Rating: 
Summary: A welcom addition to Revolutionary War history!
Review: The author does an excellent job of delivering a very thorough account of the battle of Cowpens. This well-researched work is very illuminating in depicting the challenges each army faced, combined with the tactical and strategic plans of both Tarleton and Morgan. The author is to be complimented on a work of significant detail. Countervailing the credit for detail, I must note that the story is not told in the most riveting fashion. As the author is a university professor, I believe the writing evidences an excessive concern for peer review of his research. This focus on academic concerns detracts from the weaving of the story. I recommend this book, compliment the author on a research job well-done, and advise readers that even with the book's academic tone, the story comes through and it deserves to be read.
Rating: 
Summary: A discordant voice
Review: There is much that is praiseworthy in this book, but it also has its share of problems.Despite a voluminous amount of detail, the author never presents us with an accessible order of battle with regimental strengths for either side. One of the major arguments of the book is that Morgan underreported the number of soldiers fighting on his side. Babits apparently bases this opinion largely on nineteenth century pension records, which are notoriously unreliable and therefore must be used very carefully. In his conclusion, Babits says that Morgan understated the strength of the militia in order to inflate the contribution of the Continentals to the victory. Morgans motivation, Babits claims, is to demonstrate the importance of Continentals to victory in the war. (I do not have the text here in front of me, but his point is along those lines.) However, Babits in no way supports this argument with documentary or any other evidence. The Americans may indeed have had more soldiers at Cowpens than has traditionally been reported, but Babits does not provide good evidence for this nor does he make adequate arguments for Morgans motivation to prevaricate regarding the contribution of the militia. -David Wilson
Rating: 
Summary: A Devil of a Good Book
Review: This is without doubt the most clear and concise account of this pivotal battle. Easy to read and understand, the author argues his points logically and demonstrates both his understanding of the tactics and the problems affecting individual soldiers in moving to and on the battlefield. In contrast to other writers, he does not confuse the various weapons and properly describes their effectiveness in the battle. His order of battle information is particularly important for the historian and the reenactor. This book is a fine addition to our regimental library.
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