The British Army, often portrayed as rigid and traditional, was far from the lumbering force it is sometimes made out to be. Contrary to the stereotype of redcoats marching in straight lines, armed with inaccurate smoothbore muskets, the British were both adaptable and innovative. In fact, they too made use of rifles during the Revolutionary War—sometimes to an even greater extent than the American revolutionaries.
Myth vs. Reality: The British Army’s Innovative WW1 Tactics
Forget everything you think you know about WW1 British tactics. The common image: waves of young soldiers marching into machine gun fire, led by blundering generals who refused to adapt. But what if I told you this isn’t the full story?
THE CLASH OF EMPIRES: LARGEST EVER ANGLO-ZULU WAR EXHIBTION TAKING PLACE IN LONDON
The clash of empires exhibition will be huge - the largest artefact-driven museum exhibition on the Anglo-Zulu War, and it is happening in London in July. Alex Haimann and the world renowned historian Ian Knight are co-curators. Tickets can be found here. I have just spoken to Alex all about it and that film can … Continue reading THE CLASH OF EMPIRES: LARGEST EVER ANGLO-ZULU WAR EXHIBTION TAKING PLACE IN LONDON
The Indian Mutiny of 1857: Why did it happen?
Today’s episode is a brief introduction to why the Sepoy Mutiny of 1857 happened. Why did thousands of previously loyal Indian Sepoys turn against their officers, turn against their employer? It was a brutal war, and to be honest, even doing the research for this was depressing. In future episodes, I’ll be looking at some … Continue reading The Indian Mutiny of 1857: Why did it happen?
The First Anglo-Boer War
I have recently completed a short series covering the 1st Anglo-Boer War of 1880-81. It is a campaign often forgotten and overlooked by military historians. Perhaps part of the reason is that the British lost every battle - Bronkhorstspruit, Laing's Nek and Majuba amongst them.
The Peninsular War: Who were the Redcoats?
In this podcast and video series, I explain who the redcoats were, how they were recruited, and how the British infantry regiments of the Napoleonic wars were organised. It's a fascinating subject and one that clearly resonated with a large audience. You can listen to the full audio episode here. Or watch the accompanying videos below. … Continue reading The Peninsular War: Who were the Redcoats?
Who captured the first French Eagle of the Peninsular War?
Richard Sharpe famously captured an Eagle at the Battle of Talavera, but do you know which real-life warrior was the first British soldier to achieve that impressive feat during the Peninsular war? The video below will answer all of your questions. https://youtu.be/kNf3hJ_Zmf0 This is a real tale of derring do and bravery. The capture of … Continue reading Who captured the first French Eagle of the Peninsular War?
Podcast: The Siege of Burgos (1812) – Wellington’s worst scrape?
After the famous Victory at Salamanca in July 1812, Wellington occupied Madrid. At this point, he seemed to lose his magic touch. In this episode, I am joined by historians Charles Esdaile and Mark Thompson to learn the full story behind the campaign known as "Wellington's worst scrape".Â
SIGN UP FOR THE REDCOAT HISTORY DESPATCH AND RECEIVE YOUR FREE EBOOK ABOUT ISANDLWANA
Sign up for the Redcoat History Despatch and receive my free, full-length eBook - The Military History Geek's Guide To...The Anglo Zulu War.
Keeping the memories alive: Visiting little known sites of the Anglo-Zulu War
In this video and blog post you can see and learn about a number of little-known Anglo-Zulu War battlefields and memorials...including Luneburg, Ntombe Drift and Conference Hill.
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