Download or read book The War in the Peninsula and Recollections of the Storming of the Castle of Badajos written by Lieutenant Robert Knowles and published by The History Press. This book was released on 2016-09-02 with total page 213 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Lieutenant Knowles served in the 7th (Royal) Fusiliers 1811-1813, seeing action in several battles, being wounded at the storming of Badajoz and at the battle of Salamanca. He was killed at Roncesvalles on 25 July 1813 during the Battle of the Pyrenees. By combining the overall picture as painted by Lt Knowles with the specific, bloody narrative of the storming of the Castle by Captain MacCarthy in one volume, this work is not only fantastic value for money but also offers the discerning reader a whole new perspective on the campaign. What did these two men – of different temperaments – make of events? Wellington had watched helplessly at Badajos as the flower of his army was smashed against the ramparts of Badajos: the 4th and Light Divisions attacked no less than 40 times. When they finally succeeded, an orgy of rape, pillage and destruction followed that even the Iron Duke could not quell. What did both men have to say about this? Both of these rare classics are essential reading for students of the period.
Download or read book Recollections Of The Storming Of The Castle Of Badajos written by Captain James MacCarthy and published by Pickle Partners Publishing. This book was released on 2014-06-13 with total page 54 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The situation for the Duke of Wellington and his British and Portuguese troops in 1812 was somewhat perilous. Although they had chased Masséna and his French Legions from Spain, overwhelming numbers of enemy troops were still in Spain despite being scattered through the provinces. For Wellington to move forward and take the fight to the enemy, he would have to take the two border fortresses of Ciudad Rodrigo and Badajos, and do so quickly before the bickering French marshals united against him. After capturing Ciudad Rodrigo in a bloody but short siege, the Iron Duke turned his attention on the much more formidable fortress of Badajos, a fortress that they had failed to take before. The few trained Allied engineers were bolstered by volunteer officers like the author Captain MacCarthy, who undertook the dangerous work of the engineers. However, a lack of artillery and shot meant that the task would be exceptionally difficult, and pressed by time Wellington orders an early assault by the best of his infantry over barely practicable breeches. As a diversion, he also orders an attempt to capture the castle of Badajos by escalade - the author himself being part of this diversionary effort. In the event, the breeches prove to be impregnable and after repeated murderous attempts, the defences of Badajos are only breached by the ladder borne assault on the castle. Captain MacCarthy’s short narrative is vividly written filled with the blood and shot of the siege and the castle’s final capture.
Download or read book Recollections of the Storming of the Castle of Badajos written by Captain MacCarthy and published by Spellmount, Limited Publishers. This book was released on 2001 with total page 136 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The siege and storming of Badajos, from 18 March to 6 April 1812, was one of the bloodiest episodes of the Peninsular War. In conditions resembling the trenches of the First World War, Wellington's infantry dug their way towards the huge medieval walls of the Spanish frontier fortress before storming the place on the night of 6 April. The town had denied them on two previous occasions and it is little wonder that once inside the men went berserk and embarked upon an orgy of rape, pillage and destruction that lasted for a full seventy-two hours. Even the iron hand of Wellington himself could not stop it, and, in the words of one of the great historians of the war, "the disorder subsided, rather than it was quelled." The storming of Badajos was not achieved without huge cost to Wellington, however. Indeed, he watched, helpless, as the flower of his army was smashed upon the breaches. Over forty times did the 4th and Light Divisions attack, and forty times were they beaten back with heavy loss. Fortunately, two other attacks, intended only to distract the French, succeeded. One of them was made by the 3rd Division, who took the Castle of Badajos by escalade, the men scaling the forty feet high walls by means of flimsy ladders. The 3rd Division was guided to its point of attack by James MacCarthy, whose own vivid account of the siege and storming is reproduced here in this facsimile, the latest in the acclaimed Spellmount Library of Military History series. As well as being a graphic account of the siege, MacCarthy's book is both extremely rare and is much sought after by students of the Peninsular War and by book collectors alike. -- Dust jacket.
Download or read book Histories of War written by Jeremy Black and published by Pen and Sword Military. This book was released on 2024-08-30 with total page 234 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: A global account of histories of war, from Antiquity to the present day, this thoughtful book shows how the varied modes of representation record political, cultural and social developments as well as military events. Covers all forms of discussion and commemoration from statuary to scholarship, films to novels. Important not only to those interested in the history of war but also to those concerned with culture and history in general. This erudite volume on the theory and practice of military history will interest a wide readership including both professional historians of war and those concerned with its broader philosophical dimension. The author - a well established authority in European history - has provided an informed, rigorous analysis of a difficult topic. It will delight those who seek enlightenment of the historian's craft, military or otherwise.
