The defence of duffers drift is an enduring and imaginative classic on small unit tactics. Essay the defence of duffers drift 1119 words bartleby. The same map is introduced in each scenario with defense features matching the new defensive tactics. What he as written is as valid today as it was around the turn of the 20th century. Swinton, was a former british army officer that rose to the rank of major general. The defence of duffer s drift library of congress classification. Set at the time of the boer war, duffers drift challenges the reader to. It is an essential reference work for the professional soldier. The defence of duffer s drift written in 1904 by british majorgeneral ernest dunlop swinton under the pseudonym lt. The defence of duffer s drift has 5 available editions to buy at half price books marketplace. First published in 1907, the defense of duffer s drift is a classic essay on small unit tactics based on author ernest dunlop swinton s experiences in the boer war in south africa.
Set at the time of the boer war, duffer s drift challenges the reader to walk in the boots of a british lieutenant who must decide how to defend a shallow river crossing with a fiftyman platoon. The defence of duffers drift book by ernest dunlop. As a captain, shortly after service in the boer war, he wrote the defence of duffer s drift, using the pseudonym, lieutenant backsight forethought, or bf. So get hooked on and start relishing the defence of duffer s drift overview and detailed summary. In each dream he overlooks or makes a mistake, which is catastrophic and costs the battle and the. It purports to be a series of six dreams by lieutenant backsight forethought about the defence of a river crossing in the boer war.
A classic in small unit tactics in the british and canadian armies. As a brand new officer, swinton was giving the mission to protect duffers drift at all costs. In addition to duffer s drift, and contributing to many journals, he authored the green curve in 1909 and the. The defence of duffers drift is a short book by major general sir ernest dunlop swinton, published in 1904 when swinton was a captain. The defense of duffers drift is a fascinating little book that anyone can read in a short afternoon. The author has treated the subject in matured way where he is successful to maintain the interest of the readers.
The most fascinating thing about the book is its insouciant tone. The defense of duffers drift a lesson in the fundamentals of small unit tactics, was written by ernest dunlop swinton, an english officer and veteran of the boer war. Duffers drift has become a military classic on minor tactics in this century. The defence of duffers drift is a fascinating book for all interested in basic infantry tactics, which has been used as a training manual for militaries worldwide. Free audio book that you can download in mp3, ipod and itunes format for your portable audio player. Introductory material linked toc linked glossary the defense of duffers drift is one of the most important works ever written on small unit tactics and is.
The defense of duffer s drift is a fascinating little book that anyone can read in a short afternoon. A free downloadable copy of this book is available in the free books and resources section of this channel. It is told as a series of dreams in which the hero. The defence of duffers drift by ernest dunlop swinton audiobook. This book presents a fictional account of a young, inexperienced british officer who is ordered to hold a river crossing duffers drift with 50 men against a larger. Feb 27, 2015 he wrote the defence of duffer s drift, using the pseudonym, lieutenant backsght forethought, or bf. Swinton download this ebook similar books bibliographic record. The lessons bf learned are the timeless lessons of small unit tactics and are as valuable today as they were at the turn of the century. The defence of duffers drift by ernest dunlop swinton. Online book the defence of duffers drift small wars journal.
Russian physiologist ivan pavlov famously observed. Captain swinton drempt that lieutenant backsight forethought must defend a drift in south africa against the enemy boer at all cost. In addition to duffers drift, and contributing to many. Ernest dunlop swinton is a military professional with experience in the boer war who wrote this famous short book based on a series of thoughts he had on how.
This book is available for free download in a number of formats including epub, pdf, azw, mobi and more. Find the defence of duffer s drift 0895293234 by e. So get hooked on and start relishing the defence of duffers drift overview and detailed summary. In addition to duffer s drift, and contributing to many journals, he authored the green curve in 1909 and the great tab dope, in 1915, under the pseudonym ole lukoie olaf shuteye. Backsight forethoughtis a short book on military tactics set during the second boer war. Maneuver warfare is based on the mental link between the commander and his team. Despite its origin in the second boer war 18991902, it remains a book that is recommended, without qualification, by many militaries around the world. The defence of duffers drift summary, summary of the defence.
The defence of duffer s drift is a fictional account of a young british officer s lessons learned as a platoon commander during the boer war. Brilliant book if you have an interest in military code of practice. The book, especially intended for young lieutenants, has become a military staple on small unit tactics, read far afield in places such as the united states, russia, and canada. The following narrative provides a fresh take on an old book, ernest dunlop swintons the defence of duffers drift. Essay on defence of duffers drift book report 903 words. The defence of duffers drift by ernest swinton, paperback barnes.
The defence of duffers drift was written by british major general ernest swinton. The defence of duffers drift summary, summary of the. The defence of duffer s drift by ernest dunlop swinton. Although written to educate young officers on battlefield tactics it reads like groundhog day, with young lieutenant backsight forethought has to fight the. The defence of duffer s drift summary and study guide are also available on the mobile version of the website. The defence of duffers drift is a book in which the author, captain swinton, has six dreams in succession.
