Queen Victoria famously presided over an empire upon which the sun never set. Extending, defending and policing Britain’s global territories required the British Army to fight a bewildering array of foes, in equally varied terrain and climates. From the subarctic mountains of Canada to the Sahara Desert and the South African veldt, from the jungles of West Africa and central India to China, the British forces flew the flag. The task was only made possible by the recruitment of troops from throughout the colonies, some of which then served far from home (such as the Australians used in the Boer Wars). Colonial troops not only boosted the numbers available to the Empire’s forces but their local knowledge of climate and terrain, as well as their differing fighting styles, offered vital variety and flexibility. This allowed the ‘British’ armies to adapt to the wide range of enemies and environments encountered. Gabriele Esposito offers an excellent overview of the troops raised from every corner of the British Empire, discussing their organization, weapons, uniform and equipment as well as how and where they were employed. The informative text is lavishly illustrated with colour artworks.
