Beggars in Red: the British Army 1789-1889

This was a period in which the British Army did much to astonish the world, indulging in spectacular triumphs as well as disastrous defeats. The story encompasses the final despatch of history’s greatest soldier, Napoleon, and the subjugation of Asian and African potentates. It was the century which saw the British tighten their hold on India, extend their Imperial possessions largely by the sword, and at length – despite blunders in the Crimea and mutiny in the Indian Army – establish a peace-keeping cordon around the globe. John Strawson presents a compelling account of Kipling’s “Beggars in Red”, at first, struggling in vain against French revolutionary armies and its own government’s neglect, then, with the Duke of York’s reforms plus the fine leadership of Sir John Moore and Wellington, gaining skill and confidence, winning battle after battle in the Peninsular and at Waterloo. At a time when reductions in the army again seem imminent, Strawson reminds us that the British regimental system is priceless and indispensable.