Much has been written about the colonists who took up arms during the American Revolution; far less literature has been devoted to the British Redcoats. Those sent to America in defense of their government's policies were career soldiers who enlisted voluntarily. They came from all walks of British life and statistics show that most were hardworking men who had chosen the military over other occupations. Very few of these soldiers left writings from which we can learn their motives and experiences. British Soldiers, American War is the first collection of personal narratives by British common soldiers ever assembled and published. To ccompany each narrative, the author provides a contextualizing essay giving background on the soldier and his military service, while specially commissioned illustrations depict each soldier as he may have appeared at the time.