Book Reviews

Robert Craufurd's name and reputation will be familiar to anyone that has ever read a book on the Peninsular War. As commander of the Light Brigade under Moore and then the Light Division under Wellington, Craufurd took part in many of the major and minor actions of the period, from the time that he landed in Corunna in 1808 until his death during the storming of Cuidad Rodrigo in 1812.
The challenge for a biographer whose subject is already a well-known personality is to present the reader with material that is not just a rehash of the many histories already available. As it turns out, prior to 1808, Robert Craufurd had already seen action in several very varied theatres of war, from India to Ireland, and from South America to the Netherlands, in addition to military missions to the Army of the Condé defending the line of the Rhine as well as to the Swiss forces that joined with the Austrian Army after the French invasion of Switzerland. There was also a period of study with the Prussian military, and Craufurd even resigned his commission at one stage in order to pursue a short-lived commercial venture.
Mentioning this wealth of pre-Peninsular subject matter is by no means meant to detract from the author's achievement, in fact it's the level of Ian Fletcher's research into the early part of Craufurd's military career and into his personal life that brought many of the details of this period to light, and which, combined with Fletcher's writing style, make this book so interesting. 
The author dedicates roughly the first third of the book to examining Craufurd's early years. These formative years, which are often overlooked by historians, are important in understanding Craufurd's reputation as a strict disciplinarian, as well as his almost obsessive attention to detail in writing orders and instructions for subordinates. This is especially the case in the light of Craufurd's study, together with his brother Charles, of Prussian military success in the Seven Years' War.
Similarly, in the second part of the book, which deals with the Peninsular War, even where Craufurd's correspondence with Wellington clearly indicates that when not entirely occupied by the Light Division's military operations, he turned his mind to improving the division's supply situation and overall efficiency, the author also provides extracts from letters Craufurd wrote to his wife, stating that he enjoyed hunting during his spare time and even that he had attempted to procure his own hunting dogs.
In addition to the letters to and from his wife Fanny, the book also includes correspondence with his brother Charles as well as other friends and family members.
The book includes three interesting appendices. Appendix I explains how the common misconception about Craufurd's place of birth may have come about, Appendix II is Craufurd's Last Will and Testament and Appendix III is Craufurd's letter to the Times, defending his decisions and actions during the Combat on the Coa.
The book includes 16 maps, depicting the various regions where Craufurd saw action, as well as 16 pages of black-and-white illustrations, among which are contempory portraits of Craufurd's family, photos of places related to his personal life as well as depictions of various of the actions in which he was involved. In addition to a bibliography, there is an index which, interestingly, is divided by references to people, to places and to the individual units which comprised the Light Division.The pencil sketches by Christa Hood at the end of many of the chapters are a nice touch.
The author's text contains very few typos, however quite a few seem to have crept in during the transcription of the quotes and letters.
As mentioned, Robert Craufurd was not a minor character in the Peninsula War, so the later chapters contain information which can be found in most books on the Peninsular War, however the author intersperses this with many extracts from private letters and military correspondence.
In writing this book, the author has done exactly what a good biographer should - provided a deeper understanding of his subject's personality and experience, as well as his state of mind when called upon to make certain important decisions, In doing so, the author contradicts in some cases the myths, while in other cases he confirms them. More impressive than this, though, is that Fletcher brings the reader as close as surely must be possible to knowing Robert Craufurd, the man behind the myth.

Spanish Guerrillas in the Peninsular War 1808–14 (Osprey Elite 108)pan>
René Chartrand
ISBN: 978-1-8417-6629-4

