W H Fitchett
British soldiers at war with Napoleon-their own wordsThis anthology contains four vital, first-hand accounts from British soldiers who fought in the Napoleonic Wars -specifically in the Peninsular War which was fought in Portugal, Spain and in the Pyrenees region of southern France between 1808-14. One account takes the reader into one of the most renowned engagements of all time; The Battle of Waterloo of 1815. This was the reality of 19th-century warfare through the eyes of the men on the ground and told in their own words. Fitchett provides introductory remarks and very useful contextual commentary to each account, but allows the authentic voices of these four especially selected men of different ranks to recount their own perspectives- making this book an entertaining and useful guide for anyone interested in this subject or needing information for study. Captain John Kincaid was a gallant, dashing and ’devil- may- care’ junior officer of the famous green- jacketed 95th Rifles, made famous in modern popular fiction. His witty style brought him success as an author of two books. By way of contrast the illiterate Benjamin Harris, who served in the same regiment as a private soldier, recounted his story to an officer who turned it into the abiding written word. He tells of gruelling marches, starvation, and hard warfare fought by these elite, sharp-shooting skirmishers. Sergeant James Anton, serving with the 42nd (Highland) Regiment of Foot (The Black Watch).served in campaigns across Iberia and the Pyrenees. The 42nd were heavily engaged before Waterloo at Quatre Bras, where it was caught in the open fields by French lancers and, in consequence, suffered severely. Captain Cavalié Mercer presents the view of an officer who commanded a troop of Royal Horse Artillery during the Battle of Waterloo. His well known and regarded testimony details the action of his gunners as they fired into the faces of Napoleon’s charging cavalry amid the noise and chaos of the battlefield. Leonaur editions are newly typeset and are not facsimiles; each title is available in softcover and hardback with dustjacket.
