The Soldier's Life in the English Civil War 1642-1649

This 208 page work draws together 40 years of research to provide an understanding of the real life both military and civilian of the common foot soldier of the English Civil War. The military aspects include recruitment, organisation, weapons and the reality of combat and casualties. Civilian aspects include the soldiers clothing, food and drink, accommodation and possessions.

The work is based on the study of many thousands of original military documents, hundreds of period newspapers, wartime autobiographies, recipe books and 20,000 probate inventories and wills. The information was then used over the last 30 years to reconstruct complete period landscapes within which to test theories experimentally and to produce the materials required for other experiments. Clothing was reconstructed with specially made replica fabrics, dyed in a reconstruction of a period dyehouse using the original methods and dyes. Orchards and gardens were reconstructed to reproduce the soldier's diet.
This book forms essential reading for anyone trying to reconstruct, interpret or understand the life of the common English soldier of the period.