British Army Uniforms from 1751 to 1783

Including the Seven Years War
and the
American War of Independence

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Occasionally, a publication will come along that will interrupt the work I am doing because it has impressed me with its depth of information, quality of writing, and excellence of graphics. The book that has currently done this is the British Army Uniforms from 1751 to 1783 by Carl Franklin. When I first received the book I was not sure what to expect. However once I began browsing through the book, I was immediately impressed and knew that I had to get the information out to the wargamers, figure painters, historians, and uniformlogists of the world. Here is a book that will really impress those with an interest in British Uniforms as it contains well written content and detailed drawings of the soldiers’ uniforms and equipment during this period of change in British history.

First of all, British Army Uniforms from 1751 to 1783, including the Seven Years War and the American War of Independence, is a hard cover 377 page book that has color from cover to cover. The information presented on the pages come alive for the reader as they are shown all the components of a Cavalry and Infantry soldier’s uniform and equipment of this period. Each piece of the soldier’s uniform and equipment is shown in multiple color drawings so that the reader will know in what year that item was introduced to that arm of service. The author begins with the common elements of each branch of service and then advises the reader how each of the different regiments’ uniforms varied.

To provide you with an inkling of the books content we will look at the publications contents. British Army Uniforms from 1751 to 1783 is divided into 4 parts which is further divided into twenty chapters. There are also 4 appendices, a glossary and a complete index. The contents of the book are:

Part One – The Cavalry Commonalities

  • Chapter One – Cavalry Headwear
  • Chapter Two – Cavalry Coats and Jackets
  • Chapter Three – Cavalry Buttons and Lace
  • Chapter Four – Cavalry Stocks, Gloves and Shirts
  • Chapter Five – Cavalry Netherwear
  • Chapter Six – Cavalry Accoutrements
  • Chapter Seven – Cavalry Horse Furniture
  • Chapter Eight – Cavalry Weapons

Part Two – The Cavalry Introduction

  • Chapter Nine – Regiments of Household Cavalry
  • Chapter Ten – Regiments of Heavy and Light Cavalry

Part Three – The Infantry Commonalities

  • Chapter Eleven – Infantry Headwear
  • Chapter Twelve – Infantry Coats and Jackets
  • Chapter Thirteen – Infantry Buttons and Lace
  • Chapter Fourteen – Infantry Stocks, Gloves and Shirts
  • Chapter Fifteen – Infantry Netherwear
  • Chapter Sixteen – Infantry Tartans of the Highland Regiments
  • Chapter Seventeen – Infantry Accoutrements
  • Chapter Eighteen – Infantry Weapons

Part Four – Infantry Introduction

  • Chapter Nineteen – Regiments of the Foot Guard
  • Chapter Twenty – Regiments of Foot

 

    • Appendix A – Rank Distinctions of Officers and Enlisted Men
    • Appendix B – Facings and Loop Table
    • Appendix C – Cavalry and Infantry Lineage, 1730 – 1815
    • Appendix D – The Sources
    • Glossary
    • Index

I hope that you can begin to see from the Books Contents, the thoroughness of the information that is presented.

British Army Uniforms from 1751 to 1783 is an incredible piece of work. Aside from reading all of the interesting information that the author relates, you can spend hours just browsing the drawings. I cannot say enough about this book as it has left an impression and with the hope that the author moves onto other subjects and attacks them with the same thoroughness. You can tell from the authors writing that the uniforms of this period are something to which he has an affinity, and that he wants to share his research and knowledge with the world. The type of readers who will find this book invaluable are the historian, the wargamer putting together and painting an army of this period, the figure painter who needs to research the uniforms of his figures and the artist or sculptor who is creating a work of art on this subject. Any one of those whose interest lies with British army uniforms will find this work invaluable. In my opinion, British Army Uniforms from 1751 to 1783 is the definitive book on this subject and has set a standard that will be difficult to surpass.

This excellent book is available from Casemate and Pen and Sword Books.
MSRP £40.00 or $60.00

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