June 18, 2021

An overview of Napoleonic era artillery – Interview with Kevin Kiley

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An overview of Napoleonic era artillery – Interview with Kevin Kiley

Check out this book here https://amzn.to/3gIAEnM

Interview Timeline

Kevin F. Kiley is a retired US Marine Corps artillery officer and a graduate of West Point. He has a master’s degree in Military History from and has written extensively on historic artillery and other topics. We spoke about his latest book, a dictionary of Napoleonic artillery. Artillery of the Napoleonic Wars: A Concise Dictionary, 1792-1815 (Frontline Books, 2021)

0:38 – Kevin talks about why he started writing about the Napoleonic Wars.

3:13 – Kevin talks about the focus of the book on technical artillery terms.

4:35 – Kevin contrasts field artillery and all other types of artillery.

8:01 – Kevin talks about Napoleon’s rise because of being an artillerist.

10:46 – Kevin talks about where the artillery pieces were made.

13:04 – Kevin talks about overheating artillery guns.

14:07 – Kevin talks about the gun foundries at the time.

15:30 – Kevin talks more about foundries.

16:06 – Kevin talks about naval artillery.

16:51 – Kevin talks about the artillery engineers of the time.

18:17 – Kevin talks about meritocracy in the French military.

19:29 – Kevin talks about moving artillery around.

21:35 – Kevin talks about horses and artillery teams.

22:06 – Kevin talks about horses knowing artillery commands.

22:53 – Kevin talks about how quickly gun crews could set up.

24:13 – Kevin talks about the elements needed to load and fire a gun.

25:59 – Kevin talks about the cartridge, siege loading, and the sabot.

26:41 – Kevin talks about fuses.

27:23 – Kevin talks about loading lit bullets.

28:59 – Kevin talks about the French system after 1815.

29:19 – Kevin talks about the research he did for the book.

32:42 – Kevin talks about counter-battery action.

34:05 – Kevin talks about incendiary shells.

35:43 – Kevin talks about standing up to artillery attacks.

36:30 – Kevin talks about the French at the American Revolution.

37:27 – Kevin talks about Washington’s use of artillery.

38:28 – Kevin talks about national approaches to artillery.

42:35 – Kevin talks about building cannons.

44:27 – Kevin talks about artillery in French battles.

46:54 – Kevin talks about the War of 1812.

48:04 – Kevin talks about an odd-sounding artillery term

50:52 – Kevin talks about Russian changes in artillery.

51:40 – Kevin talks about the best artillerists.

52:55 – Kevin talks about the cavalry and the artillery.

53:53 – Kevin talks about how the artillery protected itself.

54:31 – Kevin talks about artillery unit make-ups.

56:26 – Kevin talks about his various books.

1:02:49 – Kevin talks about temperature and artillery.

1:05:34 – Kevin talks about hearing loss and artillery.

1:10:20 – Kevin talks about Napoleon’s interest in naval artillery.

1:12:33 – Kevin talks about important qualities of an artillery officer.

1:13:19 – Kevin talks about interest in the Napoleonic Wars.

1:16:28 – Kevin talks about myths about the Napoleonic Wars.

1:17:47 – Kevin talks about the Russians and Napoleon.

1:22:03 – Information on the book can be found at amazon.

1:23:48 – Kevin talks about the Eastern Roman Empire.

1:25:15 – Kevin talks about how he got published.

Links of interest

https://amzn.to/3gIAEnM

https://penandswordbooks.com/imprints/frontline-books/artillery-of-the-napoleonic-wars-65598.html#.YMzrCUwpCUk

Contact Information

For more “Military History Inside Out” please follow me at www.warscholar.org, on Facebook at warscholar, on twitter at Warscholar, on youtube at warscholar1945 and on Instagram @crisalvarezswarscholar. Or subscribe to the podcast on Apple Podcasts | Google Podcasts | Stitcher | Spotify Please see historyrabbithole.com for a list of my dozen or so blogs and podcasts. You’re sure to find something you like.

Guests: Kevin Kiley

Host: Cris Alvarez

Tags: Books, audio interviews, author, podcast, Frontline Books, editor interview, General military history, 19^th century war, Napoleonic Wars, 18^th century war, United States, Germany, Russia, France, Britain,

Check out this book here https://amzn.to/3gIAEnM

As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

May 12, 2021

Today in Military History May 12

May 12 1082 – Battle of Mailberg (Austria)
May 12 1479 – Condottiero Pompeo Colonna born
May 12 1496 – Swedish king Gustav I of Sweden born
May 12 1510 – Prince of Anhua rebellion begins (China)
May 12 1649 – Battle of Focchies (Cretan War Naval) https://amzn.to/3xZZyqR
May 12 1670 – Elector of Saxony Augustus II the Strong born https://amzn.to/2QcG9lj
May 12 1767 – Spanish Prince Manuel Godoy born https://amzn.to/2QbnPJh
May 12 1780 – Siege of Charleston ends (American Revolutionary War) https://amzn.to/3eEhWxG
May 12 1781 – Battle of Fort Motte ends (American Revolutionary War)
May 12 1797 – Nore Mutiny (Britain) https://amzn.to/2QapIpC
May 12 1809 – Battle of Porto (Peninsular War)
May 12 1820 – Florence Nightingale born https://amzn.to/3y4DmvC
May 10 1849 – Ludwigshafen taken (Revolutions of 1848) https://amzn.to/3hl8ktF
May 12 1863 – Battle of Raymond (US Civil War)
May 12 1864 – Battle of Proctor’s Creek begins (US Civil War)
May 12 1865 – Battle of Palmito Ranch, TX (US Civil War) https://amzn.to/3eDS0Cf
May 12 1881 – Treaty of Bardo signed (Tunisia) https://amzn.to/3tAV72c
May 12 1885 – Battle of Batoche ends (North-West Rebellion)
May 12 1894 – Italian general Clemente Primieri born
May 12 1898 – Bombardment of San Juan (Spanish-American War) (Naval)
May 12 1900 – US Navy officer Joseph Rochefort born https://amzn.to/3tGiyqQ
May 12 1918 – American spy for the Soviets Julius Rosenberg born https://amzn.to/3o92bCd
May 12 1940 – Battle of Sedan begins https://amzn.to/2Qaqgf8 ; Battle of the Afsluitdijk begins (WWII)
May 12 1941 – Operation Tiger ends (WWII) (Naval)
May 12 1942 – Second Battle of Kharkov begins (WWII) https://amzn.to/3y3KiJr
May 12 1943 – U-507 sinks the SS Virginia at the mouth of the Mississippi River (WWII Naval) https://amzn.to/3uJXroV ; Battle of West Hubei begins (Second Sino-Japanese War)
May 12 1944 – Allies take Monte Faito (WWII)
May 12 1948 – Hebei-Rehe-Chahar Campaign begins (Chinese Civil War)
May 12 1949 – Berlin Blockade ends (Cold War) https://amzn.to/2SCaria ; Shanghai Campaign begins (Chinese Civil War)
May 12 1951 – US tests the H-bomb on Eniwetok Atoll https://amzn.to/2RKQt4C
May 12 1968 – Battle of Kham Duc ends; Battle of Coral-Balmoral begins (Vietnam War) https://amzn.to/3bm31Gr
May 12 1969 – Attack on Landing Zone Snoopy (Vietnam War)
May 12 1975 – SS Mayaguez taken (Vietnam War) https://amzn.to/3uGNSqZ
May 12 1982 – Liberation of Khorramshahr ends (Iran-Iraq War) 2004 – Operation Rainbow begins (Second Intifada)
May 12 2002- Raid at Deh Rawod (War in Afghanistan)
May 12 2003 – Riyadh compound bombings (Saudi Arabia)
May 12 2008 – Attack on Omdurman and Khartoum ends (Darfur War) https://amzn.to/2ROBcQg

May 10 1775 – Second Continental Congress convenes; Capture of Fort Ticonderoga (American Revolutionary War) https://amzn.to/3eyPgGt
May 10 1779 – Chesapeake raid begins (American Revolutionary War)
May 10 1796 – Battle of Lodi (French Revolutionary Wars); Battle at Derbent (Russo-Persian Wars) https://amzn.to/3y0ohLK
May 10 1799 – Assault on Acre repulsed (French Revolutionary Wars)
May 10 1801 – Barbary pirates of Tripoli declare war against the U.S. (First Barbary War) https://amzn.to/33xtZXa
May 10 1838 – John Wilkes Booth born https://amzn.to/3uAXSlu
May 10 1857 – Indian sepoys revolt against the British https://amzn.to/2SGqlIw
May 10 1862 – Battle of Plum Run Bend, TN (also Plum Point) (US Civil War) (Naval) https://amzn.to/3exiAgo
May 10 1863 – Stonewall Jackson dies https://amzn.to/3hg1qpi
May 10 1864 – Battle of Cove Mountain; Battle of Chester Station (US Civil War)
May 10 1865 – Confederate President Davis captured (US Civil War) https://amzn.to/2R5RKTC
May 10 1869 – Naval Battle of Hakodate ends (Boshin War) (Naval) https://amzn.to/33sifp4
May 10 1917 – Tenth Battle of the Isonzo begins (WWI) https://amzn.to/3hk7sVZ
May 10 1940 – Battle of France begins; Battle of Rotterdam begins; Battle for the Hague; Battle of Maastricht (WWII) https://amzn.to/3tAplST
May 10 1941 – Luftwaffe carries out devastating bombing mission on London including destruction of the House of Commons (WWII) https://amzn.to/3xYbQjt
May 10 1942 – Philippines surrendered (WWII)
May 10 1945 – Sark liberated from Germany (WWII) https://amzn.to/3fdbr4e
May 10 1951 – Strike on Sinuiju (Korean War) (Air) https://amzn.to/2SA0jXb
May 10 1960 – Nuclear submarine USS Triton completes first underwater circumnavigation of the globe https://amzn.to/3hf87rL
May 10 1968 – Battle of Kham Duc begins (Vietnam War) https://amzn.to/3o1F4cH
May 10 1969 – Battle of Hamburger Hill begins; Operation Apache Snow begins (Vietnam War) https://amzn.to/3o2LnN3
May 10 1970 – Actions occurred which resulted in the award of the Medal of Honor to Leslie H. Sabo
May 10 2002 – Siege of the Church of the Nativity in Bethlehem (Second Intafada)
May 10 2008 – Attack on Omdurman and Khartoum begins (Darfur War) https://amzn.to/33vZEIG

More Military History dates and trivia collection

Military History Timeline

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Category: All Napoleon