But Delaware is second which is hard to understand…

So there is a clear correlation between the decline of the Netherlands and Sweden as great powers and their excessive consumption of books…

Similar examples from the (elite) Light Division in winter quarters under Wellington’s command during the Peninsular War a hundred years before. (See. Antony BrettJames’ Life in Wellington’s Army for details)

Avian larrikins, great fun to watch them messing about

With Edward Norton in the lead role

@charlesesdaile.bsky.social

I think that desertion rates were usually higher at home than abroad in the British army.

Were these mostly men who deserted to go home soon after they’d been conscripted rather than leaving their units on campaign?

Do you have the figure for Australia?

As so often we can only speculate on the story behind the bald facts, but so many intriguing possibilities…

🤞

Oh yes, that sounds like a sizeable warren all on its own! Wonder why he wasn’t returned with the rest of Junot’s men? Not sure which would have been worse: seven years in British captivity or seven years with the colours including Massena’s invasion of Portugal…

Nothing wrong with some good rabbit holing!

Have you read the description of the cricket match in England their England by A G Macdonell (similar vintage and flavour, though the book as a whole is comedy not crime … and the rest of it is rather dated)?

I wonder how many of my Napoleonic friends know this... I just learned that in 2015 Belgium issued a €2.5 commemorative coin to mark the anniversary of Napoleon's defeat at Waterloo. They wanted it on their €2 coin but France vetoed that idea even after Belgium minted 180,000 of those coins (they

More than one book on almost every subject on which he has written - and that’s almost every subject relating to the political, diplomatic or military history of the 18th century and adjacent decades. The real question is whether anyone has ever read them all, or ever will…

Programme of online talks for the Friends of the Lines of Torres Vedras.

This may be of interest to Napoleonic people. Our next online talk on 18 November at 7pm UK time. Register your interest by email to: i_j_brewer@msn.com

Maj-Gen (Retd) Rui Moura will tell us about the services of Thomas William Stubbs.

Have a look at our other planned talks.

Halfway through listening to it and thoroughly enjoying it.

Wouldn’t that make him in his mid-fifties at least even if he was carrying the standard in the first year of her reign?

Better to have reigned and lost, than never to have reigned at all?

Continuing a tradition that went back centuries

I entirely agree that it’s a very bad idea, and I hope that the world doesn’t go in that direction

Surely that is an inevitable consequence if the US proves an unreliable ally - or no ally at all - in the medium term? How else to deter an attack (not necessarily one from a super power)?

Not an instinctive admirer of military men…

Congratulations Steve, it’s a fine achievement

😂😂😂

#OTD 8 Aug 1789 Gov. Arthur Philip creates the first police force in Australia. It is made up of 12 trustworthy convicts.

You’re probably right, though he is such good copy, and has so many other strings to his bow that he might bring as much attention to the Whigs as he absorbs, at least among non-specialists.

1st, 2nd or 3rd? Though a fair call for any of them…

Would his reputation as a politician (and perhaps in other respects) have stood higher if he had died earlier, perhaps in the late 1790s?