BOOK REVIEW. MARCHING TO THE DRUMS.

 

The second of my Christmas present books this is another collection of eyewitness accounts by British soldiers of all ranks during the Victorian era.  The original accounts were first published in the Royal Magazine between 1905 and 1911 and were the result of interviews by staff writers from the magazine with old soldiers, some very old indeed.

The accounts include actions from the Crimea to the South African war and everything in between.  The series was commissioned to provide the public of the day with an insight into the life of the British soldier.  It must be remembered that these accounts were written soon after the Boar War which had ignited a great interest by the public in all things military. As such the accounts are written in language calculated to stir the blood and admiration of the reader. However in my opinion that does not detract at all from the value of the accounts.

Although there may not be a great deal of historically new material in the book, the exploits of these old soldiers are well worth reading in the context of gaining a greater appreciation  and understanding of the life of a British imperial soldier in the hey day of empire. An interesting book.