Synopses & Reviews
is the story of the British soldier--those noncommissioned men whom Kipling called "the backbone of the army"--from roughly 1760 to 1860. Based on the letters and diaries of the men who served and the women who followed them, this book is rich in the history of a fascinating era. Among the highlights are Wolfe's victory and death at Quebec, Wellington's Peninsular War, Waterloo, the retreat from Kabul, the Crimean War, and the Indian Mutiny. The focus of , however, is on the individual recollections and experiences of the ordinary soldiers in the wars of Georgian and early Victorian England. Through their stories and anecdotes--of uniforms, equipment, floggings, wounds, food, barrack life, courage, comradeship, death, love, and loss--Richard Holmes provides a comprehensive portrait of an extraordinarily successful fighting force.
Synopsis
A rich, anecdotal history of the British soldier from the American Revolution through the Indian Mutiny.
About the Author
Richard Holmes is a celebrated military historian. He lives in England.