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What was it really like to fight at the Battle of Waterloo? Drawing on letters and diaries from ordinary soldiers, officers and commanders this book mixes riveting battle descriptions with stories of endurance and bravery to bring Wellington's epic campaigns to life. The years between 1808 and 1815 transformed Sir Arthur Wellesley from a junior lieutenant-general into Field Marshal the Duke of Wellington, a legendary figure to his men and a commander renowned throughout Europe. With his magnificent army, Wellington defeated the French occupation forces in a succession of brilliant campaigns, defending Portugal, liberating Spain and finally invading south-western France. His victory at Waterloo is probably the British army's most famous battle. Weaving together unpublished accounts from the National Army Museum's remarkable archives, this book recreates life in the British army under one of its greatest leaders.
The three commanders-in-chief during the Waterloo campaign rank among the most famous soldiers in history. Rarely have three such remarkable men as Napoleon, Wellington and Blücher confronted each other on a field of battle or had such an impact on the history of their time. Andrew Uffindell, in this readable and meticulously researched three-part biography, gives vivid accounts of their parallel lives and extraordinary careers. The dramatic contrasts that emerge between their backgrounds, personalities and methods of command offer a fascinating insight into the secrets of leadership and into the warfare of the Napoleonic era.
In 1814, after two successive years of defeat in Russia and central Europe, Napoleon was faced with the ultimate disaster - an Allied invasion of France itself. The conduct of the intense, fast-moving campaign that followed has been widely hailed as one of his greatest feats as a commander, yet it has rarely been described fully and objectively. Andrew Uffindell, in this gripping and original study, reconstructs the campaign, reassesses Napoleon's military leadership and provides a masterly account of a campaign that helped shape modern Europe.Using numerous eyewitness accounts, Napoleon 1814 records the swift succession of clashes in graphic detail, leading up to the final battle outside Pa...
A century ago General Joffre, as Chief of the French General Staff, led the armies that blocked the German invasion at the First Battle of the Marne. He saved Paris from occupation and France from probable defeat. His calm demeanour when faced with a disaster, his ruthless dismissal of incompetent subordinates, and his skilled redeployment of his forces contributed to a historic victory. At the time many saw him as the saviour of the nation, but what should we make of him now? For Joffre contributed to the failures of the French army and its strategy before the war and during the first battles of 1914. Also his conduct of the war after the Marne futile offensives that cost thousands of lives...
This spirited history of the 1815 campaign provides a new and stimulating account of the epic confrontation at Waterloo and, in addition, acts as a reliable guide to the battlefield and all related sites. The authors have divided the battlefield of Waterloo into three distinct sectors: one for each of the three armies involved. This allows the reader to follow the fighting from three different perspectives and gain an objective understanding of the dramatic course of the battle. The authors also make use of vivid eyewitness testimony, drawn from participants in all three armies, and this brings to life the epic battle and provides a dramatic backcloth to the rapid course of events. Previousl...
This collection of sparkling and entertaining essays on Wellington's generalship and military genius provides an excellent survey of the Duke's art of war and the secrets of his success. A valuable addition to literature on Wellington and sure to appeal to all who are interested in the Napoleonic Wars. photos, maps, and drawings.
The noted military historian presents an illuminating study of trench warfare during WWI—and how it influenced the French Army’s evolution. Michel Goya’s Flesh and Steel during the Great War is a major contribution to our understanding of the French Army’s experience on the Western Front, and how that experience impacted the future of its military theory and practice. Goya explores the way in which the senior commanders and ordinary soldiers responded to the extraordinary challenges posed by the mass industrial warfare of the early twentieth century. In 1914 the French army went to war with a flawed doctrine, brightly-colored uniforms and a dire shortage of modern, heavy artillery. How then, over four years of relentless, attritional warfare, did it become the great, industrialized army that emerged victorious in 1918? To show how this change occurred, the author examines the pre-war ethos and organization of the army. He describes in telling detail how, through a process of analysis and innovation, the French army underwent the deepest and fastest transformation in its history.
Elite fighting forces have always exercised an extraordinary hold on the the popular imagination. The Imperial Guard established a unique reputation for loyalty, courage and battlefiled effectiveness. Here, Andrew Uffindell uses previously unpublished primary sources to to reassess impartially this great fighting formation. Three of the guard's greatest battles are described in detail. Using revealing new research and photographs of the battlefields today he sheds new light on the controversial charge at Somosierra in 1808, and the Battles of Dresden (1813) and Montmirail (1814). At the same time, he describes for the first time just what it was like to join this elite band. 'Uffindell is that rare combination in military historians - oustanding researcher and sparkling writer.' (Military History Today, USA.)
This in-depth survey of the greatest generals of the Napoleonic wars offers biographical information of twelve oustanding military commanders including Napoleon, Wellington, Blucher, Kutusov and Archduke Charles; with analysis of each general and and their battles.
“A rare example of a memoir of a private soldier from the Napoleonic Wars . . . valuable insight into the daily life and preoccupations of Wellington’s men” (HistoryOfWar.org). By all accounts, Friedrich Lindau was a remarkable soldier of the King’s German Legion. He served with distinction under Wellington from Lisbon to as far as Bayonne, and was involved in all major engagements, including Albuera, Badajoz, Salamanca, Vitoria, and San Sebastian. Most notably, he fought and was captured at La Haye Sainte but was the only ranking soldier mentioned by name in Major Baring’s account of the battle. For his actions he was awarded the Guelphic Medal for Bravery. That said, he had a rep...