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Wellington's Rifles: Six Years to Waterloo with England's Legendary Sharpshooters
A nineteenth-century Band of Brothers The 95th Rifles was one of history's great fighting units, and Mark Urban brings them and the Napoleonic War gloriously to life in this unique chronicle. Focusing especially on six soldiers in the first battalion, Urban tells the Rifles' story from May 25, 1809, when they shipped out to join Wellington's army in Spain, through the battle of Waterloo in June 1815. Drawing on diaries, letters, and other personal accounts, Urban has fashioned a vivid narrative that allows readers to feel the thrill and horror of famous battles, the hardship of the march across Europe, the bravery and camaraderie of a nineteenthcentury Band of Brothers whose innovative tactics created the modern notion of infantryman.
368 pages, Hardcover
First published January 2, 2003
About the author
Mark Urban
30 books80 followersMark Urban is a British journalist, author and broadcaster, and is currently the Diplomatic Editor for BBC Two's Newsnight.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 63 reviews
January 20, 2019
If you have ever seen the Sharpe series then you are familiar with Britain's 95th Rifles, which served in the Peninsular War and again in the Waterloo campaign. This book gives a readable account of how the green-jacketed soldiers achieved their fame with new tactics and the Baker rifle. Robert Craufurd is probably the most famous general associated with the riflemen (other regiments also used the Baker). He was a man of fiery temper and strict discpline, who was not popular with his men until after his death at Ciudad Rodrigo in 1812.
Those who followed him varied in capability, but men like Beckwith and Barnard served their country well. After Napoleon's 1st abdication, the men who had survived made it home for a short spell before 6 battalions were called back to duty for the 100 Days.
The book describes the battles, but it also looks into the lives of the private soldiers, their merits and defects. One of the chapters deals with desertion. Some who tired of serving with no pay and a strict martinet did desert, only to be recaptured at Ciudad Rodrigo, after which they paid the ultimate price.
When the war ended, peace was welcomed, but it presented an uneasy future with invalid soldiers and not enough jobs. For all its fame, the survivors of the 95th had to cope with the unknown, just as did all of Europe.
Those who followed him varied in capability, but men like Beckwith and Barnard served their country well. After Napoleon's 1st abdication, the men who had survived made it home for a short spell before 6 battalions were called back to duty for the 100 Days.
The book describes the battles, but it also looks into the lives of the private soldiers, their merits and defects. One of the chapters deals with desertion. Some who tired of serving with no pay and a strict martinet did desert, only to be recaptured at Ciudad Rodrigo, after which they paid the ultimate price.
When the war ended, peace was welcomed, but it presented an uneasy future with invalid soldiers and not enough jobs. For all its fame, the survivors of the 95th had to cope with the unknown, just as did all of Europe.
November 11, 2020
This beautifully readable account of the Peninsular War and Waterloo through the lens of the 95th Regiment, the Rifles, combines both large and small-scale events, the end result being a good history of that part of the war as well as an interesting look at the riflemen whose exploits became legendary. I think I would have enjoyed it even more had I not been taking notes, which took me out of the flow of the story repeatedly. Enjoyment or not, I was definitely impressed by the work Mark Urban did to bring the narrative together.
While it's not the story of certain soldiers per se, Urban does follow the lives of six riflemen and officers, and this gives the book a solid throughline that, along with the accounts of everyday life as a soldier, keep the book from feeling academic and boring. I was reading it more for these details than for the accounts of battles, and I was not disappointed. Though I, like most of the English reading population, came to know of the Rifles through Bernard Cornwell's Sharpe novels (which are also very well researched) there was still a lot I didn't know, like how some captains carried books in their baggage that were freely loaned out among the men, or how those same men liked to put on amateur theatricals based on said books.
But even though my main interest was in the daily details, I really liked seeing the battles of the Peninsular War focused on the 95th's role in them. It gave those historical accounts an intriguing texture. And, of course, the repeated return to certain soldiers kept me worried for their fates and grateful when they survived.
The one thing I would have appreciated that wasn't included was an explicit breakdown of the 95th in terms of its organization and its leaders. The information is scattered throughout the book, but I kept losing track of which captains belonged to which companies. Aside from that, this was a fun read and a great resource. It moved Urban's book The Man Who Broke Napoleon's Codes higher on my list.
While it's not the story of certain soldiers per se, Urban does follow the lives of six riflemen and officers, and this gives the book a solid throughline that, along with the accounts of everyday life as a soldier, keep the book from feeling academic and boring. I was reading it more for these details than for the accounts of battles, and I was not disappointed. Though I, like most of the English reading population, came to know of the Rifles through Bernard Cornwell's Sharpe novels (which are also very well researched) there was still a lot I didn't know, like how some captains carried books in their baggage that were freely loaned out among the men, or how those same men liked to put on amateur theatricals based on said books.
