Reviews
Here are some book reviews that I originally posted on Amazon.
The Battle of Cowpens: A Documented Narrative and Troop Movement Maps
by Edwin C. Bearss
A good little overview of an obscure battle
While it doesn't have the name recognition of Bunker Hill or Lexington the battle of Cowpens is one of the important battles of the American Revolution. This slim volume gives a fair amount of detail on the situation leading up to the battle and the personalities involved. The description of the battle itself is given in detail and the B&W maps make it easy to follow along with the action.
It's difficult to give a fair review to this book, since it is problematic to determine its niche. It is a very quick read (maybe an hour) and the level of detail is not overwhelming. As a brief overview of an obscure battle it hits the mark dead on...the question then becomes, do you need an overview of an obscure battle?
For wargamers or miniature players the book might be a good investment for working out troop movements and TO&E's.
I would not recommend it for the casual history buff, you'd be better off picking up something more general that covers more of the war or at least the campaigns in the south.