The british soldier: a social history from 1661 to the present day

Everyone thinks that life at sea with the RN was bad (and it was) but life with the British Army in the early days was worse. When an individual 'took the Kings shilling' he was in the Army for life and his meagre pay was subject to many 'stoppages' to pay for food, shelter, and other necessities of life; individuals in the cavalry also had to pay to support their horses. The only ways out were death, infirmity, or injuries that were so severe that the individual was no longer advantageously employable. Once out there was no support network to speak of and it took many decades before personnel support, both during and after service, gradually became viewed as a good thing. - A review