Michael McNally – författare

The Ojibwe of Anishinaabe are a native American people who were taught by 19th-century missionaries to sing evangelical hymns translated into the native language both as a means of worship and as a tool for eradicating the "indianness" of the native people. Rather than Americanizing the people, however, these songs have become emblematic of Anishinaabe identity. In this book, Michael McNally uses the Ojiwbe's hymn-singing as a lens to examine how this native American people has creatively drawn on the resources of ritual to negotiate identity and survival within the structures of colonialism. Drawing on both archival research and fieldwork, he traces the historical development of ritualized singing and how this distinctive practice has come into play at various moments in Ojiwbe history. This important study re-examines the contested nature of "tradition," arguing that despite its origins hymn-singing has now become "traditional" through the agency of today's elders, who have asserted their role as cultural critics on the reservation through their singing.

A detailed study of one of the most important pre-Revolutionary battles France fought in the 18th century. Long-requested by Osprey readers, this book will appeal to anyone interested in early-modern warfare.A disputed succession to the Austrian throne led to general war between the leading powers of Europe in 1740, with France, Spain and Prussia on one side, and Britain, Habsburg Austria and the Dutch Republic on the other. While fighting occurred across the globe, the bloodiest battles were fought on the European continent, with none more costly than the battle of Fontenoy in 1745. Michael McNally explores this major encounter in the Austrian War of Succession, which established France as the dominant land-power on the European continent. Fearing an encirclement of France by a resurgent Habsburg-controlled Austria, the French commander Marshall Saxe planned to overrun the Austrian Netherlands, thereby dealing a decisive blow against their enemy’s ability to wage war. Saxe’s army, the cream of the French military, invaded and set up a defensive position at Fontenoy, near Tournai – daring his enemies to knock him off his perch. This title, beautifully illustrated with full colour plates, is an in-depth study of the British Duke of Cumberland’s attempt to assault Saxe’s position. It focuses on the inability of allied leaders to coordinate their attacks and how Cumberland came within a whisker of achieving a major victory.

This study analyses the battle of Dettingen, one of the major Allied victories of the War of the Austrian Succession, and the last time a British monarch commanded troops in the field.The death of the Emperor Charles VI in 1741 was the catalyst for a conflict ostensibly about the female inheritance of the Hapsburg patrimony but, in reality, about the succession to the Imperial Throne. The great European powers were divided between those, such as Britain, who supported the Pragmatic Sanction and the rights of the Archduchess Maria-Theresia, daughter of Charles VI, and those who challenged it, including Bavaria which were supported by France.The conflict quickly escalated into what is now known as the War of the Austrian Succession, and a series of turbulent political events brought the crisis to a head on the road to Hanau, near Dettingen. There, the French moved to put into place a complex manoeuvre which had the potential to end the war at a single stroke. A column of French troops would cross the Main near Dettingen and block the road to Hanau, their orders being to simply hold their ground and bar the route of the Allied British and Hanovarian advance. A second column would cross the Main behind the enemy and then follow their line of march northwards. The bulk of the army would use a combination of bridges and pontoon-bridges to cross the Main and engage the enemy from the flank as they were strung out on the line of march.However, the plan relied heavily on the blocking force, and command of this crucial sector fell to an inexperienced nobleman Louis-Auguste, Duc de Grammont, who chose to attack rather than hold his position. Consequently, the manoeuvre failed and the French broke, fleeing for the Main and safety, with the Gardes Francaises famously swimming the river.Supported by specially commissioned artwork including maps and battleplates, this title explores the battle in depth, detailing its build-up, events, and aftermath, as well as analysing the strengths and weaknesses of the commanders, armies, and tactics of both sides.

Explore the Eastern Front battle that resulted in one of the greatest defeats of World War I, in which an entire Russian army was annihilated by German arms.Tannenberg is a major battle that deserves a fully illustrated treatment all of its own, and for the first time this book brings the epic Eastern Front clash to life in visual detail. No other book on this topic walks you through the action like this one, using detailed maps to provide unit locations and movements and help explain key command decisions, while period photographs and colour battlescenes put soldiering back at the core of the events by revealing the military material culture of the opposing sides. Michael McNally guides you through the initial border engagements and the battles of Gumbinnen and Stallupönen, before moving on to explore the massive, often confused running battle of Tannenberg in easy to follow and concise detail. This work helps you understand how the Germans managed to maul Samsonov’s Second Army and all but destroyed the Russians as a fighting force. The Russian war plan of using overwhelming numbers to gain a quick victory before conducting further operations would soon lie in pieces on the ground. It also assesses the contribution modern technology – such as railways, aerial reconnaissance, radio and telegraphy – made to the emphatic German victory.

The first part of a detailed study of one of the longest, and most brutal, tactical operations of World War II. In September 1944, the Allied High Command continued to press eastwards towards the Rhine, the thrust being spearheaded by Courtney Hodges' US First Army, whose proposed line of advance was through a wooded area south of Aachen, known locally as the Hürtgenwald – or Hürtgen Forest. On the opposing side, the German forces under the overall command of Walter Model would do all they could to defend the Reich, but also maintain a staging post for the forthcoming Battle of the Bulge. Fought in brutal terrain – heavily wooded, riven with razor sharp ridgelines and precipitous cliffs, and with a woefully inadequate road network – and in all elements, the Battle of Hürtgen Forest was a grinding and protracted encounter where gains were measured in feet and yards and not miles. This study explores the first phase of this bloody battle, including the ‘Aachen Question’ facing the Allies. Featuring stunning artwork, detailed maps and diagrams, and period images, this book provides a gripping narrative of the infamous clash in the Hürtgen Forest, concluding with an assessment of the situation in November 1944, and the preparations for the next phase of operations.

