"British Light Infantry & Rifle Tactics of the Napoleonic " Topic

…Wars

"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 accurately than either friend or foe. No other national army, either allied or enemy, achieved these standards."
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Have anyone read this book?
If the answer is yes… comments please?

Thanks in advance for your guidance.

Amicalement
Armand

I own it, and recommend it.

The first paragraph of the publisher's blurb quoted above is (as so often) misleading in so far as it implies ignorance of the use of light infantry in continental armies. The author is of course fully aware of the continental tradition, but the book is about *British* light infantry and rifle tactics, and the blurb should be understood in that light. All blurbs puff their book, and it is pointless to complain. They're written by marketing types with little expertise in the book's subject matter – better to read the book and discover what the author himself says.

I'm in. I think I need this book.

It pretty good.
Glad it is in my collection.

Many thanks!.

Amicalement
Armand