Redcoats
The British Soldier and War in the Americas, 1755–1763

An examination of the experiences of British soldiers who fought in the Seven Years' War, first published in 2001.

Stephen Brumwell (Author)

9780521675383, Cambridge University Press

Paperback, published 9 January 2006

360 pages
22.8 x 16.7 x 2.3 cm, 0.48 kg

'The appearance of Redcoats … announces the arrival of a major military historian … an outstanding combination of historical scholarship and robust prose … the story is so well written as to make it an epic tale …' The Times Literary Supplement

In the last decade, scholarship has highlighted the significance of the Seven Years War for the destiny of Britain's Atlantic empire. This major 2001 study offers an important perspective through a vivid and scholarly account of the regular troops at the sharp end of that conflict's bloody and decisive American campaigns. Sources are employed to challenge enduring stereotypes regarding both the social composition and military prowess of the 'redcoats'. This shows how the humble soldiers who fought from Novia Scotia to Cuba developed a powerful esprit de corps that equipped them to defy savage discipline in defence of their 'rights'. It traces the evolution of Britain's 'American Army' from a feeble, conservative and discredited organisation into a tough, flexible and innovative force whose victories ultimately won the respect of colonial Americans. By providing a voice for these neglected shock-troops of empire, Redcoats adds flesh and blood to Georgian Britain's 'sinews of power'.

Introduction: approaching the 'American Army'
1. Britain's war effort in the Americas
2. Gone for a soldier
3. Following the drum
4. The environmental parameters of American campaigning
5. The 'American Army' and Native Americans
6. Irregular warfare in the Americas
7. The tactical evolution of the Redcoats
8. The Highland Battalions in the Americas
9. The legacies of the 'American Army'.

Subject Areas: Military history [HBW], Modern history to 20th century: c 1700 to c 1900 [HBLL], Early modern history: c 1450/1500 to c 1700 [HBLH], History of the Americas [HBJK], British & Irish history [HBJD1]