Featured battle : San Sebastian

Part of The French Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars

Date : 28 June 1813 - 08 September 1813

After Vitorio to deal with the two remaining strongholds the French had in Spain Wellington sent a Spanish force to invest Pamplona and General Graham with 18,000 British and Portugese troops to San Sebastian. Soult had left the defence of the city in the hands of General Ray. A major assault on the 25 July was replused with heavy losses and the siege was reduced to a holding operation from then until after the battle of Sorauren. The next major assault was on the 31st August. This too was going badly until General Graham ordered the very unusual action of firing his artillery over the heads of his own men while they were attacking. The town fell and the surviving defenders withdrew to the castle which was itself surrended on the 8 September.

The Very Thing

Jonathan Crook
The title neatly sums up my opinion of this book it is the very thing for anyone with a keen interest in Napoleonic soldiering. Part of the long military history of the Royal Welch Fusiliers is told through the memoirs of Drummer Richard Bentinck from 1807 to 1823. The story travels from Copenhagen to North America to the Peninsular and finally to Waterloo and the occupation of France. We get a fascinating insight into the life of the ordinary British soldier not all saint and not all sinner
A thoroughly good read which I cannot recommend too highly.
Frontline Books, Pen & Sword Ltd., 2011