The military experience in the age of reason Book

This is an informative and accessible work of history, broken out into relatively short sections for easy reading and reference. It answers such questions as: who were the soldiers and officers in 18th century Europe, where they did come from, what motivated them, how were armies structured, what was going on campaign like, what did infantry, cavalry and artillery each do in battle and out of it, what was medical care like, how did commanders disseminate orders to the troops, etc. Helpfully, Duffy quotes liberally from period accounts and authorities. As he comments at one point, this book is about the military experience rather than the details of strategy or logistics (and it's definitely not a narrative), but for a relatively compact book it covers a lot of ground. And it does so with engaging writing that's easy to read and doesn't require extensive pre-existing knowledge of the topic. It is Eurocentric and a bit snooty about it (Duffy comes very close to calling people from the Americas and the Middle East barbarians if he doesn't outright say it). But if your interest is Europe, it is an excellent introduction to anyone looking for a better understanding of warfare in the period.