First published in 1907, the defense of duffers drift is a classic essay on small unit tactics based on author ernest dunlop swintons experiences in the boer war in south africa. This book is available for free download in a number of formats including epub, pdf, azw, mobi and. Like defense of duffer s drift, burgoyne and marckwardts new book provides a ready made series of vignettes and discussion points for the small unit leader. The defence of duffers drift is a fundamental and yet insightful analysis of a small units tactics in defending a strategic objective given limited communications, resources, and manpower. His other books include the green curve, the great tab dope, an eastern odyssey, and the study of war. His initial failures and eventual victory serve as an entertaining and instructive vehicle to convey the principles of small unit tactics. Publication date 1949 topics military art and science, south african war, 18991902 fiction.
As a captain, shortly after service in the boer war, he wrote the defence of duffers drift, using the pseudonym, lieutenant backsight forethought, or bf. Its simple style and satirical nature provide an entertaining look at how not to employ one s troops. Introduction 1st dream 2nd dream 3rd dream 4th dream 5th dream 6th dream. Over the course of six dreams, the inexperienced soldier. The defence of duffers drift is a concise, allegorical book that would be a valuable asset to young, inexperienced military service members. Aug 16, 20 the defence of duffers drift is a fiction book but after reading it you will wish that it was nonfiction. Online book the defence of duffers drift small wars. The defence of duffers drift is a short 1904 book by ernest dunlop swinton. The defence of duffers drift by ernest swinton, paperback. The defense of jisr aldoreaa lives up to the classic it is patterned after. The defence of duffers drift is a fictional account of a young, inexperienced british. The infantry tactics in the early dreams are disastrous, but each time bf learns something until in the final defence he is successful.
Over the framing device of a sequence of six dreams, lieutenant backsight forethought, or bf, must defend a river crossing, the eponymous duffer s drift, against a numerically superior. In the years leading up to the first world war, he served as a staff officer and as an official historian of the russojapanese war. I recommend this small book, without qualification, to the. The defence of duffers drift a lesson in the fundamentals. Swintons main focus was to portray a series of events or battles he commanded during the south african war, occurring from 18991902. D swinton based the essay on his experiences in the boer war in south africa, but this short book has become a classic, familiar to generations of u. Its author, ernest dunlop swinton, based the essay on his experiences in the boer war in south africa. This little book, one part fiction, one part lessons learned, shows the evolution of their tactics against brother boer. The defence of duffer s drift was first published in 1907, as an essay in small unit tactics for junior leaders in the british army.
The defence of duffers drift summary and study guide are also available on the mobile version of the website. Discover the defence of duffers drift as its meant to be heard, narrated by john lee. The resupply of duffers drift army university press. This book is available for free download in a number of formats. Ernest dunlop swinton around the dawn of the 20th century, it is a meditation on small unit tactics, based on experience gained in the boer war. In this tactical primer based on the military classic the defence of duffers drift, a young officer deployed for the first time in iraq receives groundlevel lessons about urban combat, communications technology, and highpowered weaponry in an environment where policy meets reality. Whether you need an overview of the defence of duffer s drift or a detailed summary of the book for a college project or just for fun, the tribune library brings you the book wise summaries of the defence of duffer s drift for free.
The defence of duffers drift by ernest dunlop swinton free ebook. The defence of duffer s drift is an enduring and imaginative classic on small unit tactics. After the war, he wrote his book on small unit tactics, the defense of duffer s drift, a military classic on minor tactics that has been used by the united states military to train its officers. The defence of duffers drift book by ernest dunlop swinton. The defence of duffers drift illustrated ebook by ernest dunlop. The defence of duffer s drift is a short 1904 book by major general sir ernest dunlop swinton. Read the defence of duffers drift online by ernest dunlop swinton. Defence of duffers drift book report example graduateway. In addition to duffer s drift, and contributing to many journals, he authored the green curve in 1909 and the great tab dope in 1915, under the pseudonym ole luk. Army officers from their professional military education. Mar 16, 2008 free kindle book and epub digitized and proofread by project gutenberg. It purports to be a series of six dreams by lieutenant backsight forethought about.
His initial failures and eventual victory serve as an entertaining and instructive vehicle to. The defence of duffers drift by ernest dunlop swinton free. The defence of duffers drift is a fictional account of a young, inexperienced british officer, who is tasked with holding a river crossing with 50 troops against a larger enemy force. As a captain, shortly after service in the boer war, he wrote the defence of duffers drift, using the pseudonym, lieutenant backs. Jul 11, 2011 the defense of duffers drift was first published in 1907 as an essay in small unit tactics for junior leaders in the british army. This is a very readable book that can be read in less than 2 hours time. Mar 09, 2021 the defence of duffers drift ernest dunlop swinton on free shipping on qualifying offers.
Public domain p2011 tantor what listeners say about the defence of duffer s drift. It purports to be a series of six dreams by lieutenant backsight forethought about the. Nov 04, 2014 the defence of duffer s drift author major general sir ernest dunlop swintonlanguage english genre military art and science publisher w. O a classic in small unit tactics in the british and canadian armies. Dec 29, 2020 the defence of duffer s drift is part of a collection of classic texts for teaching small unit tactics. The defence of duffers drift is a short 1904 book by major general sir ernest dunlop swinton. The defence of duffers drift is a fictional account of a young british officers lessons. The 1904 novella recounts a series of dreams in which a british junior officer tries and fails to defend a critical river crossing, until he finally absorbs the lessons and accomplishes the mission. His enemy is a fastmoving and powerful guerrilla force. Public domain p2011 tantor what listeners say about the defence of duffers drift. Essay on defence of duffers drift book report 912 words.
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