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Redcoat: The British Soldier in the Age of Horse and Musket
Magnificent history of the common British soldier from 1700 to 1900 by one of Britain’s best-known and accomplished military writers and broadcasters. Red Coat is non-fiction Sharpe, filled with anecdote and humour as well as historical analysis.
‘Redcoat is a wonderful book. It is not just a work of history – but one of enthusiasm and unparalleled knowledge.' BERNARD CORNWELL
Redcoat is the story of the British soldier from c.1760 until c.1860 – surely one of the most enduring and magnetic subjects of the British past. Solidly based on the letters and diaries of the men who served and the women who followed them, the book is rich in the history of the period. It charts Wolfe's victory and death at Quebec, the American War of Independence, the Duke of York's campaign in Flanders, Wellington's Peninsular War, Waterloo,the retreat from Kabul, the Sikh wars in 1845-9, the Crimean war and the Indian Mutiny.The focus of Redcoat, however, is the individual recollection and experience of the ordinary soldiers serving in the wars fought by Georgian and early Victorian England.Through their stories and anecdotes – of uniforms, equipment,'taking the King's shilling', flogging, wounds, food, barrack life, courage, comradeship, death, love and loss – Richard Holmes provides a comprehensive portrait of a fallible but extraordinarily successful fighting force.
'Such a scene of mortal strife from the fire of fifty men was never witnessed…' writes Harry Smith of the 95th Rifles, recounting the death of a brother officer in Spain in 1813. 'I wept over his remains with a bursting heart as, with his company who adored him, I consigned to the grave the last external appearance of Daniel Cadoux. His fame can never die.' Smith's account is typical of the emotions and experiences of the men who appear on every page of this book, sporting their red uniforms to fight for King and country.
‘Redcoat is a wonderful book. It is not just a work of history – but one of enthusiasm and unparalleled knowledge.' BERNARD CORNWELL
Redcoat is the story of the British soldier from c.1760 until c.1860 – surely one of the most enduring and magnetic subjects of the British past. Solidly based on the letters and diaries of the men who served and the women who followed them, the book is rich in the history of the period. It charts Wolfe's victory and death at Quebec, the American War of Independence, the Duke of York's campaign in Flanders, Wellington's Peninsular War, Waterloo,the retreat from Kabul, the Sikh wars in 1845-9, the Crimean war and the Indian Mutiny.The focus of Redcoat, however, is the individual recollection and experience of the ordinary soldiers serving in the wars fought by Georgian and early Victorian England.Through their stories and anecdotes – of uniforms, equipment,'taking the King's shilling', flogging, wounds, food, barrack life, courage, comradeship, death, love and loss – Richard Holmes provides a comprehensive portrait of a fallible but extraordinarily successful fighting force.
'Such a scene of mortal strife from the fire of fifty men was never witnessed…' writes Harry Smith of the 95th Rifles, recounting the death of a brother officer in Spain in 1813. 'I wept over his remains with a bursting heart as, with his company who adored him, I consigned to the grave the last external appearance of Daniel Cadoux. His fame can never die.' Smith's account is typical of the emotions and experiences of the men who appear on every page of this book, sporting their red uniforms to fight for King and country.
466 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2001
79 people are currently reading
1102 people want to read
About the author
Richard Holmes
116 books92 followersLibrarian Note: There is more than one author in the GoodReads database with this name.
See this thread for more information.
Edward Richard Holmes was Professor of Military and Security Studies at Cranfield University and the Royal Military College of Science. He was educated at Cambridge, Northern Illinois, and Reading Universities, and carried out his doctoral research on the French army of the Second Empire. For many years he taught military history at the Royal Military Academy, Sandhurst.
A celebrated military historian, Holmes is the author of the best-selling and widely acclaimed Tommy and Redcoat: The British Soldier in the Age of Horse and Musket. His dozen other books include Dusty Warriors, Sahib, The Western Front, The Little Field Marshal: Sir John French, The Road to Sedan, Firing Line, The Second World War in Photographs and Fatal Avenue: A Traveller’s History of Northern France and Flanders (also published by Pimlico).
He was general editor of The Oxford Companion to Military History and has presented eight BBC TV series, including ‘War Walks’, ‘The Western Front’ and ‘Battlefields’, and is famous for his hugely successful series ‘Wellington: The Iron Duke’ and ‘Rebels and Redcoats’.
See this thread for more information.
