Synopsis
Ryan Gale's "A Soldier-Like Way"
is certainly one of the most exciting books covering
military material culture to appear in decades. Focusing
on the actual objects used by the British Army during
the 3rd quarter of the 18th century, Gale covers everything
from the tiniest personal items to the weapons carried
by the soldier and officer alike.
Unlike anything yet published,
Gale avoids the droning repetition of tired secondary-source
documentation and lets the 18th century speak for itself.
The words penned by these warriors in their letters,
journals, manuals and official papers are artfully organized
and interwoven with images of original objects, archaeologically
recovered relics and period images - all of which are
presented in full-color and glorious quality.
As if the above wasn't
enough, within these covers one will find the complete
set of David Morier's infantry Grenadiers, appearing
in full-color large format for the first time. "A
Soldier-Like Way" is a must for the reenactor,
collector, military historian and museum professional
alike and Gale is to be heartily congratulated for this
most important contribution to the field of 18th century
military studies.
Erik Goldstein Curator
of Mechanical Arts and Numismatics The Colonial Williamsburg
Foundation
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