Download or read book Waterloo Archive Vol II written by Gareth Glover and published by Frontline Books. This book was released on 2010-08-09 with total page 277 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: German troops formed the majority of Wellington’s forces present at the Battle of Waterloo including those of Nassau, Brunswick, Hanover and the King’s German Legion, and they have left a large number of first-hand accounts of their role in the battle. The actions of the King's German Legion – an integral part of the British Army and partly officered by British soldiers – has been published in English, but to a limited degree: Herbert Siborne published letters written to his father; Ompteda and Wheatley have had their memoirs published; and History of the King’s German Legion included a small number of letters, including the oft-misquoted account of the defence of La Haye Sainte by Major Baring. This forms a tiny proportion of the German material available. Therefore it is not surprising that early British histories of the battle have largely sidelined the achievements of the German troops, and this has been regurgitated by most that have followed. This situation did not change until the 1990s when Peter Hofschroer published his two-volume version of the campaign from the German perspective, which included snippets of German documents published in English for the first time. But even this proved not totally satisfactory, as it did not provide the whole document to allow full interpretation. There is a great need to provide an English version of much of the original German source material to redress the imbalance; this volume is intended to remedy that situation by publishing sixty of these reports and letters fully translated into English for the first time, giving a clearer insight into the significant role these troops played. Gareth Glover is a historian specialising in the Waterloo campaign and the Peninsular War. He left school at eighteen to join the Royal Navy as a Seaman Officer and completed his extensive training course at Dartmouth College. He has published articles in The Waterloo Journal and the Journal of the Royal Artillery, and a novel about Waterloo, Voices of Thunder. ‘Christmas Selection 2010, Napoleon.org website’

Download or read book The Waterloo Archive Volume II German Sources written by Gareth Glover and published by Pen and Sword. This book was released on 2010-08-09 with total page 389 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Histories of the Waterloo campaign and tours of the battlefield generally concentrate on the battle between the armies of Napoleon and Wellington - the role of Blucher's Prussians is left in the background. Peter Hofscher's fascinating account focuses on the Prussians at the Battle of Waterloo and on their critical but often neglected contribution to the battle. He tells the story of the grueling Prussian advance towards the battlefield and he records the ferocious and decisive fight that broke out when they arrived. At every stage he allows the reader to follow in the footsteps of the Prussian soldiers as they struggled across the Belgian countryside almost 200 years ago.

Download or read book Waterloo The Defeat of Napoleon s Imperial Guard written by Gareth Glover and published by Frontline Books. This book was released on 2015-05-30 with total page 254 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: “This in-depth study of the nuts and bolts of a single division is without a doubt the best book I have ever read on Waterloo.”—The Napoleon Series Winner of the 2017 Society for Army Historical Research Templer Medal This is the most detailed account of the 2nd Division at Waterloo ever published. It is based on the papers of its commander Sir Henry Clinton, and it reveals for the first time the previously unrecognized vital role this division made in the defeat of Napoleon. Author Gareth Glover explains how the division was placed ahead of the main allied squares thus impeding the charges of the French cavalry, and how the 2nd Division supported the defense of Hougoumont, considered by the Duke of Wellington as the key to his victory on 18 June 1815. Perhaps the most significant aspect of this book is the description of the defeat of Napoleon’s Imperial Guard. Just how the incomparable Guard was stopped and then driven from the battlefield is explained in detail. Once and for all, this 200-year controversy is finally resolved. “Does a superb job of dissecting the controversy over whether it was Adam’s Brigade or the Guard’s Brigade that was instrumental in defeating the Imperial Guard.”—The Napoleon Series

Download or read book The Great Waterloo Controversy written by Gareth Glover and published by Frontline Books. This book was released on 2020-12-02 with total page 335 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This groundbreaking historical study resolves a hotly debated conundrum with a newly uncovered firsthand account of the Battle of Waterloo. As the battle reached its momentous climax, Napoleon’s Imperial Guard marched towards the Duke of Wellington’s thinning red line. Having never before tasted defeat, it was now sent reeling back in disorder. The British 1st Foot Guards were honored for this historic victory by being renamed the Grenadier Guards. But while the 52nd Foot also contributed to the defeat of the Imperial Guard, it received no comparable recognition. The ensuing controversy has continued down the decades and remains a highly contentious subject. But now, thanks to the previously unpublished journal of Charles Holman of the 52nd Foot, Gareth Glover sheds vital new light on those final, fatal moments. Using these journals and other firsthand accounts, Glover pieces together the most likely sequence of events as well as their immediate aftermath. Who did Wellington honor at the time? How did the Foot Guards gain much of the credit in London? Was there an establishment cover-up? Were the 52nd robbed of their glory? The Great Waterloo Controversy is the definitive answer to these questions.

Download or read book Waterloo 1815 The British Army s Day of Destiny written by Gregory Fremont-Barnes and published by The History Press. This book was released on 2014-11-03 with total page 594 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Writing to his mother the day after the fighting, Captain Thomas Wildman of the 7th Hussars described 'a victory so splendid & important that you may search the annals of history in vain for its parallel'. Little wonder, for Waterloo was widely recognised – even in its immediate wake – as one of the most decisive battles in history: after more than twenty years of uninterrupted conflict, this single day's encounter finally put paid to French aspirations for European hegemony. The culminating point of the French Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars, Waterloo also witnessed levels of determination and bravery by both sides which far exceeded anything experienced by the veterans of Wellington's recent campaigns in Spain and Portugal. Indeed, it was that unconquerable spirit which left over 50,000 men dead on the field of battle and tens of thousands of others wounded. This thoroughly researched and highly detailed account of one of history's greatest human dramas looks first at the wider strategic picture before focusing on the tactical roles played by individual British units – all meticulously examined with the benefit of an extensive array of hitherto unexploited primary sources which reveal the battlefield experience of officers and soldiers as never before. Refusing simply to repeat the same unchallenged accounts and to commit the same errors of previous historians, this work relies exclusively on hundreds of first-hand accounts, by men of all ranks and from practically every British regiment and corps present on that fateful day, to provide a fresh and revised perspective on one of the most pivotal events of modern times.

Download or read book Wellington s Foot Guards at Waterloo written by Robert Burnham and published by Casemate Publishers. This book was released on 2018-11-30 