I thought I would bring to the attention of the lists a book that I am currently reading, which has only recently gone on sale in Britain. The book is called "Redcoat" by Richard Holmes and I am finding it a great read. As an ex-British Army NCO I find it very refreshing to read about the ordinary British squaddie of the 18th and 19th centuries, opposed to the normal officer's veiwpoint, which most military books are written about. The following is a brief synopsis of this book as written on the flyleaf: "Redcoat is the story of the 'backbone of the army' - the British soldier from c1760 until c1860 - surely one of the most enduring and magnetic subjects of the British past. Based on the letters and diaries of the men who served and the women who followed them, the book is rich in the history of the period. It charts Wolfe's victory and death at Quebec, the American War of Independence, the Duke of York's campaign in Flanders, Wellington's Peninsular War, Waterloo, the retreat from Kabul, the Sikh wars in 1845-9, the Crimean war and the Indian Mutuny. The focus of Redcoat, however, is the individual recollection and experience of the ordinary soldiers serving in the wars fought by Georgian and early Victorian England. Through their stories and anecdotes - of uniforms, equipment, ' taking the king's shilling', flogging, wounds, food, barrack life, courage, comradeship, death, love and loss - Richard Holmes provides a comprehensive portrait of a fallible but extraordinary successful fighting force." I can't wait to get to the chapter dealing with the retreat from Kabul, especially with what's going on in Afghanistan at this moment. I was particulary interested in the chapter on the American War of Independence as I have an ancestor cousin who fought as a Redcoat in the 44th Regiment of Foot (East Essex Regiment) when the regiment saw active service at New York and Philadelphia in 1776 and 1777 respectively. And as I have previously said I also have an ancestor cousin who fought on the side of the American Revolutionaries. Richard Holmes is best known for his BBC series War Walks and the Western Front, which may have been shown on the History Channel or Public TV in North America. He taught military history at the Military Academy, Sandhurst for many years. I am not sure if it is on sale in North America yet? I bought my copy through Amazon.co.uk, whose details of this book can be found on: http://www.amazon.co.uk/exec/obidos/ASIN/0002570971/o/qid=1005066559/sr=8-1/ref=sr_aps_b_1_1/026-6405159-0503656 Best wishes, Brian Bristol UK http://www.familytreemaker.com/users/j/o/n/Brian-Jones/