Redcoats: The British Soldiers of the Napoleonic Wars

 
From the publishers:
What was a British soldier's life like during the Napoleonic Wars? How was he recruited and trained? How did he live on home service and during service abroad? And what was his experience of battle? In this book, Philip Haythornthwaite traces the career of a British soldier from enlistment, through the key stages of his path through the military system, including combat, all the way to his eventual discharge.
 
As well as describing the men and their backgrounds, Philip Haythornthwaite explains the workings of the complex military organization that took them in – the regimental system in particular – and the different types of unit in which they served. Using contemporary testimony and records, he reconstructs the often miserable living conditions the men endured in barracks and camps. He looks at their diet, their social life, their opportunities for promotion and advancement, and at the harsh code of discipline that governed them.