A new book from leading historians in their field. The authors are also former soldiers and battlefield guides. The popular perception of the Light Division has been created by the excellent series of novels following the career of Sharpe of the 95th Rifles. This book provides a full and accurate picture of the Division. – Most Highly Recommended
NAME: The Light Division in the Peninsular War, 1808-1811 FILE: R3217 AUTHOR: Tim Saunders, Rob Yuill PUBLISHER: Pen & Sword BINDING: hard back PRICE: £25.00 GENRE: Non Fiction SUBJECT: Napoleonic Wars, Peninsular War, British Army, allies, French Armies, Light Division, light infantry, 95th Rifles, Chosen Men, snipers, skirmishers, hit and run, fighting retreat, Wellington, defensive lines, Torres Vedra, Sir John Moore, Talavera, King's German Hussars, artillery ISBN: 1-52675-732-X PAGES: 302 IMAGE: B3217.jpg BUYNOW: tinyurl.com/y22dkd5p LINKS: DESCRIPTION: A new book from leading historians in their field. The authors are also former soldiers and battlefield guides. The popular perception of the Light Division has been created by the excellent series of novels following the career of Sharpe of the 95th Rifles. This book provides a full and accurate picture of the Division. - Most Highly Recommended
The Sharpe novels, and subsequent TV dramas, have captured the imagination of a much wider audience that would have been reached by traditional history books, but the full stories are at least as exciting as the fictional tales. The memoirs of soldiers who served in the 95th Rifles, together with diaries and letters home, provided a rich vein on which to build a set of fictional stories and they benefited from careful research. The Baker rifle was an important weapon that was under utilized by the British Army in European campaigns. It allowed fast moving light infantry with rifle equipped sharp shooters to pick off enemy officers and NCOs beyond the range of the standard muskets with which both armies were equipped. They also enabled skirmishers to engage larger enemy forces and provide solid intelligence of enemy movements. Wellington made full use of this capability.
As a result of the Sharpe stories, many will think of them as the stars amongst the bovine mass of musket armed red coated pressed soldiers. The authors have provided the first full and balanced account of the Light Division and how it was employed in the field. They have covered all the components that included the King’s German Hussars and the artillery.
An insightful work by two of the best equipped historians experienced in the Peninsular War campaigns and the Rifles.