Edward Richard Holmes was Professor of Military and Security Studies at Cranfield University and the Royal Military College of Science. He was educated at Cambridge, Northern Illinois, and Reading Universities, and carried out his doctoral research on the French army of the Second Empire. For many years he taught military history at the Royal Military Academy, Sandhurst.
A celebrated military historian, Holmes is the author of the best-selling and widely acclaimed Tommy and Redcoat: The British Soldier in the Age of Horse and Musket. His dozen other books include Dusty Warriors, Sahib, The Western Front, The Little Field Marshal: Sir John French, The Road to Sedan, Firing Line, The Second World War in Photographs and Fatal Avenue: A Traveller’s History of Northern France and Flanders (also published by Pimlico).
He was general editor of The Oxford Companion to Military History and has presented eight BBC TV series, including ‘War Walks’, ‘The Western Front’ and ‘Battlefields’, and is famous for his hugely successful series ‘Wellington: The Iron Duke’ and ‘Rebels and Redcoats’.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 57 reviews
May 23, 2016
Redcoat: The British Soldier in the Age of Horse and Musket is another fine work by British historian Richard Holmes. Holmes presents life in the King’s army from the time of John Churchill, the 1st Duke of Marlborough, through the Indian Mutiny. He covers all facets from recruitment, camp life, pay, uniforms, weapons, tactics, women, rations and -- not to be neglected – drink, which was copious. Much as in his admirable Sahib: The British Soldier in India, 1750-1914, Holmes relies heavily on first-hand accounts which lend his work authority, atmosphere, and perspective.
Two interesting tidbits I picked up: The spearhead of an assault on a breach in the defenses of a besieged fortress is known as the “Forlorn Hope.” A position in this deadliest of military operations was much sought after. Soldiers of a Forlorn Hope, the few who survived, were virtually guaranteed promotion, as well as the acclaim of their peers and superiors. Secondly, rations of grog or wine were very important to officers and men in those days. The term “Dutch courage” stems from the heavy use of genever (Holland gin) by British soldiers fighting in the Low Countries in the seventeenth century.
Any reader with an interest in military history and martial life in, as the subtitle states, the age of horse and musket should make time to read Holmes’ book. It deserves a solid Four Stars.
Two interesting tidbits I picked up: The spearhead of an assault on a breach in the defenses of a besieged fortress is known as the “Forlorn Hope.” A position in this deadliest of military operations was much sought after. Soldiers of a Forlorn Hope, the few who survived, were virtually guaranteed promotion, as well as the acclaim of their peers and superiors. Secondly, rations of grog or wine were very important to officers and men in those days. The term “Dutch courage” stems from the heavy use of genever (Holland gin) by British soldiers fighting in the Low Countries in the seventeenth century.
Any reader with an interest in military history and martial life in, as the subtitle states, the age of horse and musket should make time to read Holmes’ book. It deserves a solid Four Stars.
April 21, 2018
‘There is no beating these British soldiers. They were completely beaten and the day was mine, but they did not know it and would not run.’
I first knew red coats as the kit of villains, the bad guys of the American Revolution. A healthy diet of other history, however, has given me a ready admiration of the British army - - one I put aside when I'm watching something like The Patriot and am obliged to hiss at Jason Isaac's amazingly evil dragoon commander character. It's hard not to admire an army capable of allowing a small island bobbing amid the Baltic and the North Atlantic to maintain influence across the globe. Redcoat falls within the area of military history, but does not record military campaigns. Instead, it delves into the organization, operation, and experiences of the men who wore red -- and green, sometimes -- throughout the 19th century.
Holmes' exact range spans from the Seven Years War to the end of the Crimean war and the Indian Mutiny, or just about a century. In that century, Britain drove France from North America, fought a dictator who had almost the whole of Europe at his command, and appeared both in the middle east and India for the first time. Drawing from diaries and letters, Holmes examines different classes of soldiers -- officers and enlisted -- as well as the different services and their evolution. In this period we find the British experimenting more with light skirmish troops at times, and cavalry is similarly divided into light and heavy despite there not being much of a difference in practice. Light infantry were equipped with a more precise rifle instead of the 'Brown Bess' musket employed by the regular infantry: that musket was only good under 100 yards, while the Baker was effective at twice that range. (Those familiar with Bernard Cornwell's Richard Sharpe, of course, will remember he carried a Baker.)