The emergence and success of guerrilla bands in Spain during the Peninsular War is one of the best known military developments that led to the eventual defeat of France's land armies during the Napoleonic period. With the benefit of hindsight, it's easy to say that the level of Spanish popular resistance to the French occupation could have been expected, but considering the number of countries and states which had already fallen under French control without leading to such a development, it's understandable that the invading army hadn't reckoned with this factor.
The process of organising the guerrilla bands was of course neither planned nor carried out in a formal manner, so a description in the traditional manner, of military structure, training, uniforms and weaponry is accordingly not completely appropriate.
Instead, the author provides an exhaustive list of guerrilla bands, some very well known others (literally) short-lived.Where known, the uniform details are also mentioned, as are any actions of note in which the band was involved.
Eight colour plates, together with detailed commentaries are used to depict either uniforms or guerrilla tactics, as are numerous black-and-white illustrations, many from contemporary sources. 
The book not only covers the infantry, cavalry and artillery, but also the non-combatants that were involved in supporting the guerrillas.
The atrocities carried out by both the guerrillas and the French are also briefly covered. Of course, this is not to say that atrocities were not carried out by other forces in other campaigns, however the guerrilla and counter-guerrilla actions in Spain have earned a reputation as the most extreme examples of this behaviour, and the psychological effect on both sides was surely also unparalleled, except possibly in Russia in 1812.
The author also discusses the overall impact of the guerrillas, and describes the efforts required in disbanding and dispersing the bands after the end of hostilities.
The book, which includes a chronology of the most important events related to the guerrilla war in the Peninsula, a glossary of the Spanish terms used in the book, as well as an index and bibliography, provides a good overview of the various guerrilla bands and their tactics, and is a good starting point for anyone interested in finding out more about events in Spain away from the theatres dominated by the British-led allied armies.

Wellington's Light Division in the Peninsular War
- The Formation, Campaigns & Battles of Wellington's Famous Fighting Force 1810 -
Robert Burnham
ISBN: 978-1-5267-5890-3

Although the need for dedicated light infantry units within the British Army had already been recognised well before the start of the Napoleonic Wars, and Sir John Moore had created what was essentially a light infantry brigade within his Army in Spain in 1808, it was only in 1810 that a light division was formed, consisting of light infantry battalions together with attached light cavalry and horse artillery units.
This book tells the story of the first year of that division's existence, a year in which the cohesion of the division as well as its tactical abilities were refined by almost constant contact with the enemy, to the point where it became arguably the most efficient fighting force within the British army in the Peninsula.
Starting with the first experiments in Britian with training of light infantry during the French Revolutionary Wars, the book follows the events which led to the formation of the Light Division. The division's operations are described in detail, with at least as much attention given to oupost duties, in which often no actual combat took place, as to the division's participation in larger actions like the combat on the Côa, the Battle of Busaco or the pursuit of the French to Santarem during their retreat from the Lines of Torres Vedras.
Thankfully, the author doesn't just rely on the usual sources like Costello and Kincaid of the 95th Rifles, but includes numerous accounts from memoirs - many unpublished - and letters of participants within almost all units of the Light Division, as well as from other British, Portuguese and French sources. These accounts are not just quoted by the author, but are also analysed in detail, and any discrepancies between the various sources are pointed out. In addition, eyewitness accounts are only quoted when they are relevant to and complement the author's narrative, and are not just thrown in randomly for the sake of including contemporary accounts, as is the practice of some authors.
The last chapter of the book provides short biographies providing details on the further lives and careers of various characters mentioned in the text.
One point worth noting is that even though the author has obviously spent an enormous amount of time researching the book, he doesn't claim to be the ultimate authority on the subject, and is humble enough not just to credit those that aided him in his research, but also to admit whenever that research didn't furnish a definitive answer to a question, rather than simply glossing over or avoiding these areas.
The book includes 8 pages of colour photos as well as 8 pages of black-and white photos, all showing present-day views of places mentioned in the text.
15 maps show the deployment of the units within the Light Division at various stages during 1810, and help to illustrate the rotation of the units in and out of the front line. There are also numerous tables, listing for instance the Light Division's strength at various dates or the march routes and distance marched per day.
Five Appendices are included: Monthly Returns of each of the units in the Light Division from February to December 1810; a Gazeteer of Place Names, which provides the current names of places mentioned in the text; the GPS coordinates of the bridges and fords across the Agueda and Azaba rivers mentioned in the text; General Crauford's after-action report on the combat at Villa de Puerco and General Crauford's report on the Combat of the Côa.
A Bibliography, an Index of Names and an Index of Places complete the book. Notes on the text are included as footnotes on the relevant pages, rather than as an appendix, which saves having to flick backwards and forwards while reading. The fact that there are relatively few typos also contibutes to the readability of the book.
As mentioned, the book is well researched and well written, and the events are very well analysed. The information included in it will be especially useful to anyone wishing to follow on the ground the route of the Light Division during 1810 and the actions in which it was involved.

