2001 first edition A4 size hardcover with dust jacket and 128 pages in new condition

In the armies of the Napoleonic era, the key to winning lay in the proper management of arms - infantry and cavalry. This book examines what acutally happened in the battles of the period, rather than what should have occurred according to the regulations, with respect to the infantry. The infantry's weapons are examined: the use of the musket, bayonet, pikes and swords; and the manner in which they were used in attack and defence, exemplified by contemporary accounts and illustrations. Misconceptions are explored and questions answered: for example, why the bayonet was so highly regarded when it inflicted hardly any casualties; why the merits of the column and the line are not clear-cut; and how, whether in square or skirmish line, the infantry of the Napoleonic Wars actually fought.