Warriors in Scarlet

Warriors in Scarlet by Ian Knight is a comprehensive and stirring history of the Victorian army between 1837 to 1860, from the Battle of Bossendon Wood to the Crimean War, a period of seismic change.

An acclaimed military historian, Knight reveals the brutal reality of colonial conflict from both sides as the rapid expansion of the empire saw the British army fighting in small wars across the world. Drawing on first-hand accounts, he shows us the reality of life for the British soldier in this era—the drudgery of peacetime service for the ordinary soldier, the excitement and privations of posting overseas, the floggings and desertions, the regimental pride and comradeship.

Knight vividly recreates the action on the ground, from bloody skirmishes in Southern Africa and siege warfare in New Zealand to disasters like the 1842 retreat from Kabul and Chillianwalla in the Punjab. British soldiers, trained in tactics that had beaten Napoleon, were forced to adapt when faced with warriors with very different skills fighting on their home ground. But in reality, the army won more than four-fifths of the battles they fought in this era. He describes how, by 1860, with their redcoats increasingly replaced by khaki, the British army was a more professional, efficient, and increasingly ruthless fighting force.

Impressively researched and highly readable analysis - Tony Pollard, Professor of Conflict History and Archaeology, University of Glasgow