Customer Reviews

British Rifleman 1797-1815 (Warrior)

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

 

 

I am bit surprise to see that no one has written a review on this book. It been out since 2002. Overall, I found British Rifleman to be an excellent basic study of how the riflemen came to be in the British Army during the Napoleonic Wars. The roots lies during the American Revolution and the development of light infantry tactics by the British army (even although it was gaining favors else where in Europe). However the book traces the fact that without an adequate rifle for military use, you can't developed a light infantry based on rifles. That where the introduction of the Baker rifle came into play, a heavy, bit awkward but sturdy weapon that can hold up to combat situation.

Most of the book after that deals with the creation of the rifle units, most famously the 95th and other scattered units. The uniforms, unit organization, gears and all that is describe fairly well and fairly complete. The only part I still had a problem with was the loading. I wish that the author actually show how the Baker rifle is loaded instead of giving us the narrative.

Otherwise, this is an excellent reference book on the subject matter. Anyone out there who is a fan of Bernard Cornwell's Sharpe series will do well to read this book as a good historical background material.