Rifles: Six Years With Wellington's Legendary Sharpshooters

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by Mark Urban


  brief 1808 campaign 1

  Craufurd lobbies for more exciting mis

  sions 1, 2 3

  Combat of the Coa 1

  chooses to keep Craufurd 1

  and skulkers 1, 2

  Busaco 1, 2, 3, 4, 5

  retires to Torres Vedras 1

  treatment of Portuguese people and

  property 1, 2

  his lines of fortifications in the Peninsula 1

  warns Craufurd 1

  and Craufurd’s return to England 1

  and Erskine 1, 2 3

  supervision of the Light Division 1

  at Foz de Arouce 1

  Sabugal 1, 2, 3

  Fuentes d’Onoro 1, 2, 3, 4

  and gentleman volunteers 1, 2

  clashes with Craufurd 1, 2

  announces winter quarters (1811) 1

  and desertion 1, 2, 3

  supply shortages 1

  Ciudad Rodrigo 1, 2, 3

  Crawfurd’s funeral 1

  Badajoz 1, 2, 3, 4, 5

  General Orders 1, 2, 3, 4

  Salamanca 1

  emergence as an offensive commander 1

  evacuates Madrid 1

  watches The Rivals 1

  reviews the Light Division 1

  his caution 1

  Vitoria 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6

  changing size of his forces 1

  angry letter to the Light Division 1

  and the Bidassoa line 1, 2

  ready to enter France 1

  Tarbes 1, 2

  strict orders against pillaging the French 1

  Quatre Bras 1, 2

  Waterloo 1, 2, 3, 4, 5

  Mitchell on his tactics 1

  view of the British recruit 1

  Wensley Dale (packet boat) 1, 2

  West Indian Rangers 1

  Yanzi 1

  yeomen 1

  Zadorra River 1

  RIFLES

  Mark Urban is the Diplomatic Editor of the BBC’s Newsnight and wasformerly defence correspondent for the Independent. He has coveredmany wars as a journalist and is the author of Big Boys’ Rules: TheSAS and the Secret Struggle against the IRA, UK Eyes Alpha: InsideBritish Intelligence and, most recently, the bestselling The Man WhoBroke Napoleon’s Codes. He lives in London with his wife and threechildren.

  Further praise for Rifles:

  ‘A superb study of the unit that effectively created the modern BritishArmy’s infantry tactics.’ Nicholas Fearn, Independent on Sunday

  ‘Fans of Bernard Cornwell’s Sharpe series have a real treat here. In adeeply researched, beautifully crafted and captivating volume, MarkUrban recounts the story of the 95th Rifles – the elite regiment whoprovided the Duke of Wellington with his crack troops and helped towin the Peninsular War against Napoleon’s marshals … After his previouswork on codebreaking in the Peninsular War, Urban must nowbe accounted one of the leading scholars of the period but the ordinaryreader will find this a riveting slab of derring-do and high adventure.’Frank McLynn, Daily Express

  ‘A delight, wise in its judgements and clear-headed in its approach tothe painful field of battle.’ Trevor Royle, Sunday Herald

  ‘As though Mark Urban, the diplomatic editor of BBC2’s Newsnight,did not have enough to do in his day job, he is fast carving out a secondcareer for himself as a first-class military historian of the Napoleonicwars. His recent biography [The Man Who Broke Napoleon’s Codes]was critically acclaimed, and now he has followed it up with a historyof the 95th Rifle Regiment that is as dashing and unconventional as thelegendary unit itself.’ Andrew Roberts, Literary Review

  ‘A colourful history of that daredevil corps, the Royal Greenjackets …A must for Sharpe fans.’ John Crossland, Sunday Times

  ‘Urban’s book is war unplugged – vicious, immediate, chaotic and raw.Well known as a Newsnight reporter, he brings to his subject the journalist’ssense of drama. But the book is not just a lurid story; he hasspent the requisite time in the archives, among neglected diaries andcorrespondence. The evidence he has collected enables him to tell thestory of the 95th through six soldiers: two officers and four lowly privates.This gives the battles a humanity usually lacking in studies ofwar.’ Gerard DeGroot, Scotland on Sunday

  ‘Should be read by everyone who has an interest in soldiering and warfare.’Gary Sheffield, Living History

  ‘[The Man Who Broke Napoleon’s Codes] was very good. This is evenbetter. How he finds the time, with his broadcasting commitments, toresearch and write quality history in under two years is a mystery.Somehow he does – and it won’t only be Sharpe fans who are gratefulfor this brilliant warts-and-all depiction of Wellington’s famous riflemen.’Saul David, Daily Telegraph

  by the same author

  THE MAN WHO BROKE NAPOLEON’S CODES

  BIG BOYS’ RULES

  UK EYES ALPHA

  SOVIET LAND POWER

  WAR IN AFGHANISTAN

  Author biography

  Mark Urban is the Diplomatic Editor of the BBC’s Newsnight and was formerly defence correspondent for the Independent. His most recent book is Fusiliers: How the British Army Lost America but Learned to Fight, described as ‘superb … an inspiring account’ by Bernard Cornwell, and by Simon Sebag Montefiore as ‘a vivid, gritty, poignant and well-researched charge-by-charge, barrage-by-barrage march of one regiment of Redcoats through the battles of the American War of Independence.’

  Copyright

  First published in 2003

  by Faber and Faber Limited

  Bloomsbury House

  74–77 Great Russell Street

  London WC1B 3DA

  This ebook edition first published in 2008

  All rights reserved

  Mark Urban, 2003

  The right of Mark Urban to be identified as author of this work has been asserted in accordance with Section 77 of the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988

  This ebook is copyright material and must not be copied, reproduced, transferred, distributed, leased, licensed or publicly performed or used in any way except as specifically permitted in writing by the publishers, as allowed under the terms and conditions under which it was purchased or as strictly permitted by applicable copyright law. Any unauthorised distribution or use of this text may be a direct infringement of the author’s and publisher’s rights, and those responsible may be liable in law accordingly.

  ISBN 978—0—571—24691—5

  Table of Contents

  Title Page

  Dedication

  List Of Illustrations

  Preface

  Chapter One: Departures

  Chapter Two: Talavera

  Chapter Three: Guadiana

  Chapter Four: Barba Del Puerco

  Chapter Five: The Coa

  Chapter Six: Wounded

  Chapter Seven: Busaco

  Chapter Eight: The Corporal’s Stripes

  Chapter Nine: Pombal

  Chapter Ten: Sabugal

  Chapter Eleven: Fuentes d’Onoro

  Chapter Twelve: The Gentleman Volunteer

  Chapter Thirteen: Deserters

  Chapter Fourteen: The Storm Of Ciudad Rodrigo

  Chapter Fifteen: The Reckoning

  Chapter Sixteen: Badajoz

  Chapter Seventeen: The Disgrace

  Chapter Eighteen: The Salamanca Campaign

  Chapter Nineteen: The Regimental Mess

  Chapter Twenty: Vitoria

  Chapter Twenty-One: The Nivelle

  Chapter Twenty-Two: The Nive

  Chapter Twenty-Three: Tarbes

  Chapter Twenty-Four: Castel Sarrazin

  Chapter Twenty-Five: Quatre Bras

  Chapter Twenty-Six: Waterloo

  Chapter Twenty-Seven: The Legend Is Born

  Inserts

  Notes On Sources

  Bibliography

  Index

  Praise

  By the Same Author

  About the Author

  Copyright

   

  Mark Urban, Rifles: Six Years With Wellington's Legendary Sharpshooters

 

 

 


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