Most soldiers came from the bottom ranks of society, enlisting primarily for pay -- taking the "king's shilling"-- while their officers were from the aristocracy. Even the well-bred had to mix money with their service, however, paying for commissions and commands. (Officers "buying" companies sounds very strange to our ears, but it's not as if modern professional armies appeared overnight.) Holmes also includes chapters on medicine and camp followers -- particularly wives. Though soldiers were forbidden to marry without permission, the amount of debilitating venereal diseases prompted Britain's military leaders to allow more wives to travel with their husband on assignment to dampen the lure of prostitution. Only 12% of wives were allowed, however, and those who did were required to work for the company in the form of laundry or otherwise.
Students of the period will find this a valuable resource for information on the everyday life and duties of soldiers, including the perils and responsibilities. The chapters on organization and the duties of general officer and such were personally sleep-inducing, but they were soon replaced by horses and artillery and other exciting things. Holmes doesn't shy away from the terror and gruesomeness of war -- I had no idea solid shot was as dangerous as he describes it, thinking that canister fire was more common. For those curious about how a horse-and-musket army was organized and fought -- those who want to see behind the scenes of battles like Waterloo, say -- Redcoat should prove a fascinating read. Holmes has other works on the British soldier in history, including Sahib and Tommy.
I first knew red coats as the kit of villains, the bad guys of the American Revolution. A healthy diet of other history, however, has given me a ready admiration of the British army - - one I put aside when I'm watching something like The Patriot and am obliged to hiss at Jason Isaac's amazingly evil dragoon commander character. It's hard not to admire an army capable of allowing a small island bobbing amid the Baltic and the North Atlantic to maintain influence across the globe. Redcoat falls within the area of military history, but does not record military campaigns. Instead, it delves into the organization, operation, and experiences of the men who wore red -- and green, sometimes -- throughout the 19th century.
Holmes' exact range spans from the Seven Years War to the end of the Crimean war and the Indian Mutiny, or just about a century. In that century, Britain drove France from North America, fought a dictator who had almost the whole of Europe at his command, and appeared both in the middle east and India for the first time. Drawing from diaries and letters, Holmes examines different classes of soldiers -- officers and enlisted -- as well as the different services and their evolution. In this period we find the British experimenting more with light skirmish troops at times, and cavalry is similarly divided into light and heavy despite there not being much of a difference in practice. Light infantry were equipped with a more precise rifle instead of the 'Brown Bess' musket employed by the regular infantry: that musket was only good under 100 yards, while the Baker was effective at twice that range. (Those familiar with Bernard Cornwell's Richard Sharpe, of course, will remember he carried a Baker.)
Most soldiers came from the bottom ranks of society, enlisting primarily for pay -- taking the "king's shilling"-- while their officers were from the aristocracy. Even the well-bred had to mix money with their service, however, paying for commissions and commands. (Officers "buying" companies sounds very strange to our ears, but it's not as if modern professional armies appeared overnight.) Holmes also includes chapters on medicine and camp followers -- particularly wives. Though soldiers were forbidden to marry without permission, the amount of debilitating venereal diseases prompted Britain's military leaders to allow more wives to travel with their husband on assignment to dampen the lure of prostitution. Only 12% of wives were allowed, however, and those who did were required to work for the company in the form of laundry or otherwise.
Students of the period will find this a valuable resource for information on the everyday life and duties of soldiers, including the perils and responsibilities. The chapters on organization and the duties of general officer and such were personally sleep-inducing, but they were soon replaced by horses and artillery and other exciting things. Holmes doesn't shy away from the terror and gruesomeness of war -- I had no idea solid shot was as dangerous as he describes it, thinking that canister fire was more common. For those curious about how a horse-and-musket army was organized and fought -- those who want to see behind the scenes of battles like Waterloo, say -- Redcoat should prove a fascinating read. Holmes has other works on the British soldier in history, including Sahib and Tommy.
November 14, 2014
-Más cotidiano que púramente bélico.-
Género. Ensayo.
Lo que nos cuenta. Retrato histórico, pero desde una perspectiva inquisitivamente singular, de las fuerzas de infantería que lucharon a través de medio mundo por la gloria (y la economía) del Imperio Británico.
¿Quiere saber más del libro, sin spoilers? Visite:
http://librosdeolethros.blogspot.com/...
Género. Ensayo.
Lo que nos cuenta. Retrato histórico, pero desde una perspectiva inquisitivamente singular, de las fuerzas de infantería que lucharon a través de medio mundo por la gloria (y la economía) del Imperio Británico.
¿Quiere saber más del libro, sin spoilers? Visite:
http://librosdeolethros.blogspot.com/...