Download or read book Redcoats Against Napoleon written by Carole Divall and published by Casemate Publishers. This book was released on 2009-04-19 with total page 241 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Military histories of the struggle against the French armies of the Revolution and Napoleon often focus on the exploits of elite units and famous individuals, ignoring the essential contribution made by the ordinary soldiers the bulk of the British army. Carole Divall, in this graphic and painstakingly researched account, tells the story of one such hitherto ignored group of fighting men, the 30th Regiment of the Line. She takes their story from one of the opening clashes of the long war, the Siege of Toulon in 1793, to the decisive Battle of Waterloo in 1815. She gives us a fresh perspective on key events the men took part in Massenas retreat from the Lines of Torres Vedras, the bloody storming of Badajoz, the retreat from Burgos, the ordeal of the troops holding the centre of Wellingtons Waterloo position. The regiments history which she describes using some hitherto unpublished and vivid memoirs left by the men themselves and those they fought alongside offers a fascinating insight into the life of British soldiers two centuries ago.
Download or read book How the Army Made Britain a Global Power 1688 1815 written by Jeremy Black and published by Casemate Academic. This book was released on 2021-07-31 with total page 257 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: “A majestic study of the British Army’s evolution” from the acclaimed historian, commentator, and author of Britain’s Naval Route to Greatness (Stanley D.M. Carpenter, Emeritus Professor of Strategy, U.S. Naval War College). Between 1760 and 1815, British troops campaigned from Manila to Montreal, Cape Town to Copenhagen, Washington to Waterloo. The naval dimension of Britain’s expansion has been superbly covered by a number of excellent studies, but there has not been a single volume that does the same for the army and, in particular, looks at how and why it became a world-operating force, one capable of beating the Marathas as well as the French. This book will both offer a new perspective, one that concentrates on the global role of the army and its central part in imperial expansion and preservation, and as such will be a major book for military history and world history. There will be a focus on what the army brought to power equations and how this made it a world-level force. “Black was one of the first military historians to recognize the requirement for truly global analysis . . . [His] central argument is of great importance to serving soldiers today; senior officers should take note.” —Wavell Room “Challenges hoary impressions of the British military while encouraging readers to dig more deeply into the origins, meanings, and consequences of Britain’s increasingly hybrid army.” —Michigan War Studies Review “A brief but insightful survey of the broad historical processes that, by transforming the British Army into a versatile instrument of global reach and global power, allowed it to shape the world.” —The NYMAS Review
Download or read book Peninsular Eyewitnesses written by Charles Esdaile and published by Pen and Sword. This book was released on 2008-09-30 with total page 353 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Many books have been written about the British struggle against Napoleon in the Peninsula. A few recent studies have given a broader view of the ebb and flow of a long war that had a shattering impact on Spain and Portugal and marked the history of all the nations involved. But none of these books has concentrated on how these momentous events were perceived and understood by the people who experienced them. Charles Esdaile has brought together a vivid selection of contemporary accounts of every aspect of the war to create a panoramic yet minutely detailed picture of those years of turmoil. The story is told through memoirs, letters and eyewitness testimony from all sides. Instead of generals and statesmen, we mostly hear from less-well-known figures - junior officers and ordinary soldiers and civilians who recorded their immediate experience of the conflict.
