Featured battle : Tippermuir

Part of The Civil Wars of the Three Kingdoms

Date : 01 September 1644

The Covenanters under Lord Elcho numbered 7,000 infantry, 700 cavalry and nine guns. Montrose's Royal army had at most only 2,700 men, none of them mounted. Also the Royal 'artillery' consisted of about 500 bowmen and those carrying guns had only enough ammunition for two shots at most. However a desperate wild highland charge took the fight to the Covenanters who immediately broke and ran. The pursuit continued to the gates of Perth with over 2,000 Covenanters being killed in the rout.

In the Peninsula with a French Hussar

A J M De Rocca. Intoduction by Philip Haythornthw
De Rocca's account was first published in English in 1815. This book is the unabridged presentation of that work with a new introduction by Philip Haythornthwaite and additional maps. De Rocca was not involved in any of the major battles in the Peninsula and that is the most valuable part of this book. It is a rich insight into all the other tasks performed by light cavalry in support of an army of occupation. Garrison duties, scouting, escorting and dispatch carrying all feature in the day to day tasks which De Rocca carried out. The underlying theme running through all his duties was finding enough to eat for himself and his horses.
For the general reader I would recommend this book as a jolly good read maintaining interest from beginning to the end. For the military buff I can recommend this unique insight into the effects of the Spanish Guerrillas on the front-line fighting ability of the French as seen through the eyes of one who was there.
Frontline Books. Pen & Sword Books \ltd., 2017