But even though my main interest was in the daily details, I really liked seeing the battles of the Peninsular War focused on the 95th's role in them. It gave those historical accounts an intriguing texture. And, of course, the repeated return to certain soldiers kept me worried for their fates and grateful when they survived.
The one thing I would have appreciated that wasn't included was an explicit breakdown of the 95th in terms of its organization and its leaders. The information is scattered throughout the book, but I kept losing track of which captains belonged to which companies. Aside from that, this was a fun read and a great resource. It moved Urban's book The Man Who Broke Napoleon's Codes higher on my list.
June 2, 2018
Reading this book was a pleasure! The author balanced details of the campaigns and battles with anecdotes of the men very well, which made this book read like a story. It follows the lives of many of the soldiers of the 95th (both enlisted soldiers and officers), and through this gives the reader a taste of what these men felt and experienced in their campaigns in Iberia.
The plates are good and include original maps (drawn by a member of the 95th) and some nice paintings and portraits. Overall, the design of the book is very pleasing.
If you're interested in the Peninsular War, or have read Bernard Cornwell's Sharpes books, then I think you'll enjoy this excellent book.
The plates are good and include original maps (drawn by a member of the 95th) and some nice paintings and portraits. Overall, the design of the book is very pleasing.
If you're interested in the Peninsular War, or have read Bernard Cornwell's Sharpes books, then I think you'll enjoy this excellent book.
June 19, 2015
Having just got passed Bernard Cornwell's Sharpe's Rifles, I thought I'd read Mark Urban's Rifles and see what the truth was. Well, I found the facts more interesting and enthralling than the fiction. I get the impression that the fictional Richard Sharpe is kept away from fighting with the Rifles; if he had stayed with them he would've seen more action and found his fellow officers more accommodating in real life.
The 95th of Foot was a very important evaluationary step for the British Army, and interesting to note that the French still hadn't learnt the lessons by the time they committed their troops during the Great War.
The 95th of Foot was a very important evaluationary step for the British Army, and interesting to note that the French still hadn't learnt the lessons by the time they committed their troops during the Great War.
December 27, 2023
Excellent bottom up perspective of soldiering at the cutting edge of tactical innovation in the napoleonic wars. Urban blends together sources exquisitely to form a comprehensive and immersive picture of life and death fighting the french. The recounting of the stormings of ciudad rodrigo and badajoz were especially breathtaking for bringing the tactical decisions and mistakes to life as well as sombering in revealing how murderously brutal the experience for the attacking force was.
Highly recommended for anyone wanting to get some well sourced history to reinforce their reading of the Sharpe series.
Highly recommended for anyone wanting to get some well sourced history to reinforce their reading of the Sharpe series.
Read
May 17, 2024A narrative history of the first rifled units in the English army and their various battles against Napoleon. In retrospect I can see my erstwhile passion for military history as a late adolescent attempt to confirm a masculinity in which I so obviously lacked confidence (this was also why I liked Norman Mailer), and digging through boxes through earlier this month I was kind of going 'three books about the Boer war? Really?' But this one is actually a lot of fun, engaging popular history which I cribbed from for my first trilogy.
July 24, 2026
I read this book over twenty years ago at the height of the Sharpe books and TV series phenomena which is probably the reason I read it but I do remember enjoying it. Now I could not do it justice and I have no intention of reading it again so I offer you this review from: https://www.theguardian.com/books/200....
Those who have read Mark Urban's previous book, The Man Who Broke Napoleon's Codes, may have noticed that the front cover was a reproduction of a picture called The Rearguard. It shows a small group of soldiers, the leading ones wearing dark green uniforms, protecting the remainder of Wellington's army as it withdraws into a snowy landscape. These are the Rifles of his new book, in which he examines another major contributor to the Iron Duke's success against Napoleon's armies. First into, and last out, of so many battles of the Peninsular War, they came from a regiment, then known prosaically as the 95th of foot, but renamed the Rifle Brigade after the battle of Waterloo.
Many people, including some who served in the regiment at the time, have written about this period in the history of the Rifles. But, with the possible exception of Sir Arthur Bryant, whose history of the Rifle Brigade, Jackets of Green, was published in 1972, no one has concentrated on the individuals who created the legend. Strangely, Mark Urban does not mention this book among his prime sources.
He admits that his attempt to understand what led to the 95th being able to turn unexceptional soldiers into what we might now recognise as a modern British soldier amounted to something of an obsession. Clearly, in his research, like so many others before him, he fell under the spell of the riflemen themselves.
