The British Cheer: Psychological Warfare in the Napoleonic Era

This book explores the British Cheer during the Napoleonic era, arguing that it was a powerful weapon of war, wielded with genuine power. It surveys the history of acclamations in battle, considers acoustics, physics, and morale, and reveals the recipe of volley-cheer-charge that propelled the British Army to victory. The study encompasses a vast canvas of places and times, from the Mahratta wars in India to the war of 1812, and includes analysis of the Duke of Wellington's attitude towards cheering.

Format: Hardback
Length: 296 pages
Publication date: 04 October 2023
Publisher: Pen & Sword Books Ltd

This is a bold, painstakingly researched and wide-ranging assessment of the British Cheer in the Napoleonic era. Reference to the Cheer in accounts of the time is virtually ubiquitous and repeatedly the claim was made for cheering as an integral part of British offensive operations. However, more recent historians have tended to overlook this evidence. Based upon a vast range of contemporary sources, this book suggests that the Cheer wielded genuine power as a true weapon of war. This book first surveys the history of acclamations in battle worldwide and British battle-cries from all periods, before addressing the question of what the British Cheer actually sounded like. Issues of acoustics, physics and the psychology of battlefield morale are considered, along with commentaries from significant military scholars throughout history. Examination of the Napoleonic-era Cheer then reveals the practically invincible recipe of volley-cheer-charge that propelled the British Army to victory upon victory. Comparison is drawn with French and other national patterns of vocalizing, along with analysis of those occasions when the Cheer might be suppressed. Finally, the attitude of the Duke of Wellington towards cheering is reconsidered, with surprising results. This study encompasses a vast canvas of place and time in pursuit of the elusive yet galvanizing Cheer: from the Mahratta wars in India, through campaigns in Egypt, the Mediterranean, Flanders, the Caribbean and South America, as well as the war of 1812. The Peninsular and Waterloo campaigns feature prominently as the Cheer is heard thrillingly from Vimeiro to Talavera, Salamanca to Vitoria, Orthez to Toulouse and the shocking siege of Badajoz to the charge of the Scots Greys on the ridge of Mont Saint Jean. Anyone interested in the Napoleonic era or the power of military morale will find this book invaluable.

Weight: 550g
Dimension: 164 x 241 x 32 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9781399048439