The Unknown Warrior: The Archaeology of the Common Soldier

History, in terms of warfare, is generally told from the side of the victor. It is also very often told by the commanders. The experiences of those who do most of the fighting - the footsoldier - are rarely recorded. This is their book, a tale of the 'poor bloody infantry' from prehistory through to the First World War. The Unknown Warrior uses archaeological sites and finds to tell the story of the common man at war.Richard Osgood looks in detail at the individual: his equipment, his killing capabilities, his lifestyle, his hardships, his recreation, his discipline, his humour and, of course, his death. From Bronze Age warriors at Stonehenge to the mysterious Varus Legions which disappeared in Germany, from those who inspired the sagas of the Saxon and Viking world to the great battles of medieval Europe - Agincourt, Visby, Towton - the span of this book is comprehensive. It examines recent discoveries on English Civil War sites, Waterloo, the American Civil War, the wars of empire - the Zulu War, the Crimean and Boer War - and the First World War, which is still yielding up its secrets to archaeologists.