The Flintlock Musket: Brown Bess and Charleville 1715–1865

Stuart Reid

Jan 2016 · Weapon Book 44 · Bloomsbury Publishing

About this ebook

The flintlock or firelock musket is one of the most iconic weapons in history: used on the battlefields of the English Civil War, it was then carried by both sides at Blenheim, Bunker Hill, Waterloo and the Alamo, and dominated warfare for more than 150 years, with military service as late as the American Civil War in the 1860s. Featuring specially commissioned full-colour artwork, this engaging study examines the role that the flintlock played in close-order combat on European and other battlefields around the world. Employing first-hand accounts to show how tactical doctrines were successfully developed to overcome the weapon's inherent limitations, Stuart Reid offers a comprehensive analysis of the flintlock's lasting impact as the first truly universal soldier's weapon.

Ratings and reviews

Good selection of Osprey Books.

About the author

Stuart Reid was born in Aberdeen in 1954. He has worked as a librarian and a professional soldier with his interest in the 18th and 19th centuries stemming from having ancestors who served in the British Army and the East India Company and who fought at Culloden, Bunker Hill and even in the Texas Revolution. His books for Osprey include highly acclaimed titles about King George's Army 1740–93 and the British Redcoat 1740–1815.

Steve Noon was born in Kent, UK, and attended art college in Cornwall. He's had a life-long passion for illustration, and since 1985 has worked as a professional artist. An award-winning illustrator, Steve has illustrated over 30 books for Osprey. Born in Malaya in 1949, Alan Gilliland studied photography/film and architecture, and has worked as a photojournalist and cartoonist. He spent 18 years as the graphics editor of The Daily Telegraph, winning 19 awards in that time. He now illustrates for a variety of publishers (www.alangilliland.com).