Rifleman Dodd is a book that was given to me by my combat instructors during School of Infantry. I have intended to read the book, but lost it just before my arrival to 3rd Battalion, 5th Marines. I recently found a copy of the book and decided to read it. The book is about Pvt. Dodd, a British infantry rifleman in the Napoleonic Wars. During this time period rifles were a novelty and most of the army wore red-coats and carried muskets. The book is fairly short, however it’s also very action packed. There is a lot of brutality and death in the book, however that is part of what makes the book a very good reed; it depicts war very realistically, and does not glorify it. One interesting aspect I enjoyed about this book is that it depicts all the same events twice, alternating points of view between Dodd, and a group of french soldiers led by sgt. Godinot, giving you more than one perspective on Dodd’s struggles. It’s a remarkable tale of survival and individual actions, of a regular rifleman who survives because of sheer determination and slowly learns to make plans without orders, and shows leadership qualities and a knowledge of warfare.
Private Matthew Dodd is separated from his regiment during a retreat and finds himself stranded behind enemy lines in Portugal. Dodd manages to survive throughout the book on his willpower, determination, and also with the occasional aid of a group of Portuguese guerilla fighters. Dodd harasses the French with his rifle while trying to prevent them from building a bridge across the Tagus River. The book depicts a war of attrition in which starvation is the chief weapon.The two sides must out last each other in order to achieve victory. Throughout the book Dodd kills all of Godinot’s men one by one during his struggle to survive and return to his regiment. Godinot is not the only soldier who must pick himself up and move on after witnessing the death of his friends. The first acquaintance Dodd makes is a man who was slightly off kilter and who follows him like a puppy dog. However due to the exertion of a long march, freezing cold weather, being wet, and starvation, he catches a fever and Dodd is forced to make the decision to leave him in his delirium to die alone on a hillside. Later, an entire village of Portuguese guerilla fighters who join him are slaughtered by the French down to the last man, woman, and child. Additionally his last two friends, including the one that was with him through most of the novel, are hanged before his eyes. Similarly, Godinot loses one soldier after another until his entire squad is killed. Ultimately proving that Dodd succeeds largely due to sheer will and determination.
In conclusion I found the book really enjoyable and a very good read. This book is provides good examples of individual actions and quick thinking skills that are needed to thrive in hard situations and desperation. I would recommend this book to other Lance Corporals because it has a lot of lessons regarding taking initiative and showing good judgment in the face of adversity.
