The Unknown Warrior: The Archaeology of the Common Soldier

If history, in terms of warfare, is told from the side of the victor, then it is also very often told by the commanders. Rarely does the story of those who do most of the fighting - the footsoldier - come forward. This is their book, a tale of the 'poor bloody infantry' and what we glean of their lot from prehistory right through to World War I. Richard Osgood's new and refreshing approach 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. "The Unknown Warrior" compares the life of the soldier across time and cultures, from Iron Age boats in Denmark, to tattooed Scythian warriors, to Masada, the mysterious Varus Legions which disappeared in Germany. It includes the great battles of medieval Europe - Agincourt, Visby, Towton - recent discoveries in English Civil War sites, Waterloo, the American Civil War, the wars of empire - the Zulu War, the Crimean, the Boer War - and World War I, which is still yielding up its secrets to archaeologists.

Richard Osgood is an archaeologist working for the Defense Estates, part of the Ministry of Defense.