 


Victory vs Redoutable - Ships of the line at Trafalgar 1805 - (Osprey Duel 9)
Gregory Fremont-Barnes
ISBN: 978-1-8460-3134-2

Osprey's Duel series usually examines how two opposing troop, ship, plane or tank types performed in direct combat with each other, taking as examples several different occasions when they clashed. In the case of Victory and Redoutable, the ships only met once in combat, at Trafalgar, and even then there were other ships involved, so a one-on-one performance can't be easily assessed.
Instead, the author has chosen to take a wider view of naval operations of the period, particularly the British French and Spanish navies. The result of this decision is a book which could serve as a standard work of introduction to the period. The information contained in this volume will not only prove useful to those starting to study the period, but also to those that have already acquired some fundamental knowledge.
The amount of information that the author has managed to cram into the 80 pages of this book is amazing. Starting with the design and development of ships of the line, including side- and plan-views showing the various masts, sails and other essential parts of the ship, and continuing with the technical specifications, including an explanation o the rating system for ships of the line, side- and plan-views as well as a cutaway view of a loaded 32-pounder cannon, together with a side view of a 64-pounder carronade, the description of the ships themselves is completed  by illustrations of the various forms of ammunition used with the cannons.
A description of the strategic situation follows, then the stage is set for a description of the Battle of Trafalgar, introducing the combatants and the ships that were involved on both sides, including biographies of Rear-Admiral Charles Magon, who served on board the Algésiras, Vice-Admiral Cuthbert Collingwood, who served on board the Royal Sovereign, Vice-Admiral Pierre de Villeneuve, commander of the combined fleet, Admiral Don Federico Gravina, who served in the Principe de Asturias as well as of Vice-Admiral Horatio Nelson, commander of the Mediterranean Fleet at Trafalgar.
The method of warfare is described, including a description of the process of firing the guns, of aiming the guns at dfferent distances, and of the range of hand-held weaponry that was available to the crews. In addition, there is a plan showing the situation just prior to the two fleets coming into contact, with the British fleet executing Nelson's famous "crossing the 't' manoeuvre".
The aftermath of Trafalgar, including statistical analysis of the losses in ships and men on both sides, as well as the long-term effect of the Battle complete the book.
As usual for Osprey titles, the book includes colour plates and black-and white illustrations, many contemporary, as well as a chronology of naval operations during the Napoleonic Wars prior to Trafalgar, a bibliography and an index.
As mentioned, this book provides a great introduction to naval warfare, not just during the Napoleonic Wars, but applicable also to the French Revolutionary Wars, and deserves to become a standard short introduction to the subject.



Wellington and the British Army's Indian Campaigns 1798-1805
Martin R. Howard
ISBN: 978-1-4738-9446-2

The military campaigns of 1798 to 1805 were a fundamental aspect in the East India Company's expansion of power in the subcontinent, however those campaigns would largely be relegated to a sidebar of Indian history if it weren't for the subsequent rise to fame of one of the participants, Arthur Wellesley, later Duke of Wellington.
It's natural that students of Napoleonic history would want to learn more about the exploits of the "sepoy general" during this early part of his military career, and indeed his most famous victory in India, at Assaye in 1803, has already been dealt with in several books. His involvement, as Colonel of the 33rd Regiment of Foot, in the siege of Seringapatam in 1799 has also been covered, though to a less wide extent.
The campaigns in which Wellesley participated were not the only military actions during the period. In the northern part of India, General Gerard Lake earned a reputation at least equal to Wellesley’s. The author of this book has recognised that fact and gives each of the campaigns the coverage that it deserves, irrelevant of the later significance of the participants. As well as Wellesley and Lake, other British military commanders were involved, not always successfully.
On the whole, though, at a time when British military expeditions in Europe were far from successful, the experience gained in India brought much-needed confidence in the abilities of British-led armies.
In addition to the military aspect, the author also examines the politics of the period. Arthur Wellesley's older brother Richard, who was Governor-General of the Presidency of Fort William in India at the time, played no small part in crafting the political policy that the military campaigns enforced.
The book is divided into three parts. The first part describes the armies involved. Evolution and organisation of the East India Company's locally raised, but mainly British-led forces, is contrasted with that of the Company's major enemies of the period.
The second, and central part of the book, examines the actual campaigns - Mysore 1799, various uprisings between 1799 and 1803, the Deccan 1803, Hindustan 1803 as well as the war against Holkar from 1804 to 1805.
The political and military manoeuvring of the opposing sides leading up to the major battles are discussed, and the battles and sieges themselves are described in some detail, including accompanying maps.
The last section of the book deals with the experiences of the soldiers that participated in the campaigns, from the commanders down to the lowest foot soldiers. Not just the experiences in action, but also recruitment, training and day-to-day tasks are covered. 
As well as the three sections already mentioned, the book includes 8 appendices which list troop strengths at various dates.
The book includes 16 pages of colour plates as well as 18 black-and-white maps of the area of campaign or the battlefield, showing the troop dispositions.
Notes on the text, a glossary of the terms specific to India, a bibliography and an index complete the book, which is almost free of typos.
Of itself, the subject of this book is interesting, but it is the level of research and the quality of the writing that make it both an enjoyable read and a worthwhile study of the period.