Formed as the Experimental Corps of Riflemen, made up of a number of officers and men drawn from 13 different regiments, they were the first British - as opposed to mercenary - troops to be equipped with the rifle instead of the musket. Not for the 95th, as they became, fighting en masse in squares, around a regimental colour, vivid in their red coats and white equipment. Instead they were deployed as individuals, or small groups of individuals, trained to be marksmen who could take advantage of the range and accuracy of their new weapon, wearing dark green with black equipment for camouflage.
In this they were responding to the previous success of the French. One commentator has recorded that Napoleon's astonishing run of victories in Europe was due largely to the efficiency of his light infantry, who were equipped with rifles. For the British army to be able to learn and exploit this lesson they needed to be trained in a new way. To understand how different this method of fighting was from what had gone before, Mark Urban describes both this process and the results that followed on the battlefield.
Sir John Moore, killed at Corunna, was its architect. He based the training of the Light Division, which he commanded, on four main themes. Instil the "correct habits of command" into the officers and train their judgment; focus on physical training; practise over difficult ground; take particular care over the instruction of the individual skirmisher. This required corresponding motivation among the Riflemen. The spirit with which this was inculcated in them is reflected in the recruiting poster, reproduced in the front of the book. "On Service, your Post is always the Post of Honour... If you Enlist, and afterwards wish you had been a RIFLEMAN, do not say you were not asked, for YOU CAN BLAME NOBODY BUT YOURSELF."
Urban follows the fortunes of the regiment, chronologically, from the moment they embarked at Dover in May 1809, throughout the Peninsular campaign and during the battle of Waterloo. He concentrates on six individuals whom the reader comes to know as their stories unfold. Some are riflemen, some sergeants and some officers. The latter are particularly interesting because they had earned their promotion on the battlefield. In those days it was more usual for officers to purchase their commissions, as some in the 95th did. However, as Urban explains, officers had to be just as proficient in skirmishing, marksmanship and physical fitness as their riflemen, and experience counted.
The real secret, though, was that "they lived and died for one another and, in doing so, unlocked a true fighting spirit; that precious unity that inspires men to suffer the worst of hardships and to maintain the respect of their brothers in arms, in pursuit of victory".
It was for these reasons that I myself joined the Rifle Brigade in 1958 - because of its reputation for combining professionalism and fun and its known concentration on individuals as individuals. As a young officer I was trained to use my rifle and other weapons with the same thoroughness Urban describes. When I asked how it was that, despite not having been in action since 1918, the regiment had fought so well at Calais in 1940, helping to enable Dunkirk, I was told by one who was there that it was because the regiment had always fought well and that everyone fought well, for and with each other, because they were among friends. That remains the ethos of the Royal Green Jackets today.
Inevitably, Urban tells tales of remarkable bravery and endurance, which he balances by detailing the punishments awarded to those who ran away or were guilty of other misdeeds. Nor does he spare the regiment from criticism for its part in the disgraceful behaviour of the army after the capture of Badajos, for example. Every family has its good and bad members, and a regimental family is no different. A warts-and-all picture is much more credible.
Urban's lively, journalistic style is well suited to his subject. The Rifles and their legendary deeds have inspired many writers of fiction. Many have read Bernard Cornwell's accounts of the doings of Tom Sharpe. Georgette Heyer described how Captain Harry Smith rescued his "Spanish Bride" from the mayhem after the capture of Badajos, protecting her in the months afterwards until they could marry. CS Forrester also wrote about individual riflemen. While military historians can describe the facts themselves, something more is needed to bring individuals to life. This true tale is, anyway, sometimes stranger than fiction.
Unfortunately, the illustrations are disappointing. The maps Urban uses are not easy to follow, which is not surprising given the way in which the Rifles were employed on the battlefield. Nor can pictures of the battles show the part played by individual skirmishers and sharpshooters. There are portraits, however, of many of the individuals about whom he writes, so the reader can picture the characters while trying to understand how and why they fought as they did.
There is an exception. Urban reproduces one picture that is a particular favourite in the regiment, because it illustrates so much of its character and ethos. The Duke of Wellington is seen taking tea with the Rifles on the morning of the battle of Waterloo. He, and members of his staff, are mounted on horses. In front of them, hatless and still in the dress uniform in which he has just returned from the Duchess of Richmond's ball in Brussels, is Captain Harry Smith, whom the reader has come to know well during the book. He is serving tea from a large urn. Among the group beside the Duke is the Times correspondent, who first told the world of the doings of the regiment on that day. The fact that the commander in chief is with his legendary sharpshooters, who had done so much for him over the six years covered in the book, is proof of the regard in which he, and the remainder of the army, held the Rifles. Urban has done them equal justice by explaining how and why they were legendary; and why their way of soldiering lives on today.
