Historian Interview: Robbie MacNiven

Robbie at the Culloden Battlefield

Today, we are going to our historian interviews. By the time this series concludes in early May, we will have heard from Nick Kane, Ben Bartgis, Robbie MacNiven and Jonathan Abel. All of these individuals are broadly interested in the Kabinettskriege era, and have been selected as a result of recent promotion, impending graduate school applications, or work recently begun in graduate school or at a historic site. Today's young historian is Robbie MacNiven, a historian who researches the British Army in the era of the War of Independence. Robbie graduated in 2014 from the University of Edinburgh, and is now finishing his Ph.D, studying the era of the American Revolution.

 Alexander Burns: What drew you to study the history in this era? In 2018, much of popular memory of military history in the United States is focused on World War 1, World War 2, and the Vietnam War. What about the history of the 1648-1789 era do you find so compelling?

Robbie MacNiven: My father served 22 years in the British Army, so growing up I was very aware of military history. I developed an early fascination with the subject through various mediums – accidentally flipping the channel to the 1993 film Gettysburg when I was five years old, or playing the historical PC game Age of Empires, or starting to read Bernard Cornwell’s Sharpe novels aged 12. During my early teen years I developed an interest that started in the early nineteenth century and then gradually worked its way back the way to the late sixteenth. General British history tends to be very focussed on the World Wars, but the Napoleonic era is also still very popular – I think someone did a study of literature whose main focus is just the battle of Waterloo, and found there had been about 3,000 publications on that subject alone in the last two hundred years! That was my initial entry point.

AB: Is there a particular person, conflict, event, or geographical setting which draws you to this era?

RM: Around the age of 15 I watched the film The Patriot for the first time, which introduced me to a rather fanciful depiction based off Lieutenant Colonel Banastre Tarleton. I became fascinated with him and with how his image differed (and occasionally matched) the character that was created in America both during the Revolution and after. I wrote my undergraduate dissertation about the Battle of Waxhaws. That in turn crystallized a broader interest in the close study of the British Army during the American Revolution.

AB: How do you plan to continue your research into this era? You’ve studied history at the postgraduate level, and are working on a number of projects related to the era. Why have you chosen your particular path?

Robbie MacNiven

RM: I’m not sure about a particular path, but at the moment I’m not gunning to go into academia straight after graduation. Between undergrad, my Masters and the PhD I will have been at university for a decade. I’m currently writing fiction full time (mostly fantasy and sci-fi novels), but not pursuing an academic career doesn’t mean I won’t be continuing my studies in my spare time. I’ve just finished a book for Osprey Publishing about British Light Infantry during the American Revolution, and I’m contracted for a second book about the broader tactics of the Revolutionary War, covering the British, German, Patriot and French armies. Writing is my passion, whether it’s fiction or non-fiction, and I’m very grateful that I’m currently able to do it as my job. Hopefully that continues.

AB: What challenges have you faced in the historical profession? What, if any, advice would you give to high school and college students considering this field?

RM: In terms of advice I’d say follow your passion. It sounds clichéd, but it’s the sort of thing you hear for a good reason. University can be tough, and you really need an interest that anchors you, that’s going to get you through all the research and the deadlines. If you find the subject really captivating then you’ve got the building blocks of an academic career.

If you’re just starting out, I’d advise you to make good use of your supervisors. Don’t be intimidated by them – they’re there to help, and they want you to succeed more than anyone. I followed the advice of mine closely, but don’t be afraid to give a bit of pushback as well. You need to be able to develop and defend your own views. It’s something of a tightrope, but it gets easier after the first or second year.

Also, don’t forget to have fun! Studying can be all-consuming. Schedule breaks and stick to them!

AB: What have you been reading, recently? Could you recommend one book on your topic of interest, or any recent work on the era?

RM: Currently I’m helping proofread a manuscript for Don Hagist about the experiences of regular British soldiers during the American Revolution. It’s going to be an absolutely brilliant book and a great addition to the field, so keep an eye out for its release!

As for recommending one book, I’m going to cheat and recommend five, for anyone who wants to know more about the British military during the Revolutionary period:

British Soldiers American War by Don Hagist

The Men Who Lost America by Andrew O’Shaughnessey

Fusiliers by Mark Urban

With Zeal and With Bayonets Only by Matthew H. Spring

Lastly, it’s not specifically British Army-focused, but Holger Hoock’s Scars of Independence is a really great reassessment of the Revolution.  

AB: Thanks so much Robbie! We look forward to following your career as it continues!

