Today’s Napoleonic fiction read is a belter – True Soldier Gentleman by a writer and academic called Adrian Goldsworthy. It’s about officers in the Peninsular war – so is it another Richard Sharpe clone? Well, let’s have a look. The book opens in Madrid in 1808 as we meet a young ex-pat English artist, William … Continue reading Book Review: True Soldier Gentleman by Adrian Goldsworthy
The Military Geek’s Guide To…The Peninsular War, Volume One: The Battles of Vimeiro, Corunna and Talavera.
My new book is available for pre-order from Amazon. Soon there will be an Apple books version and a paperback. Here is the blurb for the book: "This is the first in Christian Parkinson's series on the Peninsular War of 1808-1814 – arguably the British army’s greatest campaign. It is a tale of raw human … Continue reading The Military Geek’s Guide To…The Peninsular War, Volume One: The Battles of Vimeiro, Corunna and Talavera.
Book review: Now we shall be entirely free
This is the first of an intermittent series where I will be writing brief reviews of military fiction, especially books set during the Napoleonic era. Today’s book is ‘Now we shall be entirely free’ by Andrew Miller. It’s not really a war book as such but is essentially about two British soldiers fresh from Sir … Continue reading Book review: Now we shall be entirely free
Podcast Season 3: The Peninsular War
Do you enjoy Bernard Cornwell’s Richard Sharpe novels? Or perhaps you loved the TV series with Sean Bean? Well, those stories were set during the Peninsular war of 1808-1814 – which is exactly what we are covering in season Three of the Redcoat History Podcast – Hurrah! If you have no idea what I am … Continue reading Podcast Season 3: The Peninsular War
The Statue of General Sir Redvers Henry Buller, VC, GCB, GCMG in Exeter
As an amateur historian what I want to talk about today is the currently controversial subject of statues and memorials – especially that of Sir Redvers Buller V.C in Exeter. I am politically homeless. I’m not red, nor am I blue. This article isn't about politics. You may disagree with me and that is fine … Continue reading The Statue of General Sir Redvers Henry Buller, VC, GCB, GCMG in Exeter
Visiting Rorke’s Drift and Isandlwana: New battlefield videos
If you are truly a military history geek like myself then you can never watch too many films about the Anglo-Zulu War of 1879. I was lucky enough to revisit the area around Isandlwana and Rorke's Drift at the end of 2019 and make three more videos that I think you will find interesting. In … Continue reading Visiting Rorke’s Drift and Isandlwana: New battlefield videos
The Battle of Plassey and the rise of the East-India Company
In Season 2 we are exploring the Battle of Plassey and the birth of the British Empire in India. It's a fascinating story of intrigue, corruption, and world-changing battles. In the first episode, we examine the siege of the British in Calcutta by the Nawab of Bengal and the subsequent "Blackhole" incident 0f 1756 which … Continue reading The Battle of Plassey and the rise of the East-India Company
A new Redcoat History ebook and you can download it for free
The Martini-Henry Rifle was the weapon carried by most of the British soldiers during the Anglo-Zulu war of 1879. It's a legendary weapon and I was keen to learn more about it. Therefore, I invited the incredibly knowledgeable and interesting Rob from the Britishmuzzleloaders YouTube channel to join me on the podcast a little while … Continue reading A new Redcoat History ebook and you can download it for free
Podcast: Brutal Valour – an interview with author James Mace
Today for the Redcoat History Podcast I interview American fiction author James Mace about his incredible series on the Anglo-Zulu war. We talk about everything AZW including the legacy of Anthony Durnford, the myths of Rorke's Drift and whether Lord Chelmsford deserves to be treated harshly by most students of the war. This is the … Continue reading Podcast: Brutal Valour – an interview with author James Mace
Everything you ever wanted to know about the Martini-Henry rifle: An interview with Britishmuzzleloaders
When you think of the Anglo-Zulu war the weapon that comes to mind is the Martini-Henry rifle. It is the weapon carried by the British infantryman throughout the war and it did valuable service - it's large-caliber bullets causing immense casualties against the Zulu Impis. Well, in Episode 7 of the RedcoatHistory Podcast I was … Continue reading Everything you ever wanted to know about the Martini-Henry rifle: An interview with Britishmuzzleloaders