Armies of the East India Company 1750-1850
Osprey Men-at-Arms 453
Stuart Reid
ISBN: 978-1-8460-3460-2
The Honourable East India Company was originally intended to be a purely commercial enterprise, however the situation in India led to the Company raising a small force to defend its trading posts against attack by various hostile factions. From these humble beginnings, at first in response to the outbreak of the Seven Years War, but later increasingly due to the aggressive military and political policies of the Company's representatives, its military might grew to the point where it was able to subjugate a large part of the Indian subcontinent.
While the French Revolutionary Wars were in full swing in Europe, and even expanded to Egypt and Syria, and later, during the first couple of years of the French Empire, India saw the Third and Fourth Anglo-Mysore Wars as well as the Second Anglo-Maratha War, with the combined forces of the East India Company and the British Army commanded by Cornwallis, Wellesley and Lake.
This book describes the evolution of the Army's organisation as well as the troops' uniforms and equipment during the period. Eight colour plates together with detailed commentaries are used to depict the uniforms, as are numerous black-and-white illustrations, most of them from contemporary sources. 
The book not only covers the infantry, cavalry and artillery of the three Company "presidencies" - Bombay, Madras and Bengal - but also the engineers and camp followers. The distinction between "European" and "Native" units is also explained.
The period covered by the books ends a few years before the Indian mutiny, in the wake of which the Company and its army were taken over by the British Crown.
The book, which includes a chronology of the most important events during the period, as well as an index, provides a good overview of the army's organisation and uniforms, together with some basic information on the era's history.





A Peer Among Princes
The Life of Thomas Graham, Victor of Barrosa, Hero of the Peninsular War
Philip Grant
ISBN: 978-1-5267-4541-5
Considering that, until well into his forties, he had never intended to follow a military career, Thomas Graham's rise to second-in-command of the British army in the Peninsula War might seem a remarkable achievement. However, once he had decided to follow this path, Graham used all of his considerable means and connections to ensure that he had a place in the thick of the action wherever and whenever possible.
This wasn't to make a name for himself, or for personal gain, but simply that this was how he believed he could best serve his country, or more specifically, serve the cause of defeating the French.
This book follows the usual biographical format, starting with the subject's early life and the period prior to his military career, the majority of the book being dedicated to his military career, and the later chapters relating his retirement and old age.
In this case, though, the section describing Graham's earlier life is also quite detailed. These years of a person's life are generally referred to as formative years, and in the case of Thomas Graham, the results of that formation are very much evident in his later life. As a landowner, his passion for organising his land to increase its yield was useful when faced with the organisational task of raising a regiment of infantry for the British Army. His interest in hunting developed an appreciation of the ground as well as the ability to read a situation, a quality which, in French commanders of the time, is usually referred to as "coup d'oeil", and which was especially evident at Barrosa. Experience of travelling across Europe and an interest in foreign languages aided in posts such as his assignment as British Commissioner with the Austrian Army, and the independence of action to which he was accustomed due to his circumstance as landowner instilled in him the determination and self-sufficiency to escape from the besieged city of Mantua in 1796.  
Even after his retirement from military service, Graham didn't rest on his laurels, but remained active in a number of areas, for instance he was instrumental in the founding of the United Service Club.
In writing this biography, the author was aided by the availability of two very important documents. The first is Thomas Graham's daily journal, a diary of sorts, which he kept in the earlier years of his adulthood. The second document is the memoir that Graham dictated to his secretary in 1830 and 1831.
The book includes a chronology of Thomas Graham's life and times, 16 pages of colour plates as well as several black-and white illustrations, a section of Notes on the text and an Index. Graham's dispatch following the Battle of Barrosa is included as an appendix.
The book is well researched and well written, and, a rarity these days, almost free of typos, though there are a couple of minor muddles over dates in the section on Graham's earlier life.
Both for the engrossing subject matter and the quality of the writing, this book is well worth acquiring.

