Designed for those with an interest in the Napoleonic Wars; from 1804 to 1815; this is a guide to all the uniforms worn in the Duke of Wellington's victorious army; from the hard campaigning of the Peninsular War to the final great victory over Napoleon at Waterloo. Each regiment and unit in Wellington's army is described; and its uniforms and equipment detailed. Beyond the regulations laid down for what a soldier should wear; the author describes the reality of life on campaign; the wear and tear on uniforms and the way they were adapted. How comfortable was it to wear a cocked hat in the rain with water running off it like a fountain? Drawing on first-hand accounts; the book creates a true picture of what Wellington's redcoats really looked like.
#1703941 in Books Greenhill Books 2006-02-19Original language:EnglishPDF # 1 9.50 x .81 x 6.44l; .0 #File Name: 1853675644256 pages
Review
10 of 10 people found the following review helpful. One of the most distressing retreats of Peninsular WarBy A. WoodleyThis is one of the most distressing events of the Peninsular war. From Christmas of 1808 it became clear the Sir John Moore had over-reached himself in attempting to push the French out of the Iberian Peninsular. Abandoned by his Spanish Allies he was forced to run before Napoleon; who for the only time ever interested himself directly in the Spanish problem. Aware that his forces were about to be caught in a pincer from Napoleon and Soult Moore and the British troops retreated in the middle of a harsh winter over the Cantabrian mountains to the only place they could safely depart; Corunna.Summerville's account of this retreat is enormously satisfying to read. He has done his research and has provided good footnotes. I appreciate that he has them within easy reach at the end of each chapter instead of at the end of the book.I was a bit disappointed with the maps; there are only three of them; an overall map of spain; one of the retreat with the main towns on them; and one of the battle of Corunna. Given that the terrain played such an enormous part in this retreat and the problems I would have thought that topographical detail (although difficult) would have provided a particularly relevant map. I also would have liked to see elevations there.Another issue with the maps is it would have been nice to see dates next to the towns (as in date they reached it.) But I guess you can easily cross reference the town on the chapter with the date on the map.I have read a few of the accounts of this retreat from soldiers including Kincaid and Sir Harry Smith; but the disadvantage of this accounts is they tended to gloss over the real harshness; violence and at times despair.this is an unsparing account; an excellent read. It has a photo section but it is black and white which is disappointing. As a read on the Peninsular War it is FANTASTIC and highly recommendedA Woodley
