In the early years of the English Civil War (1642-1651), a French traveller in England remarked that the Irish "are better soldiers abroad than at home." Between 1585 and 1818, over half a million Irish were lured from their homeland by promises of glory, money and honour in a constant emigration romantically styled "The Flight of the Wild Geese." Throughout this period, the Irish brigades in France and Spain participated in conflicts ranging from the wars of the Spanish and Austrian Succession (1701-1714 and 1740-1748 respectively) to the Napoleonic Wars (1799-1815). Spanning over two centuries of history, this book examines the uniforms and organization of the Wild Geese in France and Spain.
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Packed with specially commissioned artwork, maps and diagrams, the Men-at-Arms series is an unrivalled illustrated reference on the history, organisation, uniforms and equipment of the world's military forces, past and present.
About the Author
Mark McLaughlin is a respected military historian with a special interest in Irish forces. This is his first Osprey title.
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
14 of 14 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Well-illustrated overview of oft-forgotten Irish soldiers,
By mgmprsm@li.com (Canaan, CT, USA) - See all my reviews
This review is from: The Wild Geese : The Irish brigades of France and Spain (Men at Arms Series, 102) (Paperback)
The Wild Geese is an exceptionally well-illustrated and very tightly written introduction to a story which spans three centuries of military history. The Irish who fled to France and Spain to take military service with the Catholic kings in the 1600s were the precursors of the famous Irish Brigades of those countries, and of our own. Although constrained by the page limit of the books in this series, the author nevertheless manages to give a good deal of information about the names, organization, deeds and histories of these regiments. He even includes anectodotes and quotes from officers and men of those units -- and their opponents. The book includes a section on the Irish exile units that fought for Napoleon, the Pope, for several Latin American armies and for the United States in our revolution and civil war. He even mentions the San Patrico battalion, a group of Irish deserters from the AMerican army who fought for Mexico in the Mexican-American war. There is even a brief epilogue dealing with how some of these units live on today in modern armies (there are historical companies in certain French and Spanish regiments that trace their lineage to the Irish regiments, as well as our own 165th infantry, the descendent of the 69th New York of the Civil War Irish Brigade). It is richly illustrated with both historical art and a set of uniform drawings (or "plates") made especially for this book.A great and rare treat that is a must for anyone interested in Irish military history.
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