Redcoat: The British Soldier in the Age of Horse and MusketRedcoat 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 Redcoat, 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. |
Contents
THAT ARTICLE THERE | 3 |
SCARLET AND BLUE | 13 |
TO FLANDERS PORTUGAL AND SPAIN | 21 |
RED COAT AND BROWN BESS | 32 |
ENGLAND HOME AND BEAUTY? | 47 |
ALL THE KINGS HORSES AND ALL THE KINGS MEN | 77 |
SWORD AND STATE | 79 |
LINE OF BATTLE | 88 |
MORE LIKE PRISONS | 261 |
DAUGHTERS OF THE REGIMENT | 288 |
CARROT AND STICK | 303 |
FOREIGN FIELDS | 323 |
CHAIN OF COMMAND | 325 |
THE TROOPERS ON THE TIDE | 341 |
THE PAINFUL FIELD | 353 |
THE IMMINENT DEADLY BREACH | 374 |
BROTHERS OF THE BLADE | 133 |
SCUM OF THE EARTH | 135 |
EPAULETTE GENTRY | 157 |
HORSE FOOT GUNS AND WOUNDS | 181 |
MARCHING REGIMENTS | 183 |
GALLOPING AT EVERYTHING | 223 |
THE NIMBLE GUNNER | 237 |
CURRENCY OF WAR | 245 |
HOME FIRES | 259 |
CAPTAINS IN OPEN FIELD | 388 |
EPILOGUE | 407 |
WORTHY OF REMEMBRANCE | 409 |
REFERENCES | 419 |
BIBLIOGRAPHY | 433 |
| 442 | |
| 443 | |
Other editions - View all
Redcoat: The British Soldier in the Age of Horse and Musket Richard Holmes No preview available - 2002 |
Common terms and phrases
adjutant American amongst arms artillery attack Badajoz ball barracks battalion battle bayonet became brigade British army Brown Bess camp campaign Captain carried cent charge coat Coldstream Guards colours commanding officer commission comrades corps Crimea death dress drill drink Duke eighteenth century enemy enlisted Ensign fell fighting fire flogging Foot fought French front George George Gleig Gleig Grattan grenadier Guards guns Highland horse Hussars Ibid India Indian Mutiny Irish John John Peebles killed King's Lancers Lieutenant Colonel light cavalry Light Dragoons Light Infantry London Lord Loy Smith military militia musket Napoleonic Napoleonic wars National Army Museum NCOs North America op.cit Peebles Peninsula Peninsular War Private rank recruits regiment Rifle roundshot Royal Scots secretary at war senior sergeant major served shako shot siege soldiers surgeon Surtees sword Thomas told took troops Waterfield Waterloo Wellington William wore wounded wrote young