read without magnification. The one thing improved upon from Africa is a lesser reliance on newspaper accounts and a greater reliance on accounts of those involved in the fighting - albeit almost entirely British Officers.

I can not help but think that Featherstone might have uncovered an account or two from the rank and file (I have in mynline of sight 'the defence of Lucknow' which does just that), the civilians caught up in the fighting, or even an Indian account.

It is slightly better reading than the Africa book, but not quite enough for me to bestow an additional star (I almost did, but found this book wanting in comparison to others I have rated at 4-stars).

I would recommend this book to those already familiar with the conflicts covered, as alone there isn't the framework for it to be of use as an introduction to the subjects, but for those with some familiarity it might well prove a good read.

[Iain Watson]

Victorian Colonial Warfare: India, from the Conquest of Sind to the Indian Mutiny by Donald Featherstone (1992)