The Army of the German Empire, 1870-1888 (Men-at-arms series)

Rating:
Summary: The Army of the German Empire, 1870-1888
Review: I had a maternal gr-gr-grandfather who was killed in the Franco-Prussian War, and a paternal great-grandfather who returned from the Ukraine to serve in the postwar Imperial Army, so I thought that this book would be great for getting a basic understanding of the German military system of the period. Over all, Seaton does do a fine job of summarizing the development of the Prussian army from the time of the Great Elector to the Franco-Prussian War. But the discussion of the German Army in the period from 1870-1888 is a little more disjointed as the complexity of the system and the numerous variations in uniforms, in particular, make a brief overview somewhat difficult and incomplete. Unfortunately, the overview of the command structure is too brief, and almost no mention is made of training, exercises, and the army's influence on society and politics, etc. The plates are fairly good. There are a number of illustration (including one of the cat and dog meat market in Paris, which really has no purpose being in the book), as well as a few photographs (including a couple of captured French cannons (neat--but why?)). More photos (especially of individual soldiers) would have been useful in place of the illustrations, in my opinion. Unfortunately, I have to say that I was somewhat disappointed, but the book is still a good introduction to the topic.