Changes

==Army==

* Duckers, Peter

This small, prolifically illustrated book outlines medals issued to British soldiers and sailors who were involved in action around the world. As the HEIC began the habit of issuing general campaign medals examples of several of these are pictured. Whether one wants to identify a medal inherited from an ancestor or see what an ancestor's campaign medal would have looked like this title is a useful starting point.

* Hennessy, Maurice

This little book (under 200 pages) relates the rise and fall of the inimitable George Thomas (1756-1802), an Irish mercenary who was leader of a large contingent of soldiers, became the one-time lover of the renowned Begum Sombru and eventually established his own kingdom based at Hansi. The narrative reveals the complexity of a man who exhibited a ruthless courage in pursuit of his enemy but was loyal and generous in his dealings with his own men and those who hired them. Each chapter embodies quotes from relevant texts and footnotes to satisfy the academic. For the average reader, this book is an excellent introduction to this early period in the history of India and to the type of life lead by European mercenary soldiers. There is also a list of characters and glossary for ease of reference, plus a bibliography. An enthralling and unforgettable read. Recommended. (Beverly Hallam, FIBIS trustee, 2010)

* Holmes, Richard

"Holmes is a distinguished historian of the British Army ...[In this book he writes] about both [East India] Company and British Army soldiers, and both the officers and the rankers. He seems to be on surer ground when it comes to the British Army and to the officers but still has much to tell us on the rankers, with his source material coming from a mixture of the ten page bibliography and memoirs and letters. He lists eighteen such sources in the National Army Museum and thirteen in the British Library (as well as published sources), and gives numerous extracts from them as he describes what life was like... As nearly every fact is footnoted with the citation, anyone who is interested can follow up clues in the bibliography. All in all, this 500 page book is excellent background reading for anyone with a soldier ancestor." The full review by Steve van Dulken is available on p. 46 of the FIBIS ''Journal'' 15 (Spring 2006)

* Irving, Miles

Inscriptions from graves and monuments of some 1100 soldiers, mostly officers, together with additional biographical notes. Originally published as volume 2 of the Indian Monumental Inscription Series, this covers the Punjab, North-West Frontier Province, Kashmir and Afghanistan.

===Army lists===

Army lists are the directories of this section of the military. They are a useful way of tracking an officer's career. Some key years are available as reprints. Original editions may be consulted in large reference collections.

* Hart, G. A.

Lt. Col. Hart's annual volumes, begun in 1840 and continued until 1915, generally contain far more career information than the official Army Lists. This is a reprint of the edition corrected to December 1859, and thus includes details of service in the Crimea and the Indian Mutiny. Covers all Commissioned Officers (including paymasters, quartermasters, surgeons, etc) in the Army (including Militia), Ordnance and Marines.

A full view of a series of this invaluable title covering the years following the institution of the Indian Army is available at [http://books.google.com/books?q=editions:0-5YLr7Ubqb3G4d8eZ&client=firefox-a&lr=&id=BLAaAAAAMAAJ&sa=N&start=0 Google Books]

This is a reprint of the edition corrected to December 1884. Covers all Commissioned Officers (including paymasters, quartermasters, surgeons, etc) in the Army, Ordnance and Marines, plus the Militia list, Indian Civil Services list, Indian Staff Corps and Indian local forces.

===British regiments===

* Beckett, Ian F. W.

"This is a fabulous compact guide to the confusing world of British Army regiments. [It] lists all the Regiments of Foot ... and cross-references the regimental names with the regimental numbers. Equally importantly, it covers when regiments were raised, disbanded, and amalgamated with other regiments (including battalions). Each regiment has a brief history, and includes additional information such as battle honours, Victoria Crosses, nicknames, mottoes, memorials and details for the regimental museum. There are also numerous colour and B&W illustrations ... Please note that this book does not cover the Royal Artillery or the Royal Engineers". (Anne Kelsall, former FIBIS Webmaster and Marketing Manager, 2005).

* Gould, W.J.D.

There are very powerful descriptions of the battles of Ghunzee, Cabul, Maharajapoor, Buddiwal, Aliwal, Sabraon etc, as well as descriptions of the beauty or otherwise of the countryside and the military cantonments. It also contains humorous anecdotes, descriptions of British soldier's social life in India at that time from the point of view of a non-commissioned officer, and the hardships endured during the battles." (Ainslie Sharpe, 2009)

* Richards, Frank

===HEIC armies===

* Bailey, Peter

Families in British India Society, 2006. (FIBIS research guide; 1)

*Dodwell, Edward

An invaluable reference work for those whose ancestors were officers in the HEIC Madras Army between 1760 and 1837. Available for reading online or download at [http://www.archive.org/details/alphabeticallist00dodwuoft Internet Archive]

*Dodwell & Miles

Similar volume to the above Madras Army List but now covering Bengal Army. Available to download or read online at [http://www.archive.org/details/alphabeticallist00dodwrich Archive.org]

* Hodson, V.C.P.