· General Sir David Ramsbotham was commissioned into the Rifle Brigade in 1958, commanding a company in Borneo and a battalion of the Royal Green Jackets, into which they were amalgamated, in Belfast. He retired from the army in 1993.
Those who have read Mark Urban's previous book, The Man Who Broke Napoleon's Codes, may have noticed that the front cover was a reproduction of a picture called The Rearguard. It shows a small group of soldiers, the leading ones wearing dark green uniforms, protecting the remainder of Wellington's army as it withdraws into a snowy landscape. These are the Rifles of his new book, in which he examines another major contributor to the Iron Duke's success against Napoleon's armies. First into, and last out, of so many battles of the Peninsular War, they came from a regiment, then known prosaically as the 95th of foot, but renamed the Rifle Brigade after the battle of Waterloo.
Many people, including some who served in the regiment at the time, have written about this period in the history of the Rifles. But, with the possible exception of Sir Arthur Bryant, whose history of the Rifle Brigade, Jackets of Green, was published in 1972, no one has concentrated on the individuals who created the legend. Strangely, Mark Urban does not mention this book among his prime sources.
He admits that his attempt to understand what led to the 95th being able to turn unexceptional soldiers into what we might now recognise as a modern British soldier amounted to something of an obsession. Clearly, in his research, like so many others before him, he fell under the spell of the riflemen themselves.
Formed as the Experimental Corps of Riflemen, made up of a number of officers and men drawn from 13 different regiments, they were the first British - as opposed to mercenary - troops to be equipped with the rifle instead of the musket. Not for the 95th, as they became, fighting en masse in squares, around a regimental colour, vivid in their red coats and white equipment. Instead they were deployed as individuals, or small groups of individuals, trained to be marksmen who could take advantage of the range and accuracy of their new weapon, wearing dark green with black equipment for camouflage.
In this they were responding to the previous success of the French. One commentator has recorded that Napoleon's astonishing run of victories in Europe was due largely to the efficiency of his light infantry, who were equipped with rifles. For the British army to be able to learn and exploit this lesson they needed to be trained in a new way. To understand how different this method of fighting was from what had gone before, Mark Urban describes both this process and the results that followed on the battlefield.
Sir John Moore, killed at Corunna, was its architect. He based the training of the Light Division, which he commanded, on four main themes. Instil the "correct habits of command" into the officers and train their judgment; focus on physical training; practise over difficult ground; take particular care over the instruction of the individual skirmisher. This required corresponding motivation among the Riflemen. The spirit with which this was inculcated in them is reflected in the recruiting poster, reproduced in the front of the book. "On Service, your Post is always the Post of Honour... If you Enlist, and afterwards wish you had been a RIFLEMAN, do not say you were not asked, for YOU CAN BLAME NOBODY BUT YOURSELF."
Urban follows the fortunes of the regiment, chronologically, from the moment they embarked at Dover in May 1809, throughout the Peninsular campaign and during the battle of Waterloo. He concentrates on six individuals whom the reader comes to know as their stories unfold. Some are riflemen, some sergeants and some officers. The latter are particularly interesting because they had earned their promotion on the battlefield. In those days it was more usual for officers to purchase their commissions, as some in the 95th did. However, as Urban explains, officers had to be just as proficient in skirmishing, marksmanship and physical fitness as their riflemen, and experience counted.
The real secret, though, was that "they lived and died for one another and, in doing so, unlocked a true fighting spirit; that precious unity that inspires men to suffer the worst of hardships and to maintain the respect of their brothers in arms, in pursuit of victory".
It was for these reasons that I myself joined the Rifle Brigade in 1958 - because of its reputation for combining professionalism and fun and its known concentration on individuals as individuals. As a young officer I was trained to use my rifle and other weapons with the same thoroughness Urban describes. When I asked how it was that, despite not having been in action since 1918, the regiment had fought so well at Calais in 1940, helping to enable Dunkirk, I was told by one who was there that it was because the regiment had always fought well and that everyone fought well, for and with each other, because they were among friends. That remains the ethos of the Royal Green Jackets today.
Inevitably, Urban tells tales of remarkable bravery and endurance, which he balances by detailing the punishments awarded to those who ran away or were guilty of other misdeeds. Nor does he spare the regiment from criticism for its part in the disgraceful behaviour of the army after the capture of Badajos, for example. Every family has its good and bad members, and a regimental family is no different. A warts-and-all picture is much more credible.
