British Rifleman 1797–1815

Osprey Warrior #47

by Philip J. Haythornthwaite, Christa Hook (Illustrator)

The rifle corps of the British Army during the Napoleonic Wars (1799-1815) are among the most recognisable of all the soldiers of that era: their distinctive dark green uniforms are as familiar as some of their exploits. They have achieved considerable fame through the large numbers of memoirs written by members of the rifle corps as well as through modern fiction, most notably the Sharpe series. Apart from their reputation as a corps d'elite, the riflemen were, in their time, at the very cutting edge of military technology and tactical theory. Philip Haythornwaite here uses fascinating first hand accounts and detailed research to give a 'soldier's-eye view' of the British Rifleman, his life and work.

Genres: Military History, History, Nonfiction

64 pages, Paperback

First published April 25, 2002

About the author

Philip J. Haythornthwaite (born 1951) is an internationally respected and prolific author and historical consultant specializing in military history, uniforms and equipment. Whilst his main area of research is the Napoleonic Wars, his impressive list of publications covers a much wider range of periods from the English Civil War until WWI.

Reviews

[Steve]

Very narrow in its scope, but very intresting in its depth, covering the history of British Riflemen during the transition from musket-equipped infantry to ones equipped with rifles. Dress, tactics, equipment, training- all covered in great detail. Really interesting read!

[John Somers]

13/20

[Mick Scrimshaw]

A good introduction to this particular type of British soldier who had such an effect on the battles of the Napoleonic Wars, and a useful explanation to their tactics and how the advantages and disadvantages of such units were viewed at the time by the Army’s command. It was also useful in explaining some of the different rifle units including of course the famous 95th regiment, and also offered details of the differences and similarities of the various uniforms. All in all a good introduction and I personally found it very helpful in my quest to understand the British Army tactics of the Peninsular War.

[Sean Chick]

Osprey books like this are best when discussing a narrow topic, because it allows a fairly comprehensive coverage of the military formation being discussed.