The Defence of Duffer's Drift

The Defence of Duffer's Drift, written by British Army officer E. D. Swinton in 1904, is a military treatise that combines fiction with instructional military tactics. The narrative follows Lieutenant Backsight Forethought as he attempts to defend a river crossing during the Second Boer War, facing a larger enemy force. Through a series of dreams, he learns valuable lessons about small unit tactics and the importance of strategic positioning, ultimately leading to a successful defense. This work remains influential in military education, often included in the reading lists of the U.S. Army and Marine Corps.