"I never witnessed a more gallant charge than that made just now by your regiment." This commendation from the Duke of Wellington after the 88th Regiment cleared the heights at Busaco marked William Grattan's first engagement in the Peninsular War. The second found him commanding the leading company in the attack on Fuentes d'Onoro. In the years 1809 to 1814, the first battalion of the Connaught Rangers were to lose 49 out of 103 officers killed or wounded and gain eleven battle honours whilst earning their nickname, 'The Devil's Own', as part of General Picton's 3rd Division. These reminiscences form not only a graphic chronicle of such conflicts as Busaco, Ciudad Rodrigo, Badajoz and Salamanca, where the regiment repeatedly covered itself with glory, but also provides an unusually entertaining account of the Irish soldier in and out of battle. Modest, brave and with a keen sense of humour, Grattan's account covers not only the battles, but also a wealth of information regarding pay, promotion, food, clothing, his views of Spain and the Spanish, and his thoughts on a variety of commanders. All this lifts his narrative to the front rank of Peninsular autobiographies.
This is the first appearance of this classic book as a paperback.