''Officers of the Bengal Army 1758-1834''. 6 vols. Uckfield: Naval & Military Press, 2001

This is an important reference work, originally published in 1927, on the officers of the HEIC Bengal Army who entered service between 1758 and 1834. Their military careers are shown, where appropriate through to the beginning of the 20th Century, covering service in the Afghan Wars, the Sikh Wars and the Indian Mutiny.

===Indian Army===

* Barthorp, Michael

This useful, well-illustrated little book provides an introduction to the institution, uniforms, arms and services of the Indian Army from its formation in 1860 until the advent of WW1.

* Harris, R.G.

Short history of the Indian Army cavalry with illustrations showing their uniforms.

* India. Army Dept.

A reprint of the 1913 official instructions regarding all aspects of dress for both the British Army in India and the Indian Army. Descriptions of uniforms, facings, badges and devices are given for all regiments, and the variations for all officers, staff, and men.

* Jackson, Donovan

Available in a number of reprints, "Major Donovan Jackson's comprehensive compilation of histories of individual regiments of the Indian Army is an almost essential reference tool for those interested in the Indian Army during the British Colonial period. In the author's forward he notes that much of the contents of the book originally appeared as a series of articles in ''The Statesman'' during 1938-39. All the histories were compiled from official or regimental sources. For each regiment Major Jackson covers its development and changes of names, with relevant dates, actions, awards, notes on uniforms, etc. The book is copiously illustrated with photographs and drawings of badges. No regiment is excluded, with brief histories of the units of the Auxiliary Force (Volunteer Regiments) included, as well as lengthier descriptions of the Indian States Forces, Body Guards and Irregular Regiments. The only criticism is that there is neither a bibliography nor a subject index provided. However, the overall content makes this an outstanding work of reference on the Indian Army from its earliest days as EIC Army regiments up to the outbreak of WWII". (Sylvia Murphy, 2008)

* Mason, Philip

If your ancestors were in the Indian Army, whether under the East India Company or later, this book is highly recommended". (Richard Morgan FIBIS trustee, 2008)

* Yeats-Brown, Francis

===Medical Departments===

* Crawford, D.G.

Originally published in 1930, this gives details of educational qualifications, dates of birth, appointments and promotions, and war service for 6,586 surgeons in the Indian Medical Service. The IMS was a division of the military, although its surgeons were sometimes seconded to civil postings. In addition to career information there are a variety of appendices and background detail on such topics as medical colleges and places of instruction in India. Note that the Roll does not include members of the Subordinate Medical Service/Departments.

==Navy==

* Low, Charles Rathbone

This history covers the life span of the HEIC Indian Navy. Operations from the Persian Gulf to the Burma and First China Wars, from Aden to New Zealand and the Maori Wars, and the Indian Mutiny. Survey work from the Red Sea to the China Seas. The author entered the East India Company's Indian Navy in 1853 and saw active service against pirates and slave traders in waters ranging from Zanzibar to the China Seas. This edition includes indexes of ships and officers, compiled by Captain Douglas Morris R.N.

==Wars and battles==

For anyone who wishes to form a balanced picture of the Indian Mutiny, this is essential reading. The last Mughal of the book's title was the Emperor Bahadur Shah Zafar II, whose line, the House of Timur, had gradually seen their power and influence eroded by the British foreigners. Coming as traders but gradually amassing for themselves huge wealth and power, even to the extent of taking over the Emperor's capital city, Delhi, their overall arrogance and lack of understanding of the local people laid the ground for the largest uprising ever experienced in the British Empire. Using English, Urdu and Persian language sources, Dalrymple presents the results of his extensive research into the causes, events and consequences of the Mutiny in this readable but, of necessity, long book.

* David, Saul

This is the standard modern account of the Indian Mutiny.

* Fremont-Barnes, Gregory

This is a useful, short introduction to the subject, with many illustrations and some maps and plans.

* Llewellyn-Jones, Rosie

''The great uprising in India 1857-58''.

The full review by Richard Morgan, a FIBIS Trustee, is available on pp. 53-55 of the FIBIS ''Journal'' 19 (Spring 2008)

* Ward, Andrew

Focusing on the siege and subsequent massacres at Cawnpore, the author presents an authoritative and detailed account of these horrific events, and their consequences. The result is a long, readable book with copious foot notes.

===WW1===

* Spencer, William

This provides a concise overview of events in the Far East, with a major focus on Burma. In common with all titles in this series there are coloured illustrations showing uniforms in detail, plus many photographs.

===Other wars and battles===

* Young, James

This title is one of more than a dozen contemporary accounts of battles in India and Asia which Leonaur have brought back into print in attractive, affordable versions. The books are OCR versions of the originals and it should be noted that in the case of ''Galloping guns'', and possibly also the other titles, software recognition failures have not been corrected.

[[Category:Recommended reading]]

[[Category:Military|Reading]]