Osprey's Campaign title for the Siege of Yorktown (1781); which was part of the American Revolutionary War (1775-1783). By 1781 Britain's struggle to contain the rebels in her American colonies had reached an inglorious stalemate. Six years on from the British defeat by the New England militia at Boston; George Washington's rebuilt Continental Army - with support from the French - now systematically began to seek out and destroy British forces even if protected by seemingly impregnable defences. Yorktown would be a salutary lesson to the British Crown about the odds she now faced in holding on to her colonies.
#1588307 in Books Greenhill Books 1995-11Original language:EnglishPDF # 1 2.29 x 5.76 x 8.79l; #File Name: 1853672157720 pages
Review
2 of 2 people found the following review helpful. Best work on Peninsular WarBy David J. MaschekDespite the 1903 publishing date; Oman is still the last word on Peninsular War history due to the granular detail that he includes in his works. This is one of the very few sources for battles between the French and Spanish or Portuguese that are often neglected by English language historians. In volume 2; these include the battles of Ucles; Cardadeu; Molins de Rey; 1st Zaragoza; Ciudad Real; Medellin; Braga; 1st Oporto; Alcaniz; Maria; Belchite; Arzobispo and Almonacid. Since it involved the British; Talavera is covered in great detail.2 of 2 people found the following review helpful. General Wellesley returns...By HMS WarspiteThis is volume two of Sir Charles Oman's masterful seven volume history of the Peninsular War. Oman spent thirty years researching and writing his history; it remains the starting point for research into the war and a highly readable example of the best in narrative history.Volume Two picks up the narrative of the war in the wake of the Battle of Corunna and the evacuation of Sir John Moore's small British army from the Peninsula. With Britain's brief foray into Spain forcibly terminated; Napoleon turned the attention of his Imperial Armies to securing his grip on Spain; and to another French invasion of Portugal. Oman closely follows the fighting in Spain and the French invasion of Portugal under Soult; which reached the city of Oporto.The British Government made the difficult decision to remain involved in the conflict; returning General Wellesley; the future Duke of Wellington; to Portugal to command a British expeditionary force. By a surprise river crossing; Wellesley turned the French out of Oporto and ultimately out of Portugal. In a daring gamble; Wellesley and his British army followed the retreating French into Spain. Once there; he hoped to cooperate with a Spanish Army under Cuesta to defeat one or more elements of the scattered French Imperial forces. They were able to cooperate just long enough to meet a major French army in battle at Talavera. A hardfought two-day battle turned into a precarious tactical victory for the Anglo-Spanish force; but only at great cost. The French would promptly rally more troops in an attempt to trap Wellesley's battered army...This is a still an excellent read. Oman's analysis of the tactical and operational-level decisionmaking by the combatants remains insightful and educational about the challenges of expeditionary warfare. Highly recommended to students of the conflict.3 of 3 people found the following review helpful. The Complete StoryBy William HopkeSir Charles Oman's comprehensive seven volume history of the Peninsular War is the yardstick by which any other history of this theatre must be measured. It is exhaustive in detail and in breadth of coverage. If it happened; it is in one of these volumes. Napoleon may have considered Spain a side show; but as results turned out it was a bleeding ulcer. French losses here; combined with the 1812 campaign; placed a strain on the Empire which could not be overcome by even the best generalship. Any true student of the Napoleonic Wars should find these books and read them. They are essential to a complete understanding of the conflict.
