One of the nicest parts of working at Osprey is reading the positive reviews of the books upon which you have worked – it’s a really nice feeling to know that the effort you put into a project was really worthwhile. However, I was browsing through some of our older titles recently, and came across one that had a review that stood out, even amongst those by the fans, academics, historians and critics who have judged our publications in the past. As the foreword to Men-at-Arms 73: The Grenadier Guards, first published in 1978, I discovered a citation by none other than H.R.H. Prince Philip, The Duke of Edinburgh:
The existence of a Regiment, just as the state of the world, is due to the actions and decisions of long ago. The story of the Regiment now known as the First or Grenadier Regiment of Foot Guards started in Bruges in 1656, and everything about the Regiment today, its title, organization, uniform, equipment, battle honours, traditions and duties derive from events – dramatic, tragic and triumphant – of 300 years of history.
Whatever the changes in circumstance during this long period, as this booklet makes abundantly clear, the Grenadiers have given a shining example to friend and foe alike of the true mettle and fighting qualities of the British soldier in triumph and adversity.