British Light Infantry & Rifle Tactics of the Napoleonic Wars (Haythornthwaite Philip J.)(Paperback)

In an age when infantry units maneuvered and fought in rigid blocks, the idea of encouraging initiative and allowing a unit to skirmish was regarded as revolutionary and fell out of favor in the years following the French-Indian and American Revolutionary wars. It was revived by far-sighted British and foreign-mercenary officers, who observed the way in which French Revolutionary armies deployed skirmishers to prepare the way for their assault columns. Offering a detailed analysis of tactics, this book is studded with period battle descriptions quoted from eye-witness accounts, creating a comprehensive guide to the Light and Rifles units of Wellington's Light Division. As the result of the first tentative experiments in skirmishing the units achieved an unsurpassed peak of efficiency--they marched faster, were versatile in any sort of tactical situation, and could shoot more
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