- Hardcover
- Publisher: Military Book Society; First Edition edition (1970)
- ASIN: B0016KF742
- Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
- Amazon Bestsellers Rank: 2,329,100 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
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Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
14 of 15 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
Rifleman Harris' recollections of life in Wellington's peninsular army offers a deep insight into the affairs of the common soldier during the Napoleonic wars.
The commentary is not that of a well to do officer, telling of dances and fine dinners, but focuses on the far from romantic realities of campaigning. We hear of personal incidents and some amusing stories are recounted but the strength of the narrative lies in its immediacy and it is easy to see that the subjects want nothing more than an end to the continuing campaign.
Told to an officer some years later who transcribed Harris' story, there is a refreshingly gritty reality to the narrative which at times seems to have more in common with the Sharpe novels than with an historic account. Indeed the rifleman Harris of Cornwell's novels may owe much of his character to this hard fighting soldier.
4 of 5 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
Fascinating reminiscences of an ordinary rifleman's role in campaigns as far afield as Montevideo in South America and also the Iberian wars.
Particularly poignant were his accounts of the retreat from Corunna and the unbelievably harsh conditions of the rank and file, all told without any trace of rancour.
Particularly poignant were his accounts of the retreat from Corunna and the unbelievably harsh conditions of the rank and file, all told without any trace of rancour.
Most Helpful Customer Reviews on Amazon.com (beta)
Amazon.com:
2 reviews
14 of 14 people found the following review helpful
Harris is the inspiration for Sharpe
19 Jan 2001
Format:Paperback
This book is one of the classic Peninsular War recollections of the period. Harris was a devil-me-care lad of the English shires, who was first chosen by lot to join the English militia in 1806. Once in Ireland he becomes enamored of the green-jacketed 95th Rifles, Britian's new experimental Rifle corps, and decides to join them as a volunteer. The memoirs of Harris and many others like him were no doubt the inspiration for Bernard Cornwall's now famous "Sharpe" series. But Harris's work is certainly worth reading for its own merit, as it provides a vivid impression of what it was like to be a British soldier in the Napoleanic period. Unlike many of the memoirs of his compatriots, Harris only served for a brief time. He experinced Britian's initial efforts to support Spain in her rebellion against napolanic France's domination. As part of that early expedition, harris sees action at Rolica and Vimero (1808), and partakes in the grim retreat to Coruna (1809). He is thus privy only to the initial stages of what would become the Peninsular War in Spain (1808-1814) Harris's recolllections are vivid, but at times confused and lack chronology. This is reflective of the fact that he was a common ranker, and his level of education was somewhat less than many officiers. This does not detract from the value of his work; for Harris is in fact an amusing writer with an adroit sense of humor. He recollects his experinces as they come to mind, and the reader often feels as though he is seated right next to him relaying his stories as they come to mind. At times this can be confusing, and some knowledge of the period certainly helps in understanding the merits of this work. Christopher Hibbert has provided some valuable notes both in the introduction and within the body of the work, which adds greatly to it. Modern readers will certainly find Harris worthwhile, and with the recent interest sparked by the "Sharpe series", will see how the real thing compares to the fictionalized character. Sharpe is most certainly part Harris, and the reader also gets an understaning of the 95th regiment as well. Worth having.
5 of 5 people found the following review helpful
a few more notes
3 July 2001
Format:Paperback
I agree almost entirely with the fine review written by Roger Kennedy. Just a few more points to add: (1) I think what sticks in my mind more than anything else are the horrific marches and the lack of medical care - the authors descriptions are all the more memorable for their off-handed understatement. (2) It's also an interesting recording of the social mores of the time - the author feels that the Lash is a necessity, and deplores the idea of having promotions done by merit rather than by noble birth. Not what you might expect to hear from a commoner serving in the ranks!
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