All the King's Men, By Saul David

 

Christopher Hirst
Friday 15 March 2013 20:00 GMT
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David provides vivid accounts of battles involving British redcoats who formed the national army after the Glorious Revolution of 1685.

Enlisting for life, most recruits "volunteered out of desperation" but displayed striking bravery in the ranks.

The book's climax is a 30-page account of Waterloo, ending in 47,000 dead bodies, including 15,000 of Wellington's men.

David concludes "He almost lost it – and certainly would have but for the timely arrival of the Prussians and the fighting quality of his British redcoats."

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