 



French Warship Crews 1789-1805
Osprey Warrior 97
Terry Crowdy
ISBN: 978-1-8417-6745-1
The subtitle of this book is "From the French Revolution to Trafalgar". Although not specifically stated, it's unlikely that a second volume, covering the period from Trafalgar until the end of the Napoleonic Wars, was ever planned. Rather, the culmination of the Trafalgar campaign is generally considered as marking the effective end of French (and Spanish) opposition to British naval superiority. In large part, the details provided in this book would however also be applicable for the later period.
While the focus of the book is the crewmen themselves, it is of course necessary to discuss the ships and equipment that the crewmen served, and these are described in some of the eight colour plates as well as the numerous contemporary illustrations in black-and-white.
The composition of the crews, as well as the competencies and responsibilities of the various positions on board, are explained in some detail. Also included is the ship's garrison, i.e. the marine infantrymen that were carried on most ships.
In addition to iving conditions onboard, the medical services available during normal working of the ship as well as in combat are discussed, as are discipline and punishment, maritime incription and life in captivity.
Even though the text and illustrations in themselves would be enough to make this book worth having, it is also packed with useful information, like a chronology of naval actions during the period, a table listing the nominal crew composition of various types of ships, a table of the armament carried by the various types of ship, and another table listing the penetrative power of the various guntypes at certain ranges.
A bibliography and an index complete the book. 
      


The Hunt for Moore's Gold - Investigating the Loss of the British Army's Military Chest during the Retreat to Corunna
John Grehan
ISBN: 978-1-5267-3053-4
For over 200 years, the fate of the military chest abandoned during the British Army's retreat to Corunna has been a matter of conjecture. The term "chest" in this case refers not to an item of furniture but generically to monies under the charge of the paymaster general, intended to be used for the army's pay and subsistence. In fact, the abandoned "military chest" consisted of several barrels filled with coins, which were rolled down the steep mountain slopes to avoid them falling into the hands of the pursuing French forces. In 2018, the author set out for Spain, in an attempt to finally solve the mystery, basing his search on a comprehensive study of contemporary sources, combined with on the ground help from local experts.
Rather than restrict the scope of this work to recounting his search for the military chest, the author decided to include as background information a history of the campaign, making good use of his extensive research. The resulting book is therefore divided into two parts.
The first part briefly describes the background to the Napoleonic Wars and the conflict in the Peninsula, before relating in comprehensive detail the advance of Moore's army to Sahagun, followed by its retreat to Corunna.
As mentioned, the account of the campaign, and especially the retreat, is very well researched and written, with many quotes from contemporary sources.
In addition, the author discusses Moore's belief that the British army's advance had not been meaningless, and that it had distracted the attention of the French forces away from the Spanish armies, gaining them time to regroup and prepare for further resistance.  
Unfortunately, the author's efforts and attention to historical detail are marred by the amount of typos in the book, but even so, this first part on its own is on a par with the best histories of the Peninsular War, and as such would be reason enough to acquire the book.
Two of the four maps, as well as most of the sixteen pages of colour photographs in the book (the ones showing current views of the route of the retreat) relate to the text in this first part of the book.
The second part of the book is dedicated to the author's search for the military chest. Considering the amount of detail devoted to the account of the campaign, it's disappointing that the description of the search only takes up 26 pages, especially considering the title of the book. It's not clear whether this is due to modesty on the author's part or some other reason. There is certainly a sense that the second part of the book comes to an abrupt, maybe even premature, end. Possibly the search would have been better served by a documentary film than by a book.
For those interested in numbers and statistics, two appendices provide supplementary information: "Reasons for the loss of equipment during the Corunna Campaign" and "British losses in the Corunna Campaign". Again, this painstaking level of detail is in stark contrast to the sparse depiction of the author's search.
The book is completed by an Index, Source Information and Notes on the Text.




