"An interesting read in how weapons and tactics change as do enemies. Showing the British Army at its best in expanding the British Empire during the Victorian period."

Ordnance Society - Newsletter No.134, 07/2021

Bayonet to Barrage is thus an excellent survey of the Victorian battlefield and should be enjoyed by anyone interested in Britain’s pursuit and maintenance of Empire through military success.

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Beating Tsundoku

Review by Jason Hubbard

... in general this is a very well researched and written piece of military history, that many will find interesting. Especially those with a fascination in military history and Victorian history. It will also be a valuable read for anyone who war games this period, or anyone thinking of delving into this period of gaming. It will make a nice Christmas present for anyone with those interests.

Irregular magazine, issue 14 Volume 2/Winter 2020

Editor's Choice

Here's an example of how to make a potentially stuffy technical exercise come alive.

The Armourer, February 2021

As someone who finds anything to do with the Zulu Wars particularly fascinating, Stephen's book is a welcome addition to my library. The Victorian era was the last in which, although horrific, warfare was conducted along more gentlemanly lines. Having said that, the introduction of automatic weaponry such as machine guns was an obvious change, and ultimately led to many more casualties. Absolutely enthralling.

Books Monthly

A smashing read.

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Army Rumour Service (ARRSE)

It is really interesting to read as the weapons and tactics change as the enemies do. I think this is a great read for anyone interested in the Victorian period and the British Army of the time.

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Medieval Sword School

I have been fascinated by the British Army since a young age, but the weaponry of the Victorian British Army has never particularly interested me and, for that matter, even after having read this book, I still wouldn't be able to tell the difference between a Martini Henry and a Lee Enfield at twenty paces. That's not to say that this book isn't good; it is, very. It's just that I don't have the forensic knowledge that author Stephen Manning has. It is one thing to have that knowledge though, and quite another to be able to write about the subject in a compelling manner that makes it interesting for people like me.

Although it's not 'fashionable' to say so now, the British Army of the Victorian and early Edwardian eras did a sterling job of maintaining and expanding the British Empire through a combination of grit, determination, stiff-upper-lipiness and unwavering discipline. The weaponry they used, certainly provided the back-up, and in this book we can read about its evolution from Sobraon in 1846 through to the Second Anglo-Boer War of 1899-1902. The author obviously knows his stuff and there are copious references to published works on the subject as well as a comprehensive bibliography.

As Stephen Manning concludes, "From the start of Victoria's reign in 1837 when the bayonet still decided the success of an offensive, to the end of 1901, when artillery firing from hidden positions could eliminate enemy positions many miles away, technological advances altered completely the size and nature of the battlefield."

Worth finding space for on the bookshelves.

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Paul Nixon