Prospectus (iii)
The Book of Battles will record, in one collection, the grandest achievements of Naval and Military Genius. The Editor is aware of the responsibility attaching to his task; for many, while admitting War as a grim necessity, deprecate all mention of the rack and ruin, the wear and tear that follow in its train. Some even go so far as to say that its pomp and glitter, paraded by the press, corrupt the public taste. But until we beat our swords into ploughshares we must talk and write about those who have fought and bled for their native land, and the popular sentiment will always favour those who stood to their guns at the call of duty. The Editor, however, will exercise great caution to avoid errors into which he might easily fall. First, the Narratives will be strictly true, so that the reader may have before him the actions of men like himself – not creations of an author’s brain. Then, the details of most Exciting Adventures will not he overcharged for the mere purpose of producing a morbid sensation. Over sufferings incidental to War the veil will be gently drawn, and at heroic deeds involving often the rise of One Man upon the sacrifice of Thousands there will only he expressed the admiration of a rational observer in a Christian country. Another feature of the Book of Battles will be Daring Deeds by Land and Sea, affording rare instances of those noble virtues, Self-reliance and Self-denial. After mature consideration the Editor has resolved on illustrating the many-sided careers of Soldiers and Sailors by a series of Original Fictions, entitled. “Tales of the Camp Fire und the Quarter-Deck.” These, it is hoped, will impart a continuous attractiveness to the work, and commend themselves as life-like pictures to the reader’s approval.
Contents
No table of contentsPersons listed in the index include: Admiral Anson, Bayard, Admiral Blake, Marshal Blücher, Admiral Collingwood, Admiral Drake, Garibaldi, Admiral Howe, Knights of Malta, Duke of Marlborough, Napoleon, Nelson, Admiral Vernon and General Wolfe. Apart from famous battles (Copenhagen, Corunna, the Nile, Plassy, Waterloo and many others), the index also lists adventures such as an “Alligator Hunt”, “A Lady’s Retreat from the Battlefield”, or “A Three Hours’ Duel”.