Dragon Rampant:
The Royal Welch Fusiliers at War, 1793–1815
Donald E. Graves

“I never saw any regiment in such order,” said Wellington before the Battle of Waterloo, “it was the most complete and handsome military body I ever looked at.”

The object of the Duke’s admiration was the 23rd Regiment of Foot – the famous Royal Welch Fusiliers – and this is their story during the tumultuous and bloody period of the wars between Britain and France between 1793 and 1815. Based on rare personal memoirs and correspondence and new research, this compelling book offers fresh insight into the evolution of the British Army. Scorned by even its own countrymen in 1793, it was transformed within a generation into a professional force that triumphed over the greatest general and army of the time.

Told largely in the words of the men of the Royal Welch Fusiliers, the women who marched with them and those who fought alongside them, Dragon Rampant is a saga of campaigns, battles and actions on three continents, of short rations, shipwreck and disease. The reader will come to know such hard-bitten fighting men as the intrepid Drummer Richard Bentinck; the eccentric Major Jack Hill; the ferocious Major Thomas Pearson; and, above all, the Welch Fuslliers’ beloved commander, Colonel Henry Ellis, who led them in some of the most famous actions of the time, only to fall in the last battle. A book for all enthusiasts of the Napoleonic period.


What readers say:

“Whether you are a serious follower of regimental history, or a general reader of Napoleonic War history, or a scholarly researcher, or just a military buff there is something in this book for you.” Lieutenant General Jonathon Riley, Master of the Armouries and last Colonel of The Royal Welch Fusiliers.
“From the West Indies to Walcheren, Albuera, Badajoz and Waterloo, the Royal Welch Fusiliers were in the thick of the action, frequently suffering heavy losses while winning much glory. Donald E. Graves's fine new history is worthy of the regiment, skillfully employing a wide range of untouched sources to shed light on many famous campaigns and on the nature of the British army of the period.” Rory Muir, author of Salamanca 1812 and Tactics and Experience of Battle in the Age of Napoleon.
“Donald E. Graves has done it again. In Dragon Rampant, he combines impeccable research with a writing style that immerses the reader intp the midst of the action. This exciting regimental history sets the standard for modern historians!” Robert Burnham, Editor, “The Napoleon Series” website and co-author, Inside Wellington's Peninsular Army.