Rifles

"I was really inspired by this book. More than in any of the other books I have mentioned – including mine! – Mark Urban has the ability to bring alive the characters in the story of Wellington’s campaigns. He has the advantage of concentrating his narrative skill on just one regiment, the Rifles. The Riflemen were extremely articulate, bright and sometimes witty men who wrote fascinating diaries about their experiences. Urban really makes you feel you are there. The rifle had about three times the range of the musket. It was a new weapon with much greater accuracy. This allowed the riflemen to play a vital role in Wellington’s army. They worked in twos and threes rather than in great long lines like the rest of the infantry. They were posted forward of the frontline, and, as the enemy approached, they would try and pick off the opposition, directing their fire at the key people leading the assault. Their fighting methods looked much more like the techniques of fire and movement practised by soldiers today, and they were greatly valued by Wellington."