Esposito, Gabriele The British Army of the American War of Independence

History, Organization and Uniforms

The American War of Independence was probably the greatest test of the British Empire's military power before the world wars, and its outcome had far-reaching consequences. When the uprising broke out in the thirteen colonies, Great Britain had undisputed naval supremacy, backed by a dominant economy, but its army was relatively weak and overwhelmed. Although there were a large number of loyalist regiments fighting for their king, these were hastily assembled militias. In order to reinforce their forces with trained and disciplined troops, the British were forced to resort to numerous European auxiliary troops (often mistakenly referred to as mercenaries), many of whom came from Germany. The latter, commonly referred to as Hessians, made up about a quarter of the British land forces. They enjoyed a fearsome reputation on the battlefield due to their training and morale, but their presence and accusations of brutality did little to dampen the spirit of rebellion. Gabriele Esposito examines all the forces employed by the British, describing in detail their organization, uniforms, and the tactics they had to employ to counter a resourceful enemy under new conditions (such as the development of rifle-armed snipers). This is the army that fought in such famous battles as Lexington, Princeton, Bunker Hill, and Long Island. The uniforms are richly illustrated in all their color and variety through dozens of color illustrations.