Let your mind drift back, two hundred years ago. A microsecond in the cosmic sense, but technologically, a time not much more advanced than the Renaissance, 300 years earlier.

 Three weapons dominate the battlefields of Europe (especially, but also the rest of the world); horse-mounted cavalry, muzzle-loading field artillery…and massed infantry, armed with long muskets and spike bayonets.

 Point to note; contemporary firearms featured two commonalities; hand (not machine-drilled) -made smooth bores, which discharged primarily solid, round shot. Upon ignition of the black powder charge, the ball ‘bounced’ around inside the barrel on its way to the muzzle. Accuracy was not an option; 75 yards was the outside range one could even hope to hit a man-sized target (a good soldier with an abnormally well-made musket).

 Therefore, as it was since Alexander’s phalanxes, mass continued to be the ‘way’ to fight. Mass the infantry with their muskets and bayonets so they could not be cut down individually by cavalry sabres, mass the cannon to fire into the massed infantry, mass the cavalry as a shock weapon. Good generalship and steady troops won battles…at terrible cost to the massed soldiery.

 As the 18^th century came to a close, a new weapon began making an impression, one which changed warfare. The rifle, with its landed and grooved barrel, gave more range and accuracy to the average infantryman than ever before in history.

 Famous in the hands of the ‘Pennsylvania’ and ‘Kentucky’ irregulars of the US Revolution and the British-employed German mercenary troops from Hesse-Kassel, plus a few British infantry (with the privately-designed Ferguson), rifles, with their grooved barrels and tighter-fitting balls allowed individual targets to be engaged at beyond 200 yards, more than three times the musket’s effective range!

 As the 18^th Century closed, the British Army raised two regular regiments specifically armed with the rifle, in their case, the native, just-issued Baker. A traditional muzzle-loading flintlock, the Baker resembled a short, heavy German gamekeeper’s rifle, not the graceful American ‘long rifle.’ 

Most importantly, the Baker was the first true military rifle; a standard design, fitted a sword-style bayonet, which gave the weapon an overall length almost that of the standard infantry musket. The bayonet proved vital, especially for repelling cavalry and ‘those times’ when the enemy was close and the rifle not loaded…and for clearing brush

 The 60^th and 95^th Rifle Regiments were raised just in time to serve His Majesty King George III, throughout the Napoleonic Wars, 1797-1815. Not only did the 60^th and 95^th carry a revolutionary weapon, they wore a different uniform than the rest of the British Army. No scarlet coats for officers and crimson for the ranks; everyone in the 60^th and 95^th wore ‘Rifle Green,’ a colour so dark it was often described as black. ‘Seconded’ out in often company strength to line regiments, the Rifles acted as scouts, skirmishers, flank protection for the ‘regulars.’ The Rifles were an elite of superbly trained, fit men, their march-pace even much faster than line infantry.

 The Rifles’ primary opponents, the French, called them ‘Green Englishmen.” That the Rifles with their long-range weapons and often invisible garb, were hated with Gallic passion can be taken for granted. 

The Rifles’ exploits, especially in the Peninsula (Spain and Portugal) and at Waterloo became the stuff of legend.

 And how much did these two regiments affect military strategy…? The massed ranks of infantry, which had been state of the art since Alexander, 2100 years previous…within fifty years after Waterloo, almost every infantryman carried a rifle…and ‘open order’ infantry tactics were standard. By the turn of the 20^th century, the last colorful uniforms left the battlefield. Draw your own conclusion on the impact of the 60^th and 95^th Rifles on military history!

 Take this to the bank; Christa Hook is one of the finest military artists around. Therefore, when Osprey teamed her with an author, in this case, Philip Haythornwaite, one knew the resultant work would be hot stuff, military book-wise. Without even opening this book before purchase, this writer felt assured of buying an abnormally high-quality product.

 And so it is. British Rifleman 1797-1815 is truly one of the publisher’s best efforts. Ms. Christa Hook’s 8 pages of colour paintings are SO filled with detail about the subject…uniforms, accoutrements, weapon details…and Philip Haythornwaite’s text properly compliments the art…one can comfortably use this book as a sole source, unless British Napoleonics are a fave subject.

 Modelers, rejoice! There are some figures out there of Napoleonic British Riflemen! A good large scale bust, several fine standing figures, and this writer’s favourite, when it is reissued or found at shows, Airfix’s 54mm (1/32) styrene Rifleman.

 If you want to take the ‘study’ further, British author Bernard Cornwell did a series of historical novels based on the 95^th Rifles, his lead character being an officer, Richard Sharpe. The BBC aired a number of well-cast episodes of ‘Sharpe,’ some of the most realistic Napoleonic period films ever produced. They are available at video stores and many libraries.

 Review copy courtesy of the reviewer's chequebook, purchased at Prosek's Greenhouse and Military Model Shop, Winfield, Illinois, USA. 

Reviewed by James Hood.

 see Scott Van Aken's m2 and other reviews of James Hood's novel Adventure--Into The Neverland, of exploring a parallel, Alternate world (concept based on the Superstring theory of physics) using WW II surplus ships, aircraft and vehicles at:)    <http://users3.ev1.net/~bjmonkeyandcj/James_Hood.htm>

Book can be ordered at <http://www.authorhouse.com/BookStore/SearchCatalog.aspx>  or from your local bookstore (ISBN 0-7596-9062-6 Hardbound or ISBN-0-7596-2646-4 Softcover

August 2005

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