Go to Your God Like a Soldier: The British Soldier Fighting for Empire, 1837-1902

Rating:
Summary: Good survey.
Review: Queen Victoria's soldiers fought for Queen and Country all over the world, bringing the PaxVictoriana to Afganis, Maoris, and Boers alike. Badly treated and regarded as little more than tramps by the public they served, they nevertheless fought and died for their country against savage opponents in some of the most inhospitable regions on earth, to their lasting glory.
Their story is well told here, not only the campaign histories but also the soldiers' life; recruitment, food, pay, uniforms, weapons, and many other details to fill in the picture of the Victorian soldier.
Generously illustrated, with maps, tactical diagrams, campaign chronology, useful appendices, reading list, and well-designed index, this is a fine introduction to a most interesting era.
(The numerical rating above is a default setting within Amazon's format. This reviewer does not employ numerical ratings.)

Rating:
Summary: A Lot of Parallels
Review: Though it has quite a few period photos and engravings I feel some more maps and equipment illustrations would have been better. The illustrations out of period maneuver manuals are nice but with nothing more than a caption very confusing if you are just dipping into the era. Some of the sections, such as uniforms, lack much any illustration though and end up just a mass of details.

The sections on campaigns is nice but where this book really shines is in the details of campaign life and what it took to maintain the Empire. And what it took out of the men doing it. The Appendixes are nice and you may want to read them first. The author has also included a further reading list by topics.

A lot of parallels to the conflicts and situations America has found itself in since WW2 can be found; uncertainty about the enemy, concepts of superiority, frontiers & trade partners, even how the British High Command in Sudan & Afghanistan had to deal with wounded fundamentalists who often attacked troops attempting to succor them.

While a nice, large, hardcover book I would recommend also getting a selection of the appropriate Osprey Men-at-Arms/Warrior/Elite/etc series books to go with it for the details not included.