British Light Infantry & Rifle Tactics of the Napoleonic Wars
Osprey Elite 215
Philip Haythornthwaite
ISBN: 978-1-4728-1606-1
During the Napoleonic Wars, the British army employed light infantry for a variety of operational tasks and in a wide range of organisational combinations.
Depending on the situation and the number of units available, a specific tactical approach was decided upon by the relevant commander, either in advance or as events unfolded.
This book presents the light infantry tactics used at each organisational level: from light infantry companies of individual battalions to dedicated light infantry battalions and regiments, composite light infantry battalions, right up to complete light infantry brigades.
As with the previous volumes on Napoleonic tactics within the Osprey Elite series, Haythornthwaite uses a combination of full-page colour plates and extracts from contemporary manuals and regulations to illustrate the tactics discussed in the accompanying text.
In addition to their tactics, the author discusses light infantry equipment and uniforms, with the aid of photos of original examples from various regiments. In the case of those units armed with the rifle, the main difference compared to line infantry is obvious, but there were also minor differences, often for practical reasons, e.g. short-tailed coats for easier movement, or the adoption of a small bugle badge on the shako rather than a large plate which was more likely to reflect the sunlight.
As well as numerous - mostly contemporary -  illustrations of light infantry in action, the book includes portraits of the pioneers of light infantry tactics within the British army, accompanied by a discussion on the origins and development of those tactics.
As stated in the title, the focus of this work is British Light Infantry and Rifle units. Allied units, such as the light battalions of the Kings German Legion, the Brunswick Oels Jägers and Portuguese Caçadores get a passing mention in the text, but only to indicate that their tactics were essentially the same as those of the British army.
An index, Source Notes and a Bibliography complete this book, which is a worthy addition to the series.




Walking Waterloo - A Guide 
Charles J. Esdaile
ISBN: 978-1-5267-4078-6
Even though the Battle of Waterloo is undoubtedly the most written-about and studied battle in history, and barely a month goes by without at least one title being added to that already extensive bibliography, every once in a while a new book succeeds in standing out from the crowd.
In the case of "Walking Waterloo", there are two reasons for this. The first is that the book allows the reader to choose from not one, but eight different tours of the battlefield. The first, or "Grand" tour is the classic overview of the battle, while the other seven tours concentrate on specific segments of the battlefield or phases of the battle.
The second reason that this book stands out is that the author doesn't attempt to disprove the Prussian version of events and prove the British version, or vice versa, but rather argues that the two narratives can be combined into a single credible explanation.
As mentioned, the book includes eight separate tours. Inevitably, some of the locations on the battlefield are included in more than one tour, which leads to a certain amount of repetition. In these cases, the relevant text is duplicated rather than being rehashed with slightly different wording. This repetition could have been avoided by using the approach employed in the "Choose Your Own Adventure" books which were popular in the eighties and early nineties. In those books, the method used - essentially an analog forerunner of the hyperlink - instructed the reader e.g. "If you choose to take the door on the left, go to page 96; if you choose to take the door on the right, go to page 35". The author could have used something like "If you're on Tour 3, go to page 96; if you're on Tour 5, go to page 35".
This would have reduced the number of pages in the book by perhaps ten percent, but on the other hand, if you're standing in the middle of a field, you don't necessarily want to have to flick backwards and forwards through a book to find out where you need to go next. In any case, at 300 pages, the book is by no means in urgent need of being slimmed down.
Speaking of standing in the middle of a field, the decision to use a somewhat thicker, glossy paper than normal for paperbacks probably makes the book more durable and weather-resistant.
The book includes numerous photographs of the battlefield which were taken by the author, as well as reproductions of paintings representing scenes from the battle. In many cases, these paintings were more fanciful than factual, as the author points out in the accompanying captions. Having said that, the illustration on page 272, representing Grenadiers of the French Imperial Guard, is misidentified in the book as Chasseurs of the Guard.
To the credit of the author, even in those sections where the text is repeated, different photographs or illustrations are included.
Although most readers will already be familiar with the general layout of the battlefield, the author points out a number of important features, like the intermediate ridge a short distance in front of the main French line, as well as the watershed which effectively divides the battlefield into two halves, East and West. The author uses the existence of these features to dispel some of the myths about the battle.
He also examines the line of sight from various points, again to the detriment of several previous narratives. Rather than attempt to force the reader to accept his argument by repeating it ad nauseum, as has been done by some other writers on the subject, the author simply states his case, and leaves the readers, standing on the same spot, to decide whether or not they agree. 
Each section describing a tour is accompanied by a map of the part of the battlefield covered by the tour.
In addition, at the start of the book, there are 10 maps illustrating the course of the battle. 
The book is completed by a short section of source notes, as well as a bibliography. Unusually, no index is included.
Even though the book contains quite a few typos, there aren't enough of these to distract the reader significantly.
For the reader at home, the author's examination of the battle provides important insights which could only be gained by personal study on the ground.
For those that choose to take this excellent book with them to the battlefield and to follow one or more of the tours, walking the field while sharing in the author's insights will make the experience even more rewarding.  




