Customer Reviews

Rifles

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Mark Urban is a well known and well respected journalist. He has covered many wars in his role both as a newspaper and television journalist and has written several books including `The SAS and the Secret Struggle against the IRA,' and more recently the best seller `The Man Who Broke Napoleon's Codes.' For anyone with an interest in British military history this book is a must read.

For any readers who enjoy the Sharpe novels by Bernard Cornwell, this is the chance to read about the real thing as Mark Urban recounts the story of the 95th rifles, the regiment that provided the Duke of Wellington with his crack troops. These were the first riflemen to actually aim at their target. In the past riflemen had basically fired in volleys in the general direction of the enemy and just hoped that they hit someone or something.

These men are not the typical soldiers that were around at the time. They fight tactically and maneouvre. They are a complete new breed of men, creating what is the modern idea of the British infantryman.

The book is not some dour historical tome, but a vibrant, interesting insight into life in the British Army at the time of Wellington's greatest triumphs.

I read the hardcover edition while on deployment overseas and could not put it down. I became interested with the soldiers and tactics of the 95th Rifles after watching "Sharpes Rifles" on PBS.

Urban's research and writing style superbly captures the life and campaigns of the British Rifleman during the Napoleonic Wars. As a career soldier, I saw many similiarities with the trials and dangers faced by these soldiers and those of today. The weapons have changed, but many of the the hardships remain. Their tactical deployment and experiences have become the foundations of today's modern infantry.

I highly recommend this book to historians, military buffs, Sharpe's series fans and anyone who wants to read a true "ripping good yarn".

The book, Rifles, by Mark Urban is great. It is very well written and easy to read. It also has all the right information on the peninsular war any fan could want. It tells the overall story of the war clearly, but also gives a interesting account from all the major men and officers blended in very well. I highly recommend this book to anyone who likes history.