All for the King's ShillingThe British Soldier under Wellington, 1808-1814

2-192330

Cross draws on a comprehensive database on British soldiers as well as first-person accounts of Peninsular War participants to offer a better understanding of their backgrounds and daily lives. He describes how these neglected and abused soldiers came to rely increasingly on the emotional and physical support of comrades and developed their own moral and behavioral code. Their cohesiveness, Cross argues, was a major factor in their legendary triumphs over the French.