Urban's lively, journalistic style is well suited to his subject. The Rifles and their legendary deeds have inspired many writers of fiction. Many have read Bernard Cornwell's accounts of the doings of Tom Sharpe. Georgette Heyer described how Captain Harry Smith rescued his "Spanish Bride" from the mayhem after the capture of Badajos, protecting her in the months afterwards until they could marry. CS Forrester also wrote about individual riflemen. While military historians can describe the facts themselves, something more is needed to bring individuals to life. This true tale is, anyway, sometimes stranger than fiction.
Unfortunately, the illustrations are disappointing. The maps Urban uses are not easy to follow, which is not surprising given the way in which the Rifles were employed on the battlefield. Nor can pictures of the battles show the part played by individual skirmishers and sharpshooters. There are portraits, however, of many of the individuals about whom he writes, so the reader can picture the characters while trying to understand how and why they fought as they did.
There is an exception. Urban reproduces one picture that is a particular favourite in the regiment, because it illustrates so much of its character and ethos. The Duke of Wellington is seen taking tea with the Rifles on the morning of the battle of Waterloo. He, and members of his staff, are mounted on horses. In front of them, hatless and still in the dress uniform in which he has just returned from the Duchess of Richmond's ball in Brussels, is Captain Harry Smith, whom the reader has come to know well during the book. He is serving tea from a large urn. Among the group beside the Duke is the Times correspondent, who first told the world of the doings of the regiment on that day. The fact that the commander in chief is with his legendary sharpshooters, who had done so much for him over the six years covered in the book, is proof of the regard in which he, and the remainder of the army, held the Rifles. Urban has done them equal justice by explaining how and why they were legendary; and why their way of soldiering lives on today.
· General Sir David Ramsbotham was commissioned into the Rifle Brigade in 1958, commanding a company in Borneo and a battalion of the Royal Green Jackets, into which they were amalgamated, in Belfast. He retired from the army in 1993.
January 24, 2020
Mark Urban should be commended for his style or writing as well as capturing the very essence of serving in what we would call the “Light Infantry” today. He brought to life on these pages, the men who fought and died for the crown. I enjoyed the book and I would recommend it to anyone who has an interest in learning about the life of a common solider.
November 30, 2018
Very well written and enthralling account of the 95th Rifles in the Penninsular War and Waterloo.
April 29, 2020
Overall, a good read that simply, and effectively, takes the reader through the Rifles' journey.
However, to keep the review short, Urban fails to drive home the significance of Rifles' battle tactics and technique. But I was looking for a more analytical piece rather than a narrative of the 95th etc. Otherwise, I would have given this work a higher rating. I would still recommend to anyone.
However, to keep the review short, Urban fails to drive home the significance of Rifles' battle tactics and technique. But I was looking for a more analytical piece rather than a narrative of the 95th etc. Otherwise, I would have given this work a higher rating. I would still recommend to anyone.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
October 17, 2021
Brilliant
Well done Mark Urban. I am ex Light Infantry serving in 2LI in the early 80’s. Being interested in the history of the Light Infantry, Mark has made the history come alive in an excellent narrative.
Well done Mark Urban. I am ex Light Infantry serving in 2LI in the early 80’s. Being interested in the history of the Light Infantry, Mark has made the history come alive in an excellent narrative.
January 18, 2021
Insightful account of Napoleonic Riflemen in the British Army. A brilliant read.
December 1, 2023
To write an engaging book about wars fought two hundred years ago is no easy task, but Mark Urban is up to the challenge. Using primary sources, he brings, along with the information, the personalities of the officers and men of the 95th, their virtues and vices, quirks and kindnesses into focus, and even sometimes, into one's heart. Urban brings the time and the place and even this 'new' method of fighting (learned, ahem, from fighting in North America) to life also. It helps that I had first read the less well organized book on the history of the founding of the 95th which begins in Pennsylvania with George Washington and his youthful battles, fighting alongside the British during the French and Indian Wars. He and many other Americans tried to convince the British officers to fight differently but they wouldn't. . . . and were, of course, slaughtered. Decades later new ideas have filtered in and become a reality. The military is allowing an experimental unit to prove itself. In this new regiment the men are treated with a little more respect, taught to aim (long story, wasn't worth it with muskets) and given freedom when in battle to make their own decisions about what to do. The 95th even encouraged the common soldiers to learn to read. This was revolutionary! Anyway, the focus here is on the Peninsular Wars and Waterloo and the role the 95th played in both. If you read Georgette Heyer you may know that Napoleon extended himself in many directions including trying to conquer all of the Iberian peninsula, which likely he would have done if he hadn't ALSO tried to conquer Russia. (So so crazy). Many of her male characters have been in the army and therefore were either on the Peninsula and/or at Waterloo. The project I am now focussed on made me want to actually know more so there is a foundation even to a few casual or maybe not so casual references I might make. I have some further reading to do -- some primary sources, memoirs by soldiers who survived (and about whom I already know quite a lot from this book) and I am looking forward to reading them. I felt surges of emotion here and there as I read about these men and their doings. As always mystified and unsettled by this aspect of human beings, but also in awe of acts of courage and determination. This period, one to which we are still closely connected, was one of immense changes, new ideas, new inventions and the military, while often very resistant (disastrously so, once again, in 1914) to change, did change as this regiment proved their value. ****1/2
March 24, 2023
Brilliantly engaging account, a page turner.