August 23, 2008
comprehensive history of the british soldier in the 18th and 19th centuries - not just a military, but a social history. Definitely warts and all, but as always, Richard Holmes makes the era come alive
November 5, 2012
"All gentlemen that have a mind
to serve the queen that's good and kind
come 'list and enter into pay..."
The Duke of Wellington called them "The scum of the earth". Although he on occasion added as an afterword "But what very fine fellows we have made of them...", he was not far off the mark. They were uneducated, generally illiterate, frequently drunk, poverty-stricken, disease-ridden, itinerate looters, vagabonds and thieves. They were the redcoats and they were, for the better part of a century, the finest infantry in the world.
Richard Holmes excellent history is entitled Redcoat: The British Soldier in the Age of Horse and Musket, and within its pages the redcoat has never been more vividly portrayed. How did the British Army, playing perpetual second-fiddle to the British Navy in both public respect and budget, rise to become Kipling's legendary "thin red line"?
Holmes touches on every aspect of the life of the Redcoat from the expense of the uniforms (and the recruiters' treachery at charging it against new recruits pay and recruitment bounties), the purchase system for buying officer's promotion, to the weapons (the famed Brown Bess musket - .75 inch muzzle-loading flintlock musket or as Kipling termed it "out-spoken, flinty-lipped brazen-faced jade") the redcoats typically carried.
One of the common problems in a book of this type is that for the average reader, the terminology lends itself to obscure references (particularly the endless reams of regimental names, colors etc.) that can be confusing and tiresome. To be honest, I don't care if the 11th Foot wore buff or yellow facings and to his credit Holmes doesn't dwell overlong on these trivialities. Instead he delves deep into how the British Army functioned in the era of Horse and Musket, the tactics and strategies it used, the sounds and experience of battle (for men of the line as well as the officers), how regimental society (at home and abroad) functioned, the unique position of wives and camp-followers, the soldier's entertainments, food, dueling, the roles of the cavalry, gunners, surgeons, the army bureaucracy (which was notable even then for obtuse behavior. One unit, stationed in the Caribbean was scheduled to return to Britain. The administrators very kindly stopped the unit's pay, clothing and food allowances on their scheduled departure date - six months prior to the actual departure), and the soldier's copious appetite for alcohol and liquor.
Holmes goes to the original sources - the unvarnished, unwashed commentary of the men and officers who stood in the Line, bringing a real voice to the facelessness of the era. From the wry observations of Edward Costello, Rifleman ranker of the 95th on the practice of looting, to the irritated commentary of the Duke of Wellington disparaging British cavalry, the book covers the gamut of viewpoints on every related subject.
Well-written, well-illustrated, with clear prose and solid detail, Redcoat is, hands-down, one of the most enjoyable and readable military histories I have ever encountered on this subject area.
All ranks - CLOSE UP!
For a good bio of the life of the Iron Duke, I recommend Wellington: The Years of the Sword by Elizabeth Longford.
Looking to sign up? They can always use a little more cannon fodder...
to serve the queen that's good and kind
come 'list and enter into pay..."
The Duke of Wellington called them "The scum of the earth". Although he on occasion added as an afterword "But what very fine fellows we have made of them...", he was not far off the mark. They were uneducated, generally illiterate, frequently drunk, poverty-stricken, disease-ridden, itinerate looters, vagabonds and thieves. They were the redcoats and they were, for the better part of a century, the finest infantry in the world.
Richard Holmes excellent history is entitled Redcoat: The British Soldier in the Age of Horse and Musket, and within its pages the redcoat has never been more vividly portrayed. How did the British Army, playing perpetual second-fiddle to the British Navy in both public respect and budget, rise to become Kipling's legendary "thin red line"?
Holmes touches on every aspect of the life of the Redcoat from the expense of the uniforms (and the recruiters' treachery at charging it against new recruits pay and recruitment bounties), the purchase system for buying officer's promotion, to the weapons (the famed Brown Bess musket - .75 inch muzzle-loading flintlock musket or as Kipling termed it "out-spoken, flinty-lipped brazen-faced jade") the redcoats typically carried.
