Originally published in 1903 as part of the valued "Pall Mall Series' of military text books, works that are now regarded as classics of military theory Intended for serious or professional students of military history, each volume in this sought after series is interspersed with strategical and tactical comments and illustrated by numerous maps.
An instructive view of the 1877-78 war between Russia and Turkey that led to the liberation of Bulgaria after centuries of Ottoman rule.
The author was the Military Attaché to the United States Legation at St. Petersburg and so well placed to complete this work that is usefully illustrated with maps, beginning with "Theatre of War in Europe." There are " Progress Maps," representing the three periods of the campaign, plans of Galatz, Zimnitza-Sistova, Plevna, and the Shipka Pass, and one of the positions of the two armies on August 5th, 1877. This was after the second battle of Plevna, a most disastrous affair for the Russians, whose loss hors de combat was seven thousand three hundred and five officers and men, the killed numbering two thousand four hundred. The siege of Plevna signalled the introduction of the repeating rifle into European warfare. Reports of the heavy losses suffered by the Russian army at the hands of the Turks at Plevna forced armies across Europe to begin the process of re-equipping with repeating rifles, or converting their existing single shot rifles into magazine fed weapons.