Featured battle : Port Republic

Part of American Civil War

Date : 09 June 1862

Having won the race to the bridge over the Shenandoah at Port Republic, Jackson left Ewell's division at Cross Keys to delay Frémont's pursuing divisions while he engaged Shields attacking from the north east. Shields' men fought well and tenaciously against psychologically as well as numerically superior troops, and although numbers told in the end, Jackson's 'foot cavalry' were too exhausted to turn round and do the same to Frémont's. They took the sensible option and withdrew through the Blue Ridge. Jackson's Valley campaign remains a text-book example of using local knowledge, terrain and mobility as well as bold action, to occupy a much larger number of enemy troops. Jackson's 17,000 had kept 60,000 Union soldiers busy and disrupted Union strategy severely for that summer.

Desert Raids with the SAS

Gerald Hough
This is a truly remarkable story which rings true from beginning to end. It reads like a novel or Boys Own adventure story except that it includes the blood and the gore and not a lot of glory. Stoic bravery, mental strength and raw courage are the qualities which run as a thread throughout the book. Gerald Hough has written up his father Anthony’s wartime experience with his regiment in North Africa, with the SAS and as an escaped prisoner of war. Much of the text is gripping and makes the book difficult to put down. There are many notable events and one of which stands out for me is Major Hough’s terror at being depth-charged while being transferred as a p.o.w. from North Africa to Italy in an Italian submarine.
There is a very good set of supporting photographs and two appendices which bring the story up to date. The title of the book is misleading as there are only two of the sixteen chapters about the SAS and only one raid is described.
We highly recommend this book as a fascinating insight into one man’s war.


Pen & Sword Military, 2021