Redcoat: The British Soldier in the Age of Horse and Musket [Hardcover]

Richard Holmes (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: October 14, 2002

A rich, anecdotal history of the British soldier from the American Revolution through the Indian Mutiny.

Redcoat 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. 32 pages of plates, map, portraits, some in color

Editorial Reviews

From Booklist

The British army in the nineteenth century was not particularly large compared with such Continental armies as those of France and Russia. The enlisted men were often recruited from the "scum of the earth." Many officers gained their commissions and promotions through family connections rather than valor on the battlefield. Both officers and "rankers" often drank to excess. Yet, the British army was often a devastatingly effective fighting force that was instrumental in the expansion and maintenance of the Victorian empire. Holmes, a military historian, has written a masterful survey of this proud institution from the American Revolution to the Indian Sepoy Mutiny of 1857. What emerges is a picture of a force whose discipline and esprit de corps overcame the individual shortcomings of both officers and enlisted men. This is not a chronicle of continuous triumph, as Holmes' description of the horrific retreat from Kabul illustrates. Still, there is an abundance of genuine heroism here, and this absorbing work also effectively conveys the sights, sounds, and smells of barracks life. Jay Freeman
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

About the Author

Richard Holmes is a celebrated military historian. He lives in England.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 496 pages
• Publisher: W. W. Norton & Company (October 14, 2002)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0393052117
• ISBN-13: 978-0393052114
• Product Dimensions: 9.4 x 6.3 x 1.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.6 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (8 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #967,997 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

17 of 17 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars An Overdue, Stand-Alone Treatment, July 20, 2004

By 

Thomas M. Sullivan (Lake George, NY USA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Redcoat: The British Soldier in the Age of Horse and Musket (Hardcover)

Perhaps the single most identifiable soldier in History, the British Redcoat, gets Author Holmes' undivided attention in this delightful volume, and it's about time. As an avid reader of 18th and 19th Century British military history, I thought myself thoroughly familiar with the lives and times of the common soldier, loved or reviled by the same sobriquet, "Redcoat", but I couldn't resist ordering this volume just in case, and I'm very glad I did. In reading it, one realizes that the numerous works recounting major battles, etc., although necessarily touching on the lives of those who fought them, seldom take the time (or make the effort) to dwell on them. Using the technique so skillfully and more expansively employed by Lyn MacDonald in her wonderful World War I books, that is, the recollections of actual soldies as an integral part of the narrative, Holmes weaves a rich and unique tapestry of every facet of the British soldier's life during the period (c. 1755-1860) with discussions of military actions limited to setting the stage for the "real" central players, the men who took the orders rather than gave them. If this concentration on rank-and-file British combatants of the era is not unique to this book, it is certainly rare in my experience, and I recommend this fine work to anyone interested in the period and its soldiers.

12 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Balanced and Informative, March 14, 2003

By 

Roger Kennedy (USA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Redcoat: The British Soldier in the Age of Horse and Musket (Hardcover)

I like how this book points out in the beginning how in recent cinema the British redcoat has been derided by politically correct gibberish movies. This book shows how wrong Hollywood has been with its simplistic views on history. This superlative work provides more social history than true battle accounts. In this respect I am reminded of Byron Farwell's books on the British and Indian armies in the 19th century. These works were more social military history as well, just as Richard Holmes book is here. There is nothing wrong with this approach. Unless you prefer just pure military history instead.

Holmes deals with the earlier period of Horse and Musket, 1750s to 1850s roughly, and provides much needed analysis in that era. The reader will find a lot of fascinating information on the organization of the British army by various branches and departments. You can find out the number of regiments in the army, how they were broken down into different types, etc. He does this for infantry, cavalry and artillery. Readers will find this particularly useful because this information is often referred to eslewhere, but not elaborated on in other works. Here you will learn the anatomy of the British army. The book is filled with all sorts of fascinating details. The famed 95th Rifles for instance were formed from drafts from the militia and 12 line regiments.

Holmes uses extensive memoirs and first-hand accounts to illustrate his points. Many of these works have been cited elsewhere, but their inclusion here provides additional clarification. Some of the works are well known and are in print again, but their use here is useful. Some readers may become confused because Holmes tends to jump around from one period to another in order to make his point. Those not well versed in British military history of the period may find it difficult to keep up at times. Notwithstanding this minor point this is still a tremendously informative book. I personally found much that was new to me even though I have studied this topic for many years. It also clarified many other points that I was not sure on from readings elsewhere. This book should be read by all future movie producers so that they can get it right when it comes to portraying the redcoat on film. Doubtless they will chose to ignore it. Those interested in the topic and period can't go wrong with this excellent work. You will want to have this in your library for constant use.

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Well done history of the 18th/19th century British Army, February 7, 2003

By 

Kiwibelge (New York USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Redcoat: The British Soldier in the Age of Horse and Musket (Hardcover)

Any avid reader of British or military history will enjoy this book on the British army of the 18th and 19th centuries. The author has performed extensive research using many primary sources, and has made heavy use of snippets from these sources in describing aspects of military life. Using quotes from journals or memoirs of the soldiers involved gives the reader a better understanding of the topic. This is not the stereotypical dry history book.

The book covers all aspects of military life in the British Army of this time period. Chapters are devoted to weaponry, typical army formations, cavalry, artillery, and auxiliary troops (engineers), as well as less typical topics such as camp life, barracks life, and women attached to the army ("Daughters of the Regiment"). The book doesn't discuss the battles of the period.

This book is an enjoyable read. I found the sections on the impact of the Brown Bess musket and the rifle, the organization of the army, the discussion on the types of men who became soldiers ("The Scum of the Earth", coined by the Duke of Wellington during the Peninsular War), and the descriptions of camp life to be particularly interesting. The reader gets a good feel for the social conditions, customs, tactics, and mindsets that made a soldier in the British Army of the time. That being said, I still don't think I will ever fully appreciate or understand how any sane person could stand still in front of an advancing enemy while wearing a red uniform that provided no camouflage under any circumstances.

If you are not familiar with all the battles of the British Army in this time period you may at times not fully understand the context of what is being discussed, especially in the chapters that describe the Army in India and Europe. Anecdotes from very different time periods were often used side by side to discuss the same point, which is valuable in proving a point but at times was a little disorientating. For example I had very little knowledge of the Army in India, so had to reread certain portions of the book to refresh my memory and make sure I understood the circumstances surrounding the anecdote or comment.

One other minor point. The author did extensive research, but almost exclusively relied memoirs and research done by British authors. Some sections mention views and stories about British soldiers from an opponent's perspective, but I would have been interested to see this theme developed into it's own topic.

On the whole, very readable history and well worth the time spent. This book is an excellent complement to any history books describing battles of the time period. I'm hoping the author's next topic is the British Navy.