I feared this would be rather dry as these things can be, detached from the narrative of a particular conflict, but it isn't. Urban tells the story of the 95th through their engagements in the Peninsular war & Waterloo, using each battle as an opportunity to flesh out the cast of characters the book focuses on, and the making of the men who formed the legendary outfit.
I particularly enjoyed the focus on George Simmons, a character who appears frequently in Napoleonic accounts as a British source. He is, I feel, the true hero of this particular account: lucky enough to survive beyond the war, Simmons is a consistent presence in the regiment and a truly remarkable man for all his humble origins.
Urban brings to life many officers and soldiers like this: O'Hare, Cameron, Fairfoot, Costello, Henry Smith & of course Robert Craufield are just some of the characters built up in this story. Often with 'soldier-POV' books I can get a little lost with the names, but Urban paints each character as a person and builds a real sense of familiarity with the men of the 95th & Light Brigade at large throughout his account. I felt connected to these characters by the end, content to read the relatively happy endings of some and quite deflated to read of the misfortune of others - such is war, I suppose.
The only thing lacking, in my view, was more commentary on the inception of the 95th regiment itself, and the training/recruitment process back at home. This was briefly covered at the start but it would have been nice to have more insight on it.
Great little read with a lot going for it.
I feared this would be rather dry as these things can be, detached from the narrative of a particular conflict, but it isn't. Urban tells the story of the 95th through their engagements in the Peninsular war & Waterloo, using each battle as an opportunity to flesh out the cast of characters the book focuses on, and the making of the men who formed the legendary outfit.
I particularly enjoyed the focus on George Simmons, a character who appears frequently in Napoleonic accounts as a British source. He is, I feel, the true hero of this particular account: lucky enough to survive beyond the war, Simmons is a consistent presence in the regiment and a truly remarkable man for all his humble origins.
Urban brings to life many officers and soldiers like this: O'Hare, Cameron, Fairfoot, Costello, Henry Smith & of course Robert Craufield are just some of the characters built up in this story. Often with 'soldier-POV' books I can get a little lost with the names, but Urban paints each character as a person and builds a real sense of familiarity with the men of the 95th & Light Brigade at large throughout his account. I felt connected to these characters by the end, content to read the relatively happy endings of some and quite deflated to read of the misfortune of others - such is war, I suppose.
The only thing lacking, in my view, was more commentary on the inception of the 95th regiment itself, and the training/recruitment process back at home. This was briefly covered at the start but it would have been nice to have more insight on it.
Great little read with a lot going for it.
July 22, 2024
This was an interesting read about a regiment from a time period that my main knowledge comes from Abba songs and Bill and Ted's Excellent Adventure.
We see the unit change and win and lose. I cared about a lot of the people, though they flittered in and out of the story and it was hard to remember the large cast. I thought it had a strong narrative pull, though there was definitely a lull after Barajoz. This was simply because the 95th had so many casualties that most of our "main characters" disappeared and were replaced.
I thought it showed aspects of military life that were new to me, such as life between battles and the hospital in Lisbon and the attitude to skulkers. I felt like it ended with Waterloo was a bit of an extra section as they had done most of the work already (which I think was reflected in their performance and how they didn't want to be there.)
I found the text about battle placements could really have used some maps, until I found the maps. They were rubbish with the text being so small it was unreadable. After I accepted that I wasn't getting good quality maps to explain the battles I got more into it.
A book that I am glad I read, and would recommend to any history or military buffs. I am neither of those things, but I still enjoyed the book.
We see the unit change and win and lose. I cared about a lot of the people, though they flittered in and out of the story and it was hard to remember the large cast. I thought it had a strong narrative pull, though there was definitely a lull after Barajoz. This was simply because the 95th had so many casualties that most of our "main characters" disappeared and were replaced.
I thought it showed aspects of military life that were new to me, such as life between battles and the hospital in Lisbon and the attitude to skulkers. I felt like it ended with Waterloo was a bit of an extra section as they had done most of the work already (which I think was reflected in their performance and how they didn't want to be there.)
