Customer Reviews

Armies of Wellington

5 star:		(1)
4 star:		(0)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

For most people this is definitely a reference book to be pulled out as necessary. Haythornthwaite has always shown himself to a be a master of British Army history and here he is in his element.

The book is in 12 chapters that break down the structure of the British Napoleonic Army - and most particularly, Wellington's army into subject areas such as Officers, everyday life, Infantry, cavalry, commiseriat, medical services and command staff. It also has an extremely useful set of Appendices in the back which includes and excellent glossary for the less initiated, pay rates in 1815, field marshals and a host of other things.

I can't help thinking that this is a good book as part of series of resources for life in the army. It would go well with Anthony Brett-James wrote an excellent book a few years back on Life in Wellington's army which included a bit more on everyday life (entertaiments, dinners, women in the army &c.) - unfortunately this book is also out of print. The other book I think this complements well is Rory Muir's work 'Tactics and Experience of Battle in the Age of Napoleon' - which is more on the actual battle plans and for all countries in the Napoleonic wars - but it does draw mostly from English accounts. The three seem to overlap each other well and so cover most questions about life in Wellington's Army.