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British Light Infantryman vs Patriot Rifleman book cover
British Light Infantryman vs Patriot Rifleman
American Revolution 1775–83
2023
First Published
3.78
Average Rating
80
Number of Pages

Part of Series

Fully illustrated, this book assesses the origins, equipment, and fighting styles of the irregular warfare specialists fighting on both sides during the American Revolutionary War. Amid North America's often forested, broken, or rugged terrain, 18th-century armies came to rely on soldiers capable of fighting individually or in small groups. During the American Revolutionary War, rifle-armed companies were incorporated into the newly created Continental Army, while Patriot militiamen and partisans also made use of rifled weapons. Facing them were the British Army's light infantrymen; among the most experienced regular soldiers fighting for the Crown, they were joined by Loyalist units able to operate in dispersed formations and German hired troops skilled in open-order fighting, including the rifle-armed J äger . The strengths and limitations of both sides' open-order specialists are evaluated in this book, with particular focus upon three revealing Harlem Heights (September 16, 1776), where the Patriots took heart from being able to hold their own in an escalating clash with Crown light forces; Freeman's Farm (September 19, 1777), where British light infantry engaged Patriot riflemen in notably rough terrain; and Hanging Rock (August 6, 1780), where Patriot riflemen and partisans attacked a Loyalist encampment, including Provincial Corps light infantry. Specially commissioned artwork, archive illustrations, and newly drawn mapping complement the authoritative text.

Avg Rating
3.78
Number of Ratings
9
5 STARS
22%
4 STARS
56%
3 STARS
11%
2 STARS
0%
1 STARS
11%
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Author

Robbie MacNiven
Robbie MacNiven
Author · 35 books

Robbie MacNiven is a Scottish author and historian. His published fiction includes over a dozen novels, many fantasy or sci-fi works for IPs such as Warhammer 40,000 and Marvel's X-Men. He has also written two novellas, numerous short stories and audio dramas, has worked on narrative and character dialogue for multiple digital games (SMITE: Blitz and Age of Sigmar: Storm Ground), has written the colour text for multiple RPG rulebooks and has penned the scripts for two graphic novels and two comics, for Osprey Publishing and Commando Comics respectively. In 2022 his X-Men novel "First Team" won a Scribe Award. On the non-fiction front, Robbie specialises in Early Modern military history, particularly focussing on the 18th century. He has a PhD in American Revolutionary War massacres from the University of Edinburgh - where he won the Compton Prize for American History - and an MLitt in War Studies from the University of Glasgow. Along with numerous articles for military history magazines he has written four books on different aspects of the American Revolutionary War, three for Osprey Publishing and the latest for Helion Books. He has also written the scripts for eight episodes of the hit YouTube educational channel Extra Credits. Outside of work and writing, his passions include re-enacting, gaming, and following Rangers FC home and away.

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