One of the common problems in a book of this type is that for the average reader, the terminology lends itself to obscure references (particularly the endless reams of regimental names, colors etc.) that can be confusing and tiresome. To be honest, I don't care if the 11th Foot wore buff or yellow facings and to his credit Holmes doesn't dwell overlong on these trivialities. Instead he delves deep into how the British Army functioned in the era of Horse and Musket, the tactics and strategies it used, the sounds and experience of battle (for men of the line as well as the officers), how regimental society (at home and abroad) functioned, the unique position of wives and camp-followers, the soldier's entertainments, food, dueling, the roles of the cavalry, gunners, surgeons, the army bureaucracy (which was notable even then for obtuse behavior. One unit, stationed in the Caribbean was scheduled to return to Britain. The administrators very kindly stopped the unit's pay, clothing and food allowances on their scheduled departure date - six months prior to the actual departure), and the soldier's copious appetite for alcohol and liquor.
Holmes goes to the original sources - the unvarnished, unwashed commentary of the men and officers who stood in the Line, bringing a real voice to the facelessness of the era. From the wry observations of Edward Costello, Rifleman ranker of the 95th on the practice of looting, to the irritated commentary of the Duke of Wellington disparaging British cavalry, the book covers the gamut of viewpoints on every related subject.
Well-written, well-illustrated, with clear prose and solid detail, Redcoat is, hands-down, one of the most enjoyable and readable military histories I have ever encountered on this subject area.
All ranks - CLOSE UP!
For a good bio of the life of the Iron Duke, I recommend Wellington: The Years of the Sword by Elizabeth Longford.
Looking to sign up? They can always use a little more cannon fodder...
September 19, 2022
An excellent work rescribing the British Army during the 150-year period (18th-mid-19th centuries). It helped me understand the time when some of my favorite novels are set much better. The style is easy and clear (not overtly academic), the explanations are detailed, the bibliography is a wonder. I highly recommend the book to anyone wishing to study the history of British army.
March 18, 2023
Richard Holmes neither rushed nor improvised hastily when writing this work. He wrote a masterpiece that detailed life, struggle, bloodshed, comfort, debauchery, responsibility, religion, and determination for a British redcoat between the mid-18th century to the mid-19th century.
To start, Holmes covered many wars across the world in almost one hundred years, covering at home in the British Isles, the Seven Years' War (1756–1763), the American Revolutionary War (1775–1783), the Napoleonic Wars (1803–1815), the Crimean War (1853–1856), and the Sepoy Mutiny (1857–1859). Using thus time frame, the reader can learn how the British soldier—whether someone like a private, NCO, CO, or even a general or major general—changed with the times and updates to war.
Further, Holmes wrote in sections describing lifestyle, enjoyment, education, struggles, undertakings in battle and survival, and combat of soldiers and cavalry of the times. He was not afraid to use primary sources (mainly diaries and accounts) to describe moments or events, whether they were the gut-wrenching sights of military hospitals or generals acting in private.
Holmes also was generous to give us a look at the cavalrymen and cavalry as a whole, women and wives, the navy, the French opponents and Prussian allies, city life, outlooks from city dwellers and villagers, atrocities and crimes, and so much more. As a reenactor of the War of 1812, this book has benefitted me a lot with its research.
However, I have one criticism. The first was that when describing British army organisation, there should have been a picture of what a battalion, company, or division looked like as a plan. Though the book used pictures of paintings well, I think that this was a missed opportunity to educate readers about size, like how big a battalion was.
Regardless of this, I thought that this book was well written, with a lot of primary and secondary sources to support it. If you are interested in British history, British military history, European history in the 18th–19th centuries, life in the 18th–19th centuries, or the history of the Napoleonic Wars, then I recommend this book highly.
To start, Holmes covered many wars across the world in almost one hundred years, covering at home in the British Isles, the Seven Years' War (1756–1763), the American Revolutionary War (1775–1783), the Napoleonic Wars (1803–1815), the Crimean War (1853–1856), and the Sepoy Mutiny (1857–1859). Using thus time frame, the reader can learn how the British soldier—whether someone like a private, NCO, CO, or even a general or major general—changed with the times and updates to war.
Further, Holmes wrote in sections describing lifestyle, enjoyment, education, struggles, undertakings in battle and survival, and combat of soldiers and cavalry of the times. He was not afraid to use primary sources (mainly diaries and accounts) to describe moments or events, whether they were the gut-wrenching sights of military hospitals or generals acting in private.
Holmes also was generous to give us a look at the cavalrymen and cavalry as a whole, women and wives, the navy, the French opponents and Prussian allies, city life, outlooks from city dwellers and villagers, atrocities and crimes, and so much more. As a reenactor of the War of 1812, this book has benefitted me a lot with its research.
However, I have one criticism. The first was that when describing British army organisation, there should have been a picture of what a battalion, company, or division looked like as a plan. Though the book used pictures of paintings well, I think that this was a missed opportunity to educate readers about size, like how big a battalion was.
