Synopses & Reviews
Recent scholarship has highlighted the significance of the Seven Year's War for the destiny of Britain's Atlantic empire. This major study offers an important new perspective through a vivid and scholarly account of the regular troops at the sharp end of that conflict's bloody and decisive American campaigns. Fresh sources are employed to challenge enduring stereotypes regarding both the social composition and military prowess of the "redcoats". Stephen Brumwell shows how the humble soldiers who fought from Nova Scotia to Cuba developed a powerful esprit de corps that equipped them to defy savage discipline in defence of their "rights." He traces the evolution of Britain's "American Army" from a feeble, conservative and discredited organization into a tough, flexible and innovative force whose victories ultimately won the respect of colonial Americans. By providing a voice for these neglected shock-troops of empire, Redcoats adds flesh and blood to Georgian Britain's "sinews of power." Stephen Brumwell is a former newspaper journalist and Lecturer in Modern History at the University of Leeds and now works as a freelance writer. He is the author of scholarly articles and the co-author of The Cassell Companion to 18th Century British History (Cassell, 2001).
Review
"Stephen Brumwell's account of the British army in North America during the Seven Years' War offers the most complete, vivid, and sophisticated account we have of the experiences and views of eighteenth-century common soldiers. With wide research, lucid prose, and (above all) compassion, he counts the human costs of empire, and brings to life the terrible war that built it." Fred Anderson, author of The Crucible of War"Well-written and thoroughly researched, Redcoats explodes the patriotic American myth of the 'bloodybacks' as marginalized miscreants subjected to numbing discipline and inappropriate training. Brumwell's British regulars could win the Seven Years' War in America." Ian K. Steele, University of Western Ontario"Redcoats is a major scholarly accomplishment; an extremely well written and researched study of the Seven Years' War. Stephen Brumwell has done a brilliant job tracing the impact of the American war on the British Army while bringing to life the common soldiers and their war." Michael Bellesiles, Emory University
Review
"In a fascinating, judiciously researched, and well-written study, Stephen Brumwell offers a nuanced reassessment of the British soldier in the critical period of the Seven Years' War...This important book will enjoy a wide readership among specialists, students, and the general public. Its readability will make it a valuable addition in undergraduate survey courses and seminars." Historian"Stephen Brumwell's account of the British Army in North America during the Seven Years' War offers the most complete, vivid, and sophisticated account we have of the experiences and views of eighteenth-century common soldiers. With wide research, lucid prose, and (above all) compassion, he counts the human costs of empire, and brings to life the terrible war that built it." Fred Anderson, author of The Crucible of War"Stephen Brumwell's account of the British army in North America during the Seven Years' War offers the most complete, vivid, and sophisticated account we have of the experiences and views of eighteenth-century common soldiers. With wide research, lucid prose, and (above all) compassion, he counts the human costs of empire, and brings to life the terrible war that built it." Fred Anderson, author of The Crucible of War"Well-written and thoroughly researched, Redcoats explodes the patriotic American myth of the 'bloodybacks' as marginalized miscreants subjected to numbing discipline and inappropriate training. Brumwell's British regulars could win the Seven Years' War in America." Ian K. Steele, University of Western Ontario"Redcoats is a major scholarly accomplishment; an extremely well written and researched study of the Seven Years' War. Stephen Brumwell has done a brilliant job tracing the impact of the American war on the British Army while bringing to life the common soldiers and their war." Michael Bellesiles, Emory University"In sum, Brumwell's book makes a very good addition to the historiography of eighteenth-century soldiers in the British army and goes far toward correcting the notion that such soldiers were unwilling and unmotivated participants in a struggle that gained the British crown an empire." American Historical Review"Stephen Brumwell does justice to his subjects' remarkable achievements through a lively presentation of many soldier testimonies, exhaustive research in the army archives, and thoughtful analysis. The end result is a valuable contribution to military history." New York History"This is an excellent example of military history, that will at once be of value to scholars working on eighteenth-century Britain and also to those interested in the struggle for empire." Albion"Redcoats is a significant and innovative work which makes an important addition to the literature not only of the British army, but also of eighteenth-century Britain and North America." War in History, Matthew C. Ward, University of Dundee
Synopsis
An examination of the experiences of British soldiers who fought in the Seven Years' War.
Synopsis
An examination of the experiences of the British soldiers, or 'redcoats', who fought in the Americas from 1755-1763. It explores the Army's distinctive society, using new evidence to provide a voice for ordinary soldiers, previously ignored by historians. Includes the experience of combat, Indian captivity, women, and veterans.
Synopsis
This book examines the experiences of the British Army soldiers, or 'redcoats', who fought in North America and the West Indies between 1755 and 1763. It explores the Army's distinctive society, using new evidence to provide a voice for ordinary soldiers who have previously been ignored by historians. While other books on the period concentrate upon major personalities and events, this study examines events from the perspective of the individual: the experience of combat, captivity among the Indians, the Army's women and the fate of veterans. Stephen Brumwell is a former newspaper journalist and Lecturer in Modern History at the University of Leeds and now works as a freelance writer. He is the author of scholarly articles and the co-author of The Cassell Companion to 18th Century British History (2001). Hb ISBN (2001) 0-521-80783-2
Description
Includes bibliographical references (p. ) and index.
Table of Contents
Introduction: approaching the 'American Army'; 1. Britain's war effort in the Americas; 2. Gone for a soldier; 3. Following the drum; 4. The environmental parameters of American campaigning; 5. The 'American Army' and Native Americans; 6. Irregular warfare in the Americas; 7. The tactical evolution of the Redcoats; 8. The Highland Battalions in the Americas; 9. The legacies of the 'American Army'.