Product Description

The conflict in South Africa from 1899 to 1902 gave the British military establishment reason to effect swift reforms in the period which followed the end of the hostilities. The humiliating defeats suffered at the hands of a comparatively small number of Boer citizen-soldiers in the opening months of the war showed up deficiencies in leadership, training and equipment. In a companion volume to Men-at-Arms 107: British Infantry Equipments 1808-1908, Mike Chappel examines the period from 1908-80 in a text complemented by numerous illustrations including eight full page colour plates by the author himself.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #457111 in Books
• Published on: 2000-01-01
• Released on: 2000-01-01
• Original language: English
• Binding: Paperback
• 48 pages

About the Author
Mike Chappell comes from an Aldershot family with British Army connections stretching back several generations. He enlisted as a teenage private in the Royal Hampshire Regiment in 1952. Over the next 22 years of infantry soldiering, many of them spent with the Gloucester Regiment, he held every rank and many regimental appointments up to WO1 and Regimental Sergeant Major. he retired in 1974, as RSM of the 1st Battalion The Wessex Regiment (Rifle Volunteers), after seeing service in Malaya, Cyprus, Swaziland, Libya, Germany, Ulster and home garrisons. He began painting military subjects in 1968 and since then has gained worldwide popularity as a military illustrator. Mike has also written and illustrated many quality books in the Osprey Military list.

Customer Reviews

Useful Overview
I have been acquainted with Rene for many years. He is from Canada and has written many works concerning the North American campaigns of the French and British forces in the 17th and 18th centuries, the Spaniards in New Spain, and the early US Army before the Civil War. He is a professional historian and all his works are based on sound research.
Mike Chappell, who has done so many fine illustrations, was a serving member for years and retired from the British Army. He has produced many works of his own publication as well.
British Soldier in the Twentieth Century series.
As I knew nothing about early British accoutrements this whole study was interesting. Of course, it cannot be thorough and complete. Whole detailed books have been and are written on small time periods on these subjects. But here is a good one to start with.
See also the volume on later Infantry equipments and the one on Cavalry equipment.