Gareth Glover, Marching, Fighting, Dying (Pen & Sword, 2021)
The Peninsular War is one of the most studied conflicts within the Napoleonic Wars of the early Nineteenth Century. The main reason for that was the involvement of the British army, which generated copious source material for historians to rake through and write about. You might think that we had exhausted those sources, but Gareth Glover has uncovered an often overlooked source, soldiers’ letters, that allow him to paint a more complete picture of the British army on campaign and in battle.
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Glover covers almost all aspects of the soldier’s life in the Peninsula War. That begins with the voyage to Portugal, the first of many unaccustomed experiences. The men’s bewilderment at the Portuguese and Spanish landscape and people quickly became evident, and there was little enjoyment available on the march with the extreme climate, sickness, and poor food all contributing. Camp life was no picnic either, but at least men had some comforts and entertainment; Glover argues against the myth of the army sleeping rough under the stars in the open, especially on cold nights. Transgressing army rules could meet with a flogging or the hangman’s rope; much to the horror of the locals, though the soldiers seemed to accept the necessity of those punishments. It appears that the British soldiers did not hate the French, but that did not diminish their efforts in battles or sieges, nor did it reduce the impact of wounds and death; Glover points out that the latter stalked the army on the march as well as the battlefield.
Each chapter in Glover’s book is structured with the author introducing a theme, presenting the source evidence with minimal commentary, then offering a brief conclusion. That gives it a ‘sourcebook’ feel for readers and history students familiar with those – a wee bit dry at times. Nevertheless, Glover mixes the variety of his excerpts enough to keep things interesting. Most of the evidence is not organised chronologically, which negates questions on continuity and change across certain themes, but that does not adversely affect the value of the material. Overall, Glover has produced an informative and useful book suitable for students of the Peninsular War and military history in general.