The Flintlock Musket - Brown Bess and Charleville
1715-1865 
Osprey Weapon 44
Stuart Reid
ISBN: 978-1-4728-1095-3
The period covered by this book saw the emergence of the flintlock musket as the principal weapon carried by the ordinary infantryman.
Some of the most famous - and bloody - conflicts in modern history also took place during this period: the Seven Years War, the American War of Independence, the French Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars and the American Civil War.
The book concentrates on the two most widespread and successful musket models of the period, the Brown Bess and the Charleville, hence the restriction of the date range to between 1715 and 1865. This is not to say that the flintlock was only widely used between these dates. In fact, the start date of the period covered is the year after the War of the Spanish Succession ended, and indeed in the introduction the author mentions Marlborough as one of the military leaders that owed his success to the flintlock musket, albeit an earlier model.
The author also acknowledges the use of rifled weapons, like the Baker rifle, during the period.
The increase in destructive firepower which accompanied the evolution of the flintlock musket, as well as the defensive strength achieved by the seemingly simple innovation of attaching a bayonet to the end of the musket led to the development of new infantry tactics, and also to variations in firing procedure, like firing by ranks, by platoon, etc. Superseding the cumbersome pike by the more maneageable musket allowed the infantryman greater mobility on the battlefield.
Appropriately, the author grants discussion of these aspects roughly the same amount of space in the book as the detailed descriptions of the individual components of the flintlock mechanism, and their evolution from the previous firelock and matchlock.
As mentioned, the author has chosen the Black Bess and the Charleville to represent the flintlock musket, but even among these two models numerous variants developed over time. A list of the principal variants of British, French and American flintlocks, as well as the year of their introduction, is included to illustrate this point.
The book includes numerous photograps of authentic period Brown Bess and Charleville muskets, as well as illustrations accompanying the discussion on the tactics of the period. 
Photos of a re-enactor performing the British infantry drill illustrate the steps required to load and fire the musket.
As important as the musket itself, and also covered in this work, are the various accessories, like powder flask, ramrod, pricker for cleaning the touchhole, the carrying sling, etc. including, as mentioned, the bayonet.
Even the ingredients and method of manufacturing the gunpowder used with the flintlock musket merit a page in this volume.
The book is completed by a useful glossary, a bibliography and an index.
Ultimately, the flintlock itself was superseded by firearms with more lethal firepower, greater accuracy and more efficient loading and firing mechanisms, however the concept of the "universal" infantryman achieved by the introduction of the flintlock musket has essentially remained the same ever since.
Although the time span covered by this work is much broader than just the Napoleonic Wars, the two musket models featured were the mainstay of the infantry during those wars, and as such the book provides very useful informaton for anyone interested in the warfare of the era. As with probably the majority of Osprey books, the amount of information the book provides is impressive for the size of the book (80 pages). At the same time, the author's very capable treatment of the subject will likely inspire many readers to delve deeper into the topic, either by further reading on Brown Bess and Charleville muskets, or on the many other lesser-known models of the time.