Soldiers of the Queen
Victorian Colonial Conflict in the Words of Those Who Fought
Nonfiction, History, British, Biography & Memoir, Historical
| Author: | Stephen Manning | ISBN: | 9780750980067 |
| Publisher: | The History Press | Publication: | September 2, 2016 |
| Imprint: | The History Press | Language: | English |
| Author: | Stephen Manning |
| ISBN: | 9780750980067 |
| Publisher: | The History Press |
| Publication: | September 2, 2016 |
| Imprint: | The History Press |
| Language: | English |
It may come as some surprise that in such a popular area of military history there is no book that focuses on the experience of the Victorian soldier - from recruitment to embarkation, fighting and perhaps returning, perhaps dying - in his own words. Dr Manning's meticulous research in primary sources gives the lie to the received image of the disciplined, redcoated campaigner of Victorian art and literature: for one thing, by the time he arrived at his destination, the coat would have been in rags. The distances covered on march were unbelievable, through desert and disease-ravaged swamp. Lavishly illustrated thoughout, all the major Colonial campaigns and most of the minor ones are featured. To understand how what was in reality a tiny standing army controlled the largest empire the world has ever seen, this book is a must.
It may come as some surprise that in such a popular area of military history there is no book that focuses on the experience of the Victorian soldier - from recruitment to embarkation, fighting and perhaps returning, perhaps dying - in his own words. Dr Manning's meticulous research in primary sources gives the lie to the received image of the disciplined, redcoated campaigner of Victorian art and literature: for one thing, by the time he arrived at his destination, the coat would have been in rags. The distances covered on march were unbelievable, through desert and disease-ravaged swamp. Lavishly illustrated thoughout, all the major Colonial campaigns and most of the minor ones are featured. To understand how what was in reality a tiny standing army controlled the largest empire the world has ever seen, this book is a must.
