THE SHARPEST FIGHT .........

THE 95TH RIFLES AT TARBES, 20TH MARCH 1814 Michael Ayrton & John Taylor

In October 1813, Wellington forced a French army under Maréchal Soult out of Spain and back into France. The Peninsular War subsequently ended in April 1814 with the abdication of Napoleon and closed with the Battle of Toulouse.

The penultimate battle of the war was a fierce engagement at Tarbes on 20th March 1814. Here, three battalions of the dashing 95th Rifles fought, for the first time, as one cohesive brigade entirely equipped with the Baker rifle.

This action led to a victory over an experienced French division and demonstrated that the highly trained sharpshooters of the 95th could match musket armed infantry many times their number. In The Sharpest Fight, which is profusely illustrated, the authors have fully documented the combat at Tarbes for the first time. They set the engagement in its wider context by giving a valuable overview of the campaign and include a controversial critique of the opposing commanders.

Of particular interest is the discovery that the battle took place a considerable distance from the site previously described in established histories. The Sharpest Fight breaks new ground and adds to the annals of the Peninsular War. It is a must for historians, battlefield tourists, and for those with a fascination for the campaigns of Wellington and Soult. Both authors were professional soldiers with distinguished careers.

Michael Ayrton lives in France near the battlefield. John Taylor commanded a Royal Green Jackets battalion, the descendent regiment of the 95th Rifles.

The Sharpest Fight, published by Forbitou Books, London, 2008.
Paperback, 182 pages,
1 colour frontispiece,
51 b&w illustrations,
9 detailed maps,
references,
bibliography,
index. ISBN 978-0-9554860-0-5 £12.99

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