The Puggrie Wallahs

Two campaigns in India with the British light cavalry As its commanding officer and as a noted Oxford University academic Colonel Henry Hamilton was well placed to write the history of the 14th (King's) Hussars. His full regimental history covers from the origins of the regiment in 1715 to its service during the Boer War at the turn of the 19th and 20th centuries. While some military history students require a work of this depth, there are those who are primarily concerned with the periods when regiments were on active service. For the 14th (King's) Hussars in the 19th century, this was during the Napoleonic Wars, principally during the Peninsular War in Spain and in the South of France, and later in India where as H. M 14th (King's) Light Dragoons they served with distinction in the Second Sikh War and during the Indian Mutiny. By carefully editing Hamilton's book, and adding illustrations and maps and supplementary material not originally present, the Leonaur editors have created two linked volumes that focus on these periods of the regiment's history. The Puggrie Wallahs 1841-59 follows the 14th (King's ) Light Dragoons as they take part in the second campaign fought to subjugate the martial Sikhs of the Punjab. Hamilton's accounts of the battles of the Second Sikh War are riveting, but of particular interest to students of the subject will be the authors research into the infamous 'volt-face' incident at the Battle of Chillianwallah where cavalry regiments 'about-turned' and retired whilst closing upon the enemy. Hamilton has included several, rarely seen first hand accounts of the Chillianwallah engagement that make fascinating and illuminating reading. The regiment's campaign during the Indian Mutiny of 1857 is no less engrossing and the book is unreservedly recommended. Leonaur editions are newly typeset and are not facsimiles; each title is available in softcover and hardback with dustjacket; our hardbacks are cloth bound and feature gold foil lettering on their spines and fabric head and tail bands.