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Thanks for Reading, 

Alex Burns

Historian Spotlight: Nick Kane

Nick with his Masters Hood

Today, we are going to begin the first of a series of interviews with a number of historians, in various stages of their careers. By the time this series concludes in late April, we will have heard from Nick Kane, Ben Bartgis and Robbie MacNiven. All of these individuals are broadly interested in the Kabinettskriege era, and have been selected as a result of recent promotion, career success, entry into graduate school, new scholarly projects, or work recently begun in graduate school or at a historic site. Today's public historian is Nick Kane, a historian who researches the British Army in the era of the War of  Independence. Nick recently completed his Masters in Public History from the University of North Carolina at Charlotte. 

Alexander Burns : What drew you to study the history in this era? In 2018, much of popular memory of military history in the United States is focused on World War 1, World War 2, and the Vietnam War. What about the history of the 1648-1789 era do you find so compelling?

Nick Kane: It might be because it’s where the world as we know it began. Meaning warfare, culture, geo-political entities, and economies. I think the fact that I do re-enacting/living history for the eighteenth century is also a factor. I will say that years ago when I was a kid, I loved reading WWI and WWII history stuff. Some parts of it still interest me with that era, mostly entertainment products (movies/games) but not too much on the military history part. Unless it’s New Military History or something akin to it. I’m drawn to the social parts of military history, not so much the leaders and tactics. But if I have to talk about the actual military part of it, there’s a lot of subjects that the public does not know and it opens the door for historic dialogue. Things that Matthew Spring talks about in his book With Zeal and Bayonets Only. Once I discovered Sylvia Frey and Stephen Brumwell, I knew I wanted to study military history in the “New” school, which ironically isn’t so new anymore. There’s more to this era of study than linear warfare and powdered wigs. One of my projects in the future is to do another social history of the British army.

 AB: Is there a particular person, conflict, event, or geographical setting which draws you to this era?

NK: Mostly the Seven Years War and the American War for Independence for conflicts but I have been looking at the conflicts tied to those as well recently. Such as the Anglo-Cherokee war and the Siege of Gibraltar. Concerning people, I love to find those journals from enlisted soldiers and junior officers. While it only gives a limited view into their minds it does display some of the perspectives and thoughts they had. With the AWI I mostly look at the Southern Campaign since some of the battles happened near me, such as the Battle of Charlotte (5 minutes from me), Battle of Waxhaws, Kings Mountain, and Huck’s Defeat. It’s really cool to be in the literal area of one’s study. While I was up at Fort Ticonderoga, I gained a bigger appreciation for the Northern battles of the AWI and the French & Indian War. The South really did not have much in the way of F&I battles. The Anglo-Cherokee war did happen down here though, which brought down some of the British army this way. The other aspect of my studies deals with Scots in the British world. Particularly the Highland regiments, immigrants, and the music of that era.

AB: How do you plan to continue your research into this era? You have been employed in a public history setting, and are currently applying to graduate programs. Why have you chosen your particular path?

NK: The research part is gonna have to be done the old fashion way of either getting copies or going straight to the archive. However, I am fortunate to live in this era of technology where the exchange of information and text can be done so much more conveniently. In addition, many of my colleagues are willing to share some primary sources they have acquired. I chose the public history pathway for a variety of reasons. To me it is the best way to get the information to a larger number of people than academics. I also enjoy the public interaction and talking history with other interested people. Working at Fort Ticonderoga this past season really boosted my passion for the public interaction part. I learned a lot on how the public views history and how they can engage with it working there. I finished my Master’s last May and at this point I’m holding off on PhD studies. Maybe in the future I’ll continue it. I wouldn’t mind being that doctoral student that is middle-aged, experienced, and knows how to tackle things better. I do hope to get something published in the future though, just need to get cracking on that.

AB: What challenges have you faced in the historical profession? What, if any, advice would you give to high school and college students considering this field?

NK: It’s a small field of study and profession in comparison to others like STEM. Without sounding bitter, if you are going to enter the field then I urge you to have a passion for it. I don’t mean “I read David McCullough and watched Band of Brothers forty million times” but “I don’t have enough primary sources, help me archive.org!” level. For those thinking about graduate school I recommend making friends with other historians in the field you are interested in. The internet is a wonderful place to make history friends and some might even share stuff with you. The public history field is also wonderful but be prepared to relocate for a career in it. Lastly, if you are wanting to be an academic in history, start learning how to get rid of passive voice in your writing - your professors will love you very much.

AB: What have you been reading, recently? Could you recommend one book on your topic of interest, or any recent work on the era?

NK: I am going to admit here that I am one of those readers that has about five books on “reading” status at all times. I have Christopher Duffy’s The Military Experience in the Age of Reason, couple fantasy books, and pdfs I have opened up on my computer. I think the most recent book on my field that I can think of is Ilya Berkovich’s Motivation in War which you reviewed a few years ago. It’s a really fascinating read and helped me quite a bit on my thesis.

AB: Thanks so much Nick! We look forward to following your career as it continues!

NK: Thank you, Alex for this opportunity. I am watching to see how your doctoral studies go and what Kabinettskriege will produce next!