In this book, Richard Holmes, one of the UK's foremost military
historians, focuses on a neglected subject: the day-to-day lives of
ordinary soldiers in the 18th and 19th centuries. The broad picture
of the politics and strategy of empire-building has been well
documented - but what were the battles like for the
non-commissioned officers who fought in them? These foot-soldiers,
the redcoats, were often recruited while drunk and pumped up with
notions of glory and, importantly, a decent living wage. Those who
took the King's shilling found themselves pitched into a
contradictory world. Glamorous and disciplined in a certain light,
these were mostly lice-ridden and diseased men, spending much of
their time in alcoholic stupor. Holmes's account is organised
thematically rather than chronologically, ranging from details of
how the army was financed, through to the varieties of uniforms,
the cavalry horses, the food rations, and the draconian punishments
issued for breaches of discipline. Holmes is particularly good on
the practicalities of the dangerously unreliable weaponry. This was
the age of the Brown Bess, the flintlock musket famous for its
short range and inaccuracy, flaws which necessitated close fighting
using blocks of men marching in strict discipline. Battles were
bloody and terrifying, and Holmes does justice to the 'murderous
contest of musketry' where, enveloped in powder-smoke, it wasn't
even possible to see. The author has woven together a dense fabric
created from the letters sent home from this massive army: at its
height, in 1815, Britain had a force of 233,852 soldiers. Writing
with judgement and panache, Holmes celebrates the achievements of
these men - and the women who travelled with them - whilst
accepting the problems. A significant proportion, Wellington said,
were the 'scum of the earth'; they were drawn from a restless,
downtrodden working-class where violence was endemic. Nevertheless,
from the Seven Years War, through the Napoleonic Wars, until Crimea
- the scope of this book - few battles were lost. Copiously
illustrated in colour, using paintings from the period, this is a
thoroughly referenced and indexed account, invaluable to both
general reader and academic historian. (Kirkus UK)
"Redcoat is the story of the British soldier from the Seven Year War through to the Mutiny and the Crimea. It is consistently entertaining, full of brilliantly chosen anecdotes, and rattles along at a good light infantry pace."
DAVID CRANE, 'Spectator' Books of the Year
"It would be hard to exaggerate the excellence of this book. It is vivid, comprehensive, well written, pacy, colourful, and above all, highly informative. The author has a command of his subject of Wellingtonian proportions, and his enthusiasm communicates itself to the reader on every page."
SIMON HEFFER, 'Literary Review'
"A wonderful book, full of anecdote and good sense. Anyone who has enjoyed a Sharpe story will love it."
BERNARD CORNWELL, 'Daily Mail'
"All the best-known soldier writers are discussed here, and their anecdotes are told with enthusiasm and aplomb…This is an army from another world, and 'Redcoat' is a splendidly entertaining, moving and informative description of its strengths and foibles."
HEW STRACHAN, 'Daily Telegraph'
"Beautifully written, 'Redcoat' is a vivid account of squalor and suffering almost beyond belief, for the men, their wives and camp followers, and their horses. One of the best chapters is a description of barrack-room life that will turn a few stomachs in this more fastidious age."
JOHN CANNON, 'Times Literary Supplement'
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