The forgotten wars, some of which were mere skirmishes, cannot hope to compete in history with such great events as the Crimean War, the Indian Mutiny or the Boer War, but encompass acts of sheer courage and endurance, cruelty and tragedy. Wherever possible the worlds of the soldiers themselves are used - semi-literate, bewildered or boastful - the voices of their age. These forgotten wars have been chosen from a broad range of bloody colonial conflicts - such as the mad King who was beaten in his unassailable fortress after taking hostages, and the massacre of redcoats in paradise.