I found the text about battle placements could really have used some maps, until I found the maps. They were rubbish with the text being so small it was unreadable. After I accepted that I wasn't getting good quality maps to explain the battles I got more into it.
A book that I am glad I read, and would recommend to any history or military buffs. I am neither of those things, but I still enjoyed the book.
November 8, 2025
A very well researched offering from Mark Urban.
I listened to this in tandem with a Sharpe novel which proved very useful in contrasting the literary 95th of the Peninsular, from the real-life regiment.
It was narrated by the author, which I think is always preferrable.
Urban gives an excellent overview of the regiment, its history, tactics and philosophy but peppers this with the lives (and deaths) of actual officers and men through many memoirs, letters and personal accounts.
He writes well and the book is logically laid out by chapters and explanations of military jargon are provided where necessary.
I particularly appreciated his easy to envisage descriptions of the battlefield terrain which meant consulting maps was largely unnecessary.
The combat and engagements are described, perhaps a little too briefly for me, but this is understandable as they play only a part of the remit of the book.
This is the first Urban book I have read and will look out for more.
I listened to this in tandem with a Sharpe novel which proved very useful in contrasting the literary 95th of the Peninsular, from the real-life regiment.
It was narrated by the author, which I think is always preferrable.
Urban gives an excellent overview of the regiment, its history, tactics and philosophy but peppers this with the lives (and deaths) of actual officers and men through many memoirs, letters and personal accounts.
He writes well and the book is logically laid out by chapters and explanations of military jargon are provided where necessary.
I particularly appreciated his easy to envisage descriptions of the battlefield terrain which meant consulting maps was largely unnecessary.
The combat and engagements are described, perhaps a little too briefly for me, but this is understandable as they play only a part of the remit of the book.
This is the first Urban book I have read and will look out for more.
October 26, 2025
This was an interesting overview of the achievements of the 95th Rifles (later christened “The Rifle Brigade”) in Wellington’s Peninsular Campaign against France during the years 1809-1813.
The author draws extensively on primary sources such as diaries, correspondence, and the subsequent memoirs of 95th soldiers, both commissioned officers and other ranks. Through these sources he imparts a sense of what it was like to march and fight in the Napoleonic era both the good and the bad.
It is definitely a book for military geeks interested in the minutiae of life in the British Army in the early 19th century. I confess to being one of those geeks
In the words of Abraham Lincoln, “people who like this sort of thing will find it the sort of thing that they like.”
The author draws extensively on primary sources such as diaries, correspondence, and the subsequent memoirs of 95th soldiers, both commissioned officers and other ranks. Through these sources he imparts a sense of what it was like to march and fight in the Napoleonic era both the good and the bad.
It is definitely a book for military geeks interested in the minutiae of life in the British Army in the early 19th century. I confess to being one of those geeks
In the words of Abraham Lincoln, “people who like this sort of thing will find it the sort of thing that they like.”
June 14, 2022
Urban has brought to life several of the characters who made the 95th of Foot and were particularly Chosen Men. The hardships and privations of an infantryman in Wellington's army are well described and the lack of food, clothing, water, shelter in all weathers is not sugarcoated. That they could march the distances and still fight or even want to fight, at the end is simply staggering. The lure of potential reward through plunder or recognition of bravery for officers and men both provides and insight into the motivation of these men who clearly lived with death daily.
The tale covers the morning of the expeditionary force and follows it through the campaign, the characters being woven into the story from old records, diaries, official reports and the like. The demobilisation and resettlement could be given more consideration by the current 'powers' when considering the consequences of war on military personnel in more recent campaigns.
The tale covers the morning of the expeditionary force and follows it through the campaign, the characters being woven into the story from old records, diaries, official reports and the like. The demobilisation and resettlement could be given more consideration by the current 'powers' when considering the consequences of war on military personnel in more recent campaigns.
April 16, 2018
A great telling of the well-storied 95th rifles, a British light division of the Peninsula war who took the teachings of the American Revolutionary War tactics to Europe. Accurate rifle fire from cover, but with the same officer politicking of the British army.
The book tries to tell this history by picking a few main characters and treating it more like a story. Although some audiences may have enjoyed this style better, I found myself wanting for more of the full story at points. There already exists multiple accounts of this group in story-form.
The book tries to tell this history by picking a few main characters and treating it more like a story. Although some audiences may have enjoyed this style better, I found myself wanting for more of the full story at points. There already exists multiple accounts of this group in story-form.
October 12, 2018
'Rifles' is an excellent book which flows in an organised chronological manner. Mark Urban follows the fortunes of Wellington's 95th Rifles from embarkation at Dover in 1809, through the long Peninsular campaign to Waterloo in 1815.