A detailed, slim volume on the Duke of Marlborough’s masterstroke that saw the capture of the vital cities of Brussels, Bruges, Louvain and Antwerp.This is the story of one of the great battles which forged the reputation of the Duke of Marlborough as one of history’s greatest captains. His tactical intuition on the field of Ramillies led to perhaps his finest battlefield performance and paved the way for a campaign that would see much of Flanders, including vital cities such as Bruges, Brussels, Antwerp and Louvain, come under Allied control.This title, with vivid illustrations and detailed consideration of the disposition, strength and plans of the opposing forces, examines the context and consequences of the battle. It also illuminates the intense fighting at the height of the engagement, including two enormous cavalry melees in which Marlborough was unhorsed and very nearly killed.

An illustrated account of the events leading up to the momentous battle on 1 July that would decide the fate of the crown of England.In April 1685, James II ascended the English throne. An overt Catholic, James proved unpopular with his Protestant subjects, and a group of nobles invited the Dutch prince William of Orange to take the throne in the Glorious Revolution of 1688; James II fled to France. James returned in 1689, a French fleet landing him at Kinsale in Ireland. On 14 June 1690, William led an army to Ireland and came face-to-face with the Jacobites along the banks of the Boyne near Drogheda.Michael McNally describes the battle with a step-by-step analysis; illustrated with detailed maps, birds-eye-views and full colour battlescene artwork.

When the outbreak of World War I delayed home rule for Ireland, a faction of Irish nationalists decided to take direct action. This highly illustrated, concise volume charts the course of the Easter Rising and Britain's methods of suppression.On Easter Monday 1916, a rebellion was launched from the steps of the Dublin General Post Office and the existence of an Irish Republic proclaimed. The British response was a military one and they drove the rebels back in violent street fighting until they surrendered on 29 April. The leaders of the rising were tried by court martial: 15 of them were summarily executed and a further 3,500 'sympathizers' imprisoned.This book covers this important milestone in Anglo-Irish history in detail, thoroughly examining the politics behind the Easter Rising and the tactics employed to counter it.

A detailed look at the military operations of the re-conquest of Ireland led by Oliver Cromwell.Following the execution of King Charles I in January 1649, the English Parliament saw their opportunity to launch an assault on the Royalist enclave in Ireland. Oliver Cromwell was appointed as Deputy of Ireland to lead a campaign to restore direct control and quell the opposition. The first battle in Cromwell's bloody offensive was at Drogheda, where an assault on the city walls resulted in the slaughter of almost 4000 defenders and inhabitants. The Parliamentary troops then proceeded to Wexford where battle once again lead to a massacre. After Cromwell returned to England, his son-in-law, Henry Ireton, continued the operation which ended with the surrender of Galway in 1652.Michael McNally explores how the campaign led to the Act for the Settlement of Ireland, in which Irish Royalists and Confederates were evicted and their lands 'settled' by those who had advanced funds to Parliament.

The story of the famous battle of the Teutoburg Forest, the most complete defeat of the Roman Army in the west, which saw the destruction of three Roman legions by Germanic tribesmen.'Quinctilius Varus, give me back my legions!' supposedly yelled Augustus Caesar when he received the news of the catastrophe in the Teutoburg Forest. One of the greatest military failures of the Roman Empire, Teutoburg Forest witnessed the near-total annihilation of three Roman legions at the hands of the German barbarians led by their Roman-educated chief Arminius.Michael McNally tells the complete story of the disaster, supported by the incredible artwork of Peter Dennis.

Immortalized in film and literature, the 15th century castle of Colditz is remembered not for tales of medieval chivalry or withstanding withering sieges but for its darker past, when it was converted by the Nazis into a prisoner-of-war camp called Oflag IV-C.A natural choice for a prison, Colditz had been used successfully during the First World War and had gained a reputation for being impossible to escape from. But this reputation was dramatically shattered by the ingenuity of the prisoners interned there.This book examines the history of Colditz, the methods used to keep prisoners inside her formidable walls, and the techniques by which her prisoners attempted to escape.

A highly illustrated account of the naval battles of Coronel and the Falklands in 1914, which saw the destruction of both British and German squadrons.Upon the outbreak of war, the British Royal Navy was deployed globally, whilst the Imperial German Navy was concentrated in two areas – Home Waters and Tsingtao, the home port of the crack East Asia Cruiser Squadron which, under the command of Admiral von Spee contained some of Germany's most modern cruisers.As Spee made his way to the Chilean port of Valparaiso, he met the British 4th Cruiser Squadron which had been ordered to engage and defeat the German force. This resulted in the battle of Coronel where the antiquated British warships proved no match for Spee's modern cruisers. It was the first naval defeat suffered by the Royal Navy in over 100 years. When news reached London, panic reigned and two ships HMS Inflexible and Invincible were sent to lead the force against Spee.When bad weather delayed the German arrival, Spee knew that he had to stand and fight, unaware that amongst the ships opposing him were two modern battlecruisers which outclassed any of his own squadron's ships. Given the presence of Inflexible and Invincible, the result of the battle had an inevitable outcome and after several hours hard combat, Spee's ships were defeated.