Regardless of this, I thought that this book was well written, with a lot of primary and secondary sources to support it. If you are interested in British history, British military history, European history in the 18th–19th centuries, life in the 18th–19th centuries, or the history of the Napoleonic Wars, then I recommend this book highly.
June 23, 2020
Very in-depth, but could use a bit more structure.
January 2, 2022
I would recommend this book for those who like to read about military history. As always, this is really about the ordinary soldier and how they coped with their lot.
November 15, 2025
Many historians pepper their books with random quotes and you IMMEDIATELY forget what the book is trying to say. This man don’t fall into traps like that. I miss Dr Holmes, and I didn’t even know or study under him
February 9, 2017
A fantastic book. It skips around a bit but I liked all the various sections and how he broke down the subject matter. I now want to read the rest of his books and have ordered a few to take up next. This book is a very chatty one, populated with TONS of anecdotes and interesting facts, and refreshingly focuses on the average soldier, but naturally lots of information on officers and leaders (especially Wellington).
It traces the army from the Seven Years War (1740s--though I noticed quite a few references to Marlborough and the army in the early 1700s too) to the Indian Mutiny/Crimean War (1850s), a good timeframe since the army used the same weapon during that time, and basically the same uniforms and command structure, minus a few innovations.
He helpfully breaks down what a shilling was worth during various times (and I found it actually kind of fascinating how slow inflation was back in the 18th century) and I wish I read this book before I had my 19th century literary spree a few years ago. I also totally want to reread Vanity Fair now. The info about the promotion system (extremely complicated) and just the every day minutia was entertaining. The role of women in the army then too--if anything the examples of the women in the army (one of 12 was allowed to bring his wife along and they campaigned along with the men).
The woman who constructed a baby out of tin with a wax face that she'd fill up with rum, smuggle the tin baby into the alcohol-free barracks after hours, and sell sips from the baby's face, making enough to open her own bar--just one of many similar stories. It is packed with enough letters and diaries and dispatches that you will frequently go to the index to refer back to what is actually being referencing--and there are an insane amount of color photographs and maps and diagrams and just plain research that went into this book.
An invaluable reference regarding the British Army during the Napoleonic Age.
It traces the army from the Seven Years War (1740s--though I noticed quite a few references to Marlborough and the army in the early 1700s too) to the Indian Mutiny/Crimean War (1850s), a good timeframe since the army used the same weapon during that time, and basically the same uniforms and command structure, minus a few innovations.
He helpfully breaks down what a shilling was worth during various times (and I found it actually kind of fascinating how slow inflation was back in the 18th century) and I wish I read this book before I had my 19th century literary spree a few years ago. I also totally want to reread Vanity Fair now. The info about the promotion system (extremely complicated) and just the every day minutia was entertaining. The role of women in the army then too--if anything the examples of the women in the army (one of 12 was allowed to bring his wife along and they campaigned along with the men).
The woman who constructed a baby out of tin with a wax face that she'd fill up with rum, smuggle the tin baby into the alcohol-free barracks after hours, and sell sips from the baby's face, making enough to open her own bar--just one of many similar stories. It is packed with enough letters and diaries and dispatches that you will frequently go to the index to refer back to what is actually being referencing--and there are an insane amount of color photographs and maps and diagrams and just plain research that went into this book.
An invaluable reference regarding the British Army during the Napoleonic Age.
October 21, 2014
This book was recommended to me by several other author friends, and I'm so glad I found it. A first class and fully comprehensive account of what it was like to be a common soldier in the British army spanning more than a hundred years. Redcoat gives you all the stuff you'd expect about uniforms, orders of battle, discipline and arms. It covers the changes that happened in the span between the Seven Years War up to the Crimea. It covers the variations by regiment, the culture changes that the various high heid yins brought about (naturally, particularly Wellington). But it also gives the a real, very real feel for what it was like. How officers and men interacted. How Highlanders were viewed compared to, say, the Welsh or the Irish. The careraderie and the 'brothers in arms' spirit. The esprit de corps, and the suffering - there was a lot of suffering. It also has my favourite thing, gossip and funny stories and the kind of fascinating little factoids that you remember.
In fact, I only have one grip with this book, and it's the type face. I still buy all my research books in good old-fashioned print - I like to have them on the shelves. The print in this one is so tiny I couldn't read it without extra light. Now, I know, I probably do need reading glasses, and I shouldn't cling to having had 20/20 vision all my life when I probably don't now, and yes, my eyes get very tired after a day at the screen but really - not even 20 years ago could I have read this easily.
