Esposito, Gabriele The Britoish Army of Queen Victoria, 1837-1901

Organization, Uniforms and Equipment

In 1837, Queen Victoria inherited an army that had changed little since the victory over Napoleon in 1815, although reforms were already underway. However, the process of restructuring and modernisation continued throughout her reign. While protecting and expanding the Empire, the British Army strove to adapt to rapid technological developments and an incredible variety of enemies and environments. Many of its most famous battles were won during this period, including Balaklava, Rorke's Drift and Omdurman. Gabriele Esposito provides a comprehensive overview of the history, organisation, weapons and uniforms of the various parts of the British Army. All branches of service are included: Foot Guards, Line Infantry, Highland Infantry, Light Infantry, Rifle Corps (the King's Royal Rifle Corps and the Rifle Brigade), Life Guards and Horse Guards, Dragoon Guards, Dragoons, Light Dragoons, Hussars, Lancers, Royal Artillery, Royal Engineers and Royal Army Service Corps. The Royal Marines and the Royal Marine Artillery, which are technically part of the Royal Navy, are also covered, as they often fought alongside the land forces. The legions of British volunteers who fought abroad and the foreign military units in British service are also included. He traces the major changes that took place during this period in both military clothing (the famous red coats were replaced by khaki ones) and equipment (in particular, muskets were replaced by breech-loading rifles and machine guns). Dozens of colour illustrations illustrate this period of British military history.