The Light Division is rightly regarded as the most famous force within Wellington’s army in the Peninsular War. Often the first into every battle and the last to withdraw, the men of the Light Division were trained to act independently and think for themselves as well as operating in their battalion formations. The regiments which comprised the Light Division were present at almost every battle, large or small, throughout the Peninsular War. Many people, however, associate the Light Division with the men of the 95th Rifles, wearing in the distinctive green uniforms made famous in the Sharpe novels. What is less understood is that the majority of the Light Division actually consisted of troops dressed in the traditional red uniforms. These were men who, although equally capable of skirmishing as light infantry, actually spent the vast majority of their time formed as regular infantry, fighting in line, column or square. The 95th Rifles has literally a dozen or more memorialists including many famous ones such as Kincaid, Harry Smith, Harris, Costello, Leach, Simmons and others, who have been published and republished countless times. But the 52nd Foot – the first of the regiments of the Light Division to be trained as light infantry – has, until now, been largely unrepresented. After decades of research, Gareth Glover has unearthed a collection of short memoirs from soldiers of the 52nd (Oxfordshire) Regiment which have never been published before and one previously published, but now virtually unobtainable. This collection will undoubtedly add an essential element to our understanding of the role of the Light Division both in battle and on campaign.

The Light Division is rightly regarded as the most famous force within Wellington’s army in the Peninsular War. Often the first into every battle and the last to withdraw, the men of the Light Division were trained to act independently and think for themselves as well as operating in their battalion formations. The regiments which comprised the Light Division were present at almost every battle, large or small, throughout the Peninsular War. Many people, however, associate the Light Division with the men of the 95th Rifles, wearing in the distinctive green uniforms made famous in the Sharpe novels. What is less understood is that the majority of the Light Division actually consisted of troops dressed in the traditional red uniforms. These were men who, although equally capable of skirmishing as light infantry, actually spent the vast majority of their time formed as regular infantry, fighting in line, column or square. The 95th Rifles has literally a dozen or more memorialists including many famous ones such as Kincaid, Harry Smith, Harris, Costello, Leach, Simmons and others, who have been published and republished countless times. But the 52nd Foot – the first of the regiments of the Light Division to be trained as light infantry – has, until now, been largely unrepresented. After decades of research, Gareth Glover has unearthed a collection of short memoirs from soldiers of the 52nd (Oxfordshire) Regiment which have never been published before and one previously published, but now virtually unobtainable. This collection will undoubtedly add an essential element to our understanding of the role of the Light Division both in battle and on campaign.

There are many books on Wellington’s campaigns during the Peninsular War. Yet very few examine the pivotal year of 1811, when he went on the offensive and forced Napoleon’s armies back over 300 kilometers, from the doors of Lisbon to the Spanish border. For two months he pursued the retreating French, fighting skirmishes and rearguards virtually the whole way. The French finally halted at the Spanish border and turned on Wellington in early May, where an epic three-day battle was fought at Fuentes de Oñoro. The rest of the year, Wellington defended the border while making plans to liberate Spain in 1811. Wellington’s Light Division and the defense of Portugal looks at the famed Light Division as it led the pursuit of the French and was involved in almost every combat and battle fought that year. The book also explores the stalemate of January and February 1811, where the division maintained outposts overlooking French positions in the vicinity of Santarem, as well as the pursuit of the French Army back to Spain in March and April, when the division fought many skirmishes, combats, and small battles, often on its own. These include the actions at Pombal, Condeixa, Redinha, Casal Novo, Foz d’Arouce, Freixada, and Sabugal. May saw the Light Division in a desperate fight at Fuentes de Oñoro, where for much of the battle it held the army’s right flank. For the rest of the year the Light Division was in the vicinity of Ciudad Rodrigo where it occupied ground that it held for much of 1810, where it served as Wellington’s advance outposts. The assumed similar positions and were engaged at Fuente Guinaldo and El Bodon. In addition to these fights, the book will examine the changes in the organization of the division, with the addition of new battalions and release of other units. It will also go into great detail on the problems it had with command and control – with its leading officers exhausted, requesting permission to return home to recuperate. Drawing on diaries, letters, and memoirs, the authors tell the story of the officers and men who fought in the division. Many of these sources have never been published before.

The Chasseurs Britanniques Regiment was formed around a core of Frenchmen who had gone into exile for their king, and who, with their comrades, went on to serve Britain in Egypt and the Mediterranean, before joining Wellington's army in the Peninsula to fight in many of the momentous battles of the war. The first comprehensive history of this unique Regiment of the British Army. A story that begins with an account of the struggles endured by the Army of Conde. Eyewitness accounts are used to describe life and actions with the Chasseurs Britanniques. The deployments and movements of the Regiment are put into strategic and political context. Appendices provide biographical and service details for officers and men of the Regiment. Accepted views of the Regiment are challenged to provide a balanced view of its service.

In the first groundbreaking volume of a new series, acclaimed Napoleonic scholar Gareth Glover brings together previously unpublished material relating to the Battle of Waterloo. The range and unique nature of much of the research will intrigue and fascinate enthusiasts and historians alike. The wealth of hitherto unseen British material contained in Volume I includes: a series of letters written by a senior officer on Wellington's staff to Sir Thomas Graham immediately following the battle; the letters of a member of the Wedgwood family in the Guards at Waterloo; the journal of Sergeant Johnston of the Scots Greys, detailing all his experiences, including a very rare transcript of his own court martial; and letters from eminent surgeons – including those of Hume, Davy and Haddy James – who recall their harrowing tales of the horrific wounds suffered at Waterloo. In addition to these letters and journals, this volume will include 21 original line drawings created by Cavalié Mercer to accompany his famous book on his experiences at Waterloo, but which was never published. Subsequent volumes will include French, German, Dutch and Belgian material that has never been translated into English before.

Examine the legend now known as one of the bloodiest days in the history of the British Army. An Allied army of British redcoats, Portuguese and Spanish troops took position around Albuera, Spain, where Napoleon's Marshal Soult would attempt to force them out. The battle ended with an Allied victory, but at an appalling cost in lives. Fletcher, a respected authority on the Peninsular War, recounts the entire 1811 campaign, with Albuera as its centerpiece. Packed with photos and maps, including a striking portfolio of 16 full-color uniform figures meticulously detailed by military artist Gerry Embleton.