However, don't let that put you off. This is a book I'll go back to again and again. In fact, I'm using it right now. Highly recommended, though not exactly a light read!
In fact, I only have one grip with this book, and it's the type face. I still buy all my research books in good old-fashioned print - I like to have them on the shelves. The print in this one is so tiny I couldn't read it without extra light. Now, I know, I probably do need reading glasses, and I shouldn't cling to having had 20/20 vision all my life when I probably don't now, and yes, my eyes get very tired after a day at the screen but really - not even 20 years ago could I have read this easily.
However, don't let that put you off. This is a book I'll go back to again and again. In fact, I'm using it right now. Highly recommended, though not exactly a light read!
August 15, 2017
Redcoat was a really hard book for me to rate because I found it both interesting and dull at the same time. It was deeply interesting to learn more about the British army in the period, and Holmes is clearly both knowledgeable and passionate about the subject; however, at times the prose really dragged, bogged down by dull facts and figures, and in those moments I started skim-reading, eager to get to the next section. Therefore, I would not recommend this title for the casual reader who enjoys a story-like element to their non-fiction, but it would be of great use to someone researching the period and/or the military as it is chock full of fascinating details. 3.5 stars
January 28, 2015
Richard Holmes tackles this behemoth of a subject, with vivid recollections from the era and excellent writing. Approaching his subject matter with the balance that it deserves and reminding the reader never to forget the valiant lives that have shaped history. Pulling together military, social and medical history to name but a few, in order to bring his subject to life. No matter how small, they appear to be. I would thoroughly recommend this book to anyone who has an interest in this period or life in the British army.
August 21, 2019
I picked up this book having begun reading through Bernard Cornwell's Sharpe series. It is a wonderfully varied overview of the life and death of the British soldier between the mid 18th and mid 19th centuries. Full of character, anecdotes and interesting fact across the period, I would highly recomend it for anyone wanting further insight into the period, or as an accompaniment to works set across its timeframe and subject matter.
April 14, 2008
Highly readable, if slightly meandering overview of just about every detail of the British soldier over the century between roughly 1750-1850. The generalisations are acknowledged by the author from the get-go and this sets the tone for a great pick-up-put-down read. I particularly liked the inclusion of a number of quotations and anecdotes from real soldiers. Cracking stuff
November 11, 2014
Richard Holmes was a great writer and historian. Sadly he is no longer with us but the books, like this one, make a fine legacy. Informative, well written and highly readable as ever.
November 16, 2018
Excellent. Eye-opening and moving
March 9, 2021
A clear and easy to read book.
October 15, 2025
As a series of anecdotes culled from diaries, missives, etc. there is a lot to be desired. Holmes seems more intent on informing the reader of the minutiae of British command structure, payment (or lack thereof), and the unique economy of commissions rather than offering a more structured historical perspective that more comprehensively includes the experiences of those whose boots, or bare feet as it were, tread those grounds centuries ago.
As a companion book to the general organization and effectiveness of 18th and 19th century British armies, I guess it could be considered helpful information. As a standalone piece of history, however, it felt impenetrable at times (especially if you're reading this from the other side of the pond) and incredibly dry. Dedicating multiple chapters to the development and extended use of a single-model musket, for example, felt tedious to read through. The history of commissions, mixed with the incredibly confusing military ranking system, removed any sense of personality and felt akin to a textbook.
Considering that the book really focuses on a handful of major campaigns (e.g., Waterloo, India, Crimea, Revolutionary War), wouldn't it have been more effective to explore the diaries and anecdotes of the everyday soldier as they journeyed through these campaigns? We get tidbits of this periodically--and is typically when the book is at its most interesting; when we get to read the thoughts and reactions of the soldiers directly involved--but it is too intermixed with what feels like an overload of tedious information.
As a supplement to a broader overview of British military, I can see how this would be a better book. As a standalone piece of nonfiction, it is too dry, too unstructured, and misses the mark for me.
As a companion book to the general organization and effectiveness of 18th and 19th century British armies, I guess it could be considered helpful information. As a standalone piece of history, however, it felt impenetrable at times (especially if you're reading this from the other side of the pond) and incredibly dry. Dedicating multiple chapters to the development and extended use of a single-model musket, for example, felt tedious to read through. The history of commissions, mixed with the incredibly confusing military ranking system, removed any sense of personality and felt akin to a textbook.
