Featured battle : Sorauren Part 1

Part of The French Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars

Date : 28 July 1813

On the 26th July Soult's forces moved slowly and cautiously. d'Erlon moving south west from the Maya pass had been shaken by the flank attack. Clausel's corps only made contact with the rearguard of Cole's force at 4 pm. Cole had linked up with the Third Division under Picton and they had selected a a strong position to defend. Soult had about 25,000 men available on the morning of the 27th outnumbering the two British divisions. While considering his next action Wellington appeared only accompanied by his military secretary, on a ridge to the right flank of the French army. This theatrical gesture, which raised a great cheer from the Portugese and British, caused Soult to postpone the attack until the next day. By 12.30hrs on the 28th, when the attack started the British had been reinforced, although still outnumbered, and were better prepared to meet the French. Attacks to the front of the line and to the flanks failed and towards the end of the day Soult saw additional reinforcements joining the British lines he withdrew to his start position. [For numbers and casualties see Sorauren Part 2]

The Light Division in the Peninsular War 1811-1814

Tim Saunders & Rob Yuill
Tim Saunders and Bob Yuill have done it again and given us a superb book. After the Light Division 1808-1811 [reviewed on this site] we had high expectations of the second part to take us from 1811 to 1814 and we have not been disappointed. Again the text is well focussed and doesn’t drift off into writing about the wider campaign more than is necessary to tell the Division’s story. This volume seemed to have even more insights into the lives of the officers and ordinary infantry soldiers both in and between the battles. Lots of snippets stick in the mind such as hunting with foxhounds, shooting woodcock and marching whole battalions out of the line to re-uniform. The skirmishes and battles are well described and given colour by the personal reports of both officers and men. The story is not all glory but includes the lows and the dark passages of the division. This is the story of the ‘incomparable Light Division’ accurately and engagingly told.
There are a large number of maps and photographs interspersed throughout the text. Many photographs are of the locations today which would be a big help to anyone visiting the battlefields and marching routes.
We highly recommend you read The Light Division1808-1811 first then you will find this book a ‘must read’.

Pen & Sword Military, 2020