The author allows the reader to get close to several of these riflemen as their story is told; a fascinating intimate revelation of 'warts-and-all.' That is what makes this book special. We are left in no doubt that these riflemen were exceptional, and Wellington used them to his formidable advantage.
The author allows the reader to get close to several of these riflemen as their story is told; a fascinating intimate revelation of 'warts-and-all.' That is what makes this book special. We are left in no doubt that these riflemen were exceptional, and Wellington used them to his formidable advantage.
July 28, 2021
This was good, perhaps very good, in terms of the research and the detail.
It was not, however, the sort of swashbuckling romp that many readers might have hoped for if they were fans of a popular television series modelled on the rifles in Wellington's army.
I have read both the Recollections of Rifleman Harris and Johnny Kinkaids accounts. Although there were some overlaps, Mark Urban's book did have plenty of original material which made it a worthy addition to the other two in my collection.
It was not, however, the sort of swashbuckling romp that many readers might have hoped for if they were fans of a popular television series modelled on the rifles in Wellington's army.
I have read both the Recollections of Rifleman Harris and Johnny Kinkaids accounts. Although there were some overlaps, Mark Urban's book did have plenty of original material which made it a worthy addition to the other two in my collection.
July 30, 2021
This was good, perhaps very good, in terms of the research and the detail.
It was not, however, the sort of swashbuckling romp that many readers might have hoped for if they were fans of a popular television series modelled on the rifles in Wellington's army.
I have read both the Recollections of Rifleman Harris and Johnny Kinkaids accounts. Although there were some overlaps, Mark Urban's book did have plenty of original material which made it a worthy addition to the other two in my collection
It was not, however, the sort of swashbuckling romp that many readers might have hoped for if they were fans of a popular television series modelled on the rifles in Wellington's army.
I have read both the Recollections of Rifleman Harris and Johnny Kinkaids accounts. Although there were some overlaps, Mark Urban's book did have plenty of original material which made it a worthy addition to the other two in my collection
September 1, 2025
If you have looked at my recent reads I'm on a Napoleonic/Wellington era jag. Mostly looking at Wellington's Peninsula Campaign. Of the works I've read on this jag this one is the best. Best actual history of the Campaign even though the mechanism for this history of the Campaign is the story/history of the 1st/95th Regiment of Rifles. It reads quick as the Rifles were constantly at the sharp end of the entire campaign. The only draw back is a lack of maps. Maybe in the next publishing this over site will be fixed by the publisher. But it is a great read.
May 23, 2026
4.2
A very interesting and informative read. Looks to be very well researched, but it was certainly not a heavy ponderous academic read, it really gave a very honest and human touch to the history.
I got a lot more out of this, I suspect, from having read all of the most excellent Sharpe's Rifles novels series by Bernard Cornwell.
At some point I think I'd like to re-read Cornwell's series (I rarely re-read books), and if I do I intend reading the chapters of Mark Urban's book here alongside each part
A very interesting and informative read. Looks to be very well researched, but it was certainly not a heavy ponderous academic read, it really gave a very honest and human touch to the history.
I got a lot more out of this, I suspect, from having read all of the most excellent Sharpe's Rifles novels series by Bernard Cornwell.
At some point I think I'd like to re-read Cornwell's series (I rarely re-read books), and if I do I intend reading the chapters of Mark Urban's book here alongside each part
August 8, 2018
An awe inspiring insight into the lives of the men who fought through Portugal all the way up to Toulouse and then again at Waterloo, reading about the camaraderie and bonds formed between these men from all walks of life and reading their words and following their stories gives a real insight to a unique era of history
'not the memoirs of cannon fodder, but of spirited individuals who, somehow made a difference to the tide of history'
'not the memoirs of cannon fodder, but of spirited individuals who, somehow made a difference to the tide of history'
September 21, 2017
Not really for serious historical interest and I couldn't get into it as an adventure either. A great idea from Urban but I don't think he really pulled it off, although Sharp enthusiasts might take this a the next step???
May 14, 2023
Buy.
Great insight. A very good and initimate account of a small groundbreaking unit in the wars against Napoleon.
If anyone out there has some follow up recommendations or a particular suggestion on Napoleon from the tactical perspective, that would be most appreciated.
Great insight. A very good and initimate account of a small groundbreaking unit in the wars against Napoleon.
If anyone out there has some follow up recommendations or a particular suggestion on Napoleon from the tactical perspective, that would be most appreciated.
August 12, 2020
Great history of the Rifles during the Penisular War, works the narratives in effortlessly and is extremely informative.
May 5, 2021
Could've lasted longer.
April 14, 2024
Unbelievably good. Needs to have a HBO series
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