Considering that the book really focuses on a handful of major campaigns (e.g., Waterloo, India, Crimea, Revolutionary War), wouldn't it have been more effective to explore the diaries and anecdotes of the everyday soldier as they journeyed through these campaigns? We get tidbits of this periodically--and is typically when the book is at its most interesting; when we get to read the thoughts and reactions of the soldiers directly involved--but it is too intermixed with what feels like an overload of tedious information.
As a supplement to a broader overview of British military, I can see how this would be a better book. As a standalone piece of nonfiction, it is too dry, too unstructured, and misses the mark for me.
May 16, 2023
A great insight into the lives of the soldiers of the British Army of the 18th and 19th centuries. Full of accounts written by the soldiers who experienced the true trials and tribulations of the period, including accounts of soldiers at Waterloo and Crimea.
The writing is extremely easy to follow, reminiscent in a way to John Julius Norwich which is no bad thing in my opinion. The story of the "redcoat" is not chronological, rather the chapters deal with different subjects which cross back and forth through the period 1700-1860 (approx.) and include sections on camp followers, wives, the many uniforms of the different battalions, details of wounds received, battles, lives in the barracks, pay, and much more.
One thing I would have liked was more photos from the Crimea and some extra information on the motivations of the soldiers who joined (e.g. was the industrialisation of Britain responsible for pushing farmhands and country folk to the army?). The book does cover the topic of motivation but was just a little too light in my opinion. Overall though, a brilliant book to get started on learning the history of the British Army.
The writing is extremely easy to follow, reminiscent in a way to John Julius Norwich which is no bad thing in my opinion. The story of the "redcoat" is not chronological, rather the chapters deal with different subjects which cross back and forth through the period 1700-1860 (approx.) and include sections on camp followers, wives, the many uniforms of the different battalions, details of wounds received, battles, lives in the barracks, pay, and much more.
One thing I would have liked was more photos from the Crimea and some extra information on the motivations of the soldiers who joined (e.g. was the industrialisation of Britain responsible for pushing farmhands and country folk to the army?). The book does cover the topic of motivation but was just a little too light in my opinion. Overall though, a brilliant book to get started on learning the history of the British Army.
October 26, 2025
A really well detailed book with some really interesting aspects, but a lot of it - particularly in the second half - dragged. While that's largely because of the detailed, exhaustive nature of the book, so is therefore probably unavoidable, the book also a bit poorly structured at times, making it more meandering than it needed to be. A very good book if you want to find out as much as possible about the topic, and well written, but not always an easy read.
October 29, 2018
I am not even brit, but I like this book. Soldiers are people too. Whatever what the current politic says, whatever what the higher up people say, those who fought in a long time ago battles was human, not just a killing machine. Often, unsung hero or villain, it depends how you look at it.
I just wish the book was better organized by timeline, not mixed, which sometimes confusing.
I just wish the book was better organized by timeline, not mixed, which sometimes confusing.
February 7, 2021
Filled with interesting antidotes and helpful as an overview of the British soldier between the War of Spanish Succession and the Crimean War. Book only suffers in to areas. The author acknowledges the strange organization of the book. I would also say the author has a tendency to use explain certain references he assumes the reader will understand that seem rather obscure.
July 12, 2023
Richard Holmes certainly knows his military history. This book is wonderfully researched and has no end of detail. About 4/5 of the way in the detail does begin to feel a bit much and this book might well be 60 pages or so too long.
If you've read the Sharpe series, then a lot of what is in here will be fairly familiar to you, but this is still a good book.
If you've read the Sharpe series, then a lot of what is in here will be fairly familiar to you, but this is still a good book.
June 30, 2018
Very dry at times but a good read on the history of the British soldier up until the 1900's. I wished it would lay off comments about society of the times and focus more on the equipment they carried and how it was packed.
December 5, 2022
Magnificent book to read - allows you to get inside the experience of a British soldier at the turn of the 18th Century. Small comments are incorrect such as remarks regarding pig/cow fat greasing cartridges, being responsible for the Indian Mutiny. However, by in large an excellent read.
July 22, 2023
An interesting read, if perhaps slightly dated covering the life and times of the (in)famous redcoat.
Provides some essential context if, like me, you've read Sharpe and little else of the 19th Century infantryman.
Provides some essential context if, like me, you've read Sharpe and little else of the 19th Century infantryman.
November 30, 2018
An enjoyable read.
March 9, 2019
An excellent book as usual with this prolific military author
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