The Defence of Duffer's Drift

This book was surprisingly entertaining. Although written to educate young officers on battlefield tactics it reads like Groundhog Day, with young Lieutenant Backsight Forethought has to fight the same battle over and over again until he gets it right.

An unusual and interesting book, very entertaining and recommended for even the more casual military reader. Swinton's book is a classic for good reasons. Rather than instructing cadets with a dry textbook approach, the dreams of the main character demonstrate the different ways a young officer attempts to defend a river crossing, making the lessons more interesting and informative. And certainly more interesting to read than a textbook!

A classic in small unit tactics in the British and US Armies, this book is recommended, without qualification for the modern professional soldier. The trials and tribulations of young Lieutenant Backsight Forethought in South Africa fighting aginst the wily Boer.