In this landmark book Philip Haythornthwaite traces the career of a British soldier from enlistment, through the key stages of his path through the military system, including combat, all the way to his eventual discharge. His fascinating account shows how varied the recruits of the day were, from ur[...]

The British Army that faced Napoleon in the Peninsula was small by continental standards, but it consistently out-fought larger French armies, never losing a major open-field action.[...]

In 1795 the Russian army was as vast as the territory from which it was drawn. The College of War calculated that the regular army amounted to 541,741 men, plus 46,601 enrolled cossacks, and at least a further 100,000 irregular cavalry which could be mobilised in time of war. Inspired by the icons p[...]

During the Napoleonic Wars the supreme battlefield shock weapon was the heavy cavalry - the French cuirassiers, and their British, Austrian, Prussian and Russian counterparts. Big men mounted on big horses, the heavy cavalry were armed with swords nearly a metre long, used for slashing or thrusting [...]

Despite the many celebrated victories of the British Army during the Napoleonic Wars (1799-1815), the role of the Royal Navy should never be overlooked. The 'wooden walls' formed the country's first and most important line of defence, and ranged throughout the world to protect Britain's trade-routes[...]