Download or read book The British Cheer written by Paul Thompson and published by Pen and Sword Military. This book was released on 2023-12-30 with total page 306 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This is a bold, painstakingly researched and wide-ranging assessment of the British Cheer in the Napoleonic era. Reference to the Cheer in accounts of the time is virtually ubiquitous and repeatedly the claim was made for cheering as an integral part of British offensive operations. However, more recent historians have tended to overlook this evidence. Based upon a vast range of contemporary sources, this book suggests that the Cheer wielded genuine power as a true 'weapon of war'. This book first surveys the history of acclamations in battle worldwide and British battle-cries from all periods, before addressing the question of what the British Cheer actually sounded like. Issues of acoustics, physics and the psychology of battlefield morale are considered, along with commentaries from significant military scholars throughout history. Examination of the Napoleonic-era Cheer then reveals the practically invincible 'recipe' of volley-cheer-charge that propelled the British Army to victory upon victory. Comparison is drawn with French and other national patterns of vocalizing, along with analysis of those occasions when the Cheer might be suppressed. Finally, the attitude of the Duke of Wellington towards cheering is reconsidered, with surprising results. This study encompasses a vast canvas of place and time in pursuit of the elusive yet galvanizing Cheer: from the Mahratta wars in India, through campaigns in Egypt, the Mediterranean, Flanders, the Caribbean and South America, as well as the war of 1812. The Peninsular and Waterloo campaigns feature prominently as the Cheer is heard thrillingly from Vimeiro to Talavera, Salamanca to Vitoria, Orthez to Toulouse and the shocking siege of Badajoz to the charge of the Scots Greys on the ridge of Mont Saint Jean. Anyone interested in the wars of Revolutionary France and Napoleon, the British army, the career of the Duke of Wellington, or indeed the wider questions of the psychological motivations of combat will find this book illuminating and thought-provoking.
Download or read book Marshal William Carr Beresford written by Marcus de la Poer Beresford and published by Merrion Press. This book was released on 2018-10-30 with total page 398 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Despite a propensity toward fierce criticism of his generals, with great regard the Duke of Wellington referred to William Carr Beresford as 'the ablest man I have yet seen in the army'. Marshal William Carr Beresford is the story of a celebrated and distinguished Irishman, honoured and decorated by the governments of Great Britain, Portugal and Spain, who served as Commander in Chief of the Portuguese army for eleven years. The book follows the trajectory of Beresford's extensive military career. Born the illegitimate son of the 1st Marquis of Waterford, Beresford joined the British army in 1785, serving in the Mediterranean, Egypt, South Africa and South America, before further distinguishing himself - and meeting Wellington's redoubtable esteem - as Marshal of the Portuguese forces during the Peninsular War. Sent to Portugal to rebuild its army in the fight against Napoleon, Beresford was so successful that Wellington integrated the Portuguese and British armed forces in that struggle. Beresford is revealed as a trusted friend and confidant of Wellington, a relationship that was to endure for the rest of their lives. Their ability to work together led to Beresford's appointment as Master General of Ordinance in Wellington's government of 1828. This is the remarkable story of one of the most celebrated and decorated Irish soldiers ever to fight in overseas service, and who was considered in all opinion as the Duke of Wellington's 'strong right arm'. Despite being fiercely critical of his generals, Wellington described Beresford as 'the ablest man in the army' and relied heavily on his Irish-born commander. Marshal Sir William Carr Beresford was the illegitimate son of the 1st Marquis of Waterford and rose to the rank of General in the British army and Marshal to the Portuguese forces during the Peninsular War. Sent to Portugal to rebuild its demoralised forces against Napoleon, Beresford was so successful that Wellington combined the Portuguese and British regiments and positioned Beresford as commander-in-chief. Their friendship and trust are revealed in their correspondence, which shows them not only writing to each other almost daily but meeting regularly to discuss strategy or to socialise. It was an amicable and supportive relationship that continued for the rest of their lives, leading to Beresford's appointment as Master General of Ordinance in Wellington's first government in 1828.
Download or read book Dictionary of National Biography written by Leslie Stephen and published by . This book was released on 1899 with total page 476 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:
Download or read book dictionary of national biography written by b. b. woodward and published by . This book was released on 1898 with total page 500 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:
Download or read book The Dictionary of National Biography Shearman Stovin written by and published by . This book was released on 1922 with total page 1360 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:
Download or read book The Dictionary of National Biography written by Leslie Stephen and published by . This book was released on 1922 with total page 1378 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:
Download or read book The Dictionary of National Biography Founded in 1882 by George Smith written by and published by . This book was released on 1917 with total page 1406 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:
Download or read book English Battles and Sieges in the Peninsula Extracted from the Peninsular War written by William Francis Patrick Napier and published by . This book was released on 1855 with total page 494 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:
Download or read book Recollections of the Peninsula written by Moyle Sherer and published by Spellmount, Limited Publishers. This book was released on 1996 with total page 282 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Reissued more than 170 years after its first publication, a facsimile edition of one of the accounts of the Peninsular War.
Download or read book The Bulletin written by and published by . This book was released on 1955 with total page 582 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:
