The Coldstream Guards is the oldest serving regular regiment in the British Army. First called "Monck's Regiment of Foot," the regiment was formed by Oliver Cromwell in 1650, and was later renamed the "Coldstream Guards" after the Scottish village where Monck assembled his troops before marching into London. In the years following the English Civil War, the troops saw action in the Napoleonic Wars, the Crimea, Egypt, Sudan and South Africa, and World Wars I and II. This book outlines the history of the Coldstream Guards from its inception to the end of World War II, detailing the uniforms and equipment of this prestigious unit.
General Sir David Fraser tells the story of this famous regiment; their beginnings, customs, battles and traditions from their formation as 'The Royal Regiment of Guards' in 1656 down to our own times. It is a remarkable story that includes Marlborough's campaigns in the struggle against France, the battle of Waterloo, the Crimean War, and of course two World Wars and beyond. Numerous photographs and illustrations populate Sir David's absorbing text, including eight full page colour plates by renowned military artist Angus McBride, with lengthy commentaries examining in detail the uniforms of the Grenadiers from 1865 to the 1970's.
This book is an indispensable guide to the often misunderstood field of living history. It presents the actuality that there is a great deal more involved in this discipline than merely “wearing old clothes and going back to the past.” This volume succinctly captures the perspectives that Richard Pawling has gained from over thirty-five years of experience in the interpretive profession (in county, state and national parks and as entrepreneur and owner of Rich Pawling’s History Alive!). Here, Pawling shares his observations and advice about everything from designing a living history persona to his successful use of this provocative teaching technique in the college classroom, to the role of research in helping you to learn about your own genealogical past. Though written for a broad audience, this book should be of particular interest to those employed as an interpretive park ranger or a naturalist, a museum or tour guide, or those who volunteer as a military reenactor or as a docent at a park, museum or historic site. Old Clothes presents the important lessons Pawling has learned along the way, the most important of which is that “life is a journey and understanding our past plays an important role in helping us to continue to learn not only about life in general, but more importantly, about ourselves.”