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Baron Von Steuben's Revolutionary War Drill Manual: A Facsimile Reprint of the 1794 Edition (Dover Military History, Weapons, Armor) Paperback – Facsimile, September 1, 1985

4.7 4.7 out of 5 stars 96 ratings
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On February 23, 1778, Frederick William Baron von Steuben reported to General George Washington at the Continental Army's bleak winder encampment at Valley Forge. Speaking virtually no English and at an unexpected ebb in his professional fortunes, Steuben nevertheless brought a depth of military training and grasp of command techniques sorely needed by the bedraggled, ragtag army. With his lofty military reputation, forceful bearing, and colorful personality, the Prussian commander had an immediate galvanizing effect on the disorganized insurgents. He soon became one of Washington's most valued officers — an essential figure in the success of the American War of Independence.
Commissioned to mold the troops into an efficient fighting force, Steuben formed a model drill company of one hundred men, transformed it into a precision unit copied throughout the ranks, and captured the imagination of the entire army. His record of drill instructions, written in brief installments, grew into the Regulations for the Order and Discipline of the Troops of the United States. Commonly known as the army's "blue book," this basic manual of military training and procedures remained the official U.S. military guide until 1812.
This inexpensive facsimile reproduces the extremely rare 1794 edition of Steuben's drill manual, published in Boston by I. Thomas and E. T. Andrews. It describes in detail the arms and accoutrements of officers and soldiers, formation and exercise of a company, instruction of recruits, formation and marching of columns, disposition and firing of fieldpieces, laying out of a camp, inspection, treatment of the sick, reviews of parade, and other essentials. The volume is further enhanced by reproductions of the eight copperplates from the 1794 edition and an Appendix (the United States Militia Act of 1792).
Previous page
  1. Print length
    192 pages
  2. Language
    English
  3. Publisher
    Dover Publications
  4. Publication date
    September 1, 1985
  5. Dimensions
    5.32 x 0.39 x 8.1 inches
  6. ISBN-10
    0486249344
  7. ISBN-13
    978-0486249346
  8. See all details
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Product details

  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Dover Publications; Facsimile, Reprint of the 1794 edition (September 1, 1985)
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • Paperback ‏ : ‎ 192 pages
  • ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 0486249344
  • ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0486249346
  • Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 7.1 ounces
  • Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 5.32 x 0.39 x 8.1 inches
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.7 4.7 out of 5 stars 96 ratings

Customer reviews

4.7 out of 5 stars
4.7 out of 5
96 global ratings

Top reviews from the United States

frederick koeppel
5.0 out of 5 stars Good book
Reviewed in the United States on January 2, 2024
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Fast shipping, product was as described.
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tonyoc
5.0 out of 5 stars Going back to the source, the first Army manual
Reviewed in the United States on July 20, 2022
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This is a critical source document for historians of 18th century American warfare, especially the Revolutionary War. It answers the question of how the continental soldiers were trained to stand up to the British.
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Edward J. Cowie
5.0 out of 5 stars Great Book
Reviewed in the United States on January 11, 2018
Verified Purchase
I use the book for Militia Drill as a Living History weapons demonstrator. While the orders and commands change with time, one still needs to know where all of our country's victories came from. It also gives you insight into what it was like to volunteer for the Militia, develop skills in firing and close order drills, and come back from a battle in one piece to tell about it. A "must read" for anyone doing 18th or 19th century reenactments or just a military history buff.
3 people found this helpful
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CJ
5.0 out of 5 stars History book
Reviewed in the United States on December 20, 2021
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Very informative rev war military drill book. Tons of facts, and a boat load of information.
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Edward M. Van Court
4.0 out of 5 stars Incredible historical document
Reviewed in the United States on September 23, 2007
Verified Purchase
Von Steuben's drill manual is of extrordinary importance for several reasons.

At the shallowest level, it is a primary source for Revolutionary War and War of 1812 reenactors. For 34 years, (1778-1812) this was THE book for the U.S. Army, so any reenactor interested in this period should start here.

Pertaining to the history of the U.S. Army, this was the first manual, the first set of standards in place in the army. The first of anything sets the tone for later developments, and any serious research about the U.S. Army or Army doctrine should start here.

As an enduring framework, the "Instructions" section is still echoed in U.S. Army leadership doctrine. The roles, responsibilities, and relationships of officers and non-commissioned officers haven't changed that much, especially when compared to the changes in tactics and technology in the intervening centuries. A regimental commander's "first and greatest care" should be "the preservation of the soldiers health", "A captain cannot be too careful of the company the state has committed to his charge", "the discipline and order of a company" depend upon the non-commissioned officers. All these ideas ring true whether the army was outfited with flintlocks or thermal-sighted gas-operated selective fire rifles. This continuity is of tremendous value to the spirit of a successful army.

This manual was also the instrument of a military transformation for the U.S. Army. Von Steuben arrived at the Continental Army's encampment, and popular legend in the U.S. Army is that he was so shocked by the lack of discipline and disorder that he sat down and wrote the first copy of this manual that very night. This is not true, as mentioned in the publisher's note, but by bringing military discipline to the Continental Army, a bunch of farmers and store clerks were able to turn the tides and defeat the premier ground forces of the era. Again, a significant event in the history of military science as well as American history.

As a fencer, I was a little disappointed. Although in the first chapter it mentions that officers and NCOs are to be armed with swords, there is no further mention of the use of swords. Other than this one shortcoming, this was a very enlightening book about the period, and is an influential manual with continuing significance to military science and U.S. Army history.
6 people found this helpful
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Hook
5.0 out of 5 stars Historical instructions by Fredrich William Baron von Steuben to Washington 's Army.
Reviewed in the United States on October 18, 2019
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I enjoyed the book as written instructions for drills conducted during colonial militia reenactments.
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James Southard
5.0 out of 5 stars Good book...
Reviewed in the United States on February 17, 2014
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I purchased this for my son, who is a history major in college. It's a great book that shows where Washington learned some of his military tactical education is the Revolutionary War. Nice book to add to a collection...
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Vince
5.0 out of 5 stars Used it for research paper and found it to be ...
Reviewed in the United States on March 31, 2017
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Used it for research paper and found it to be helpful and genuine in it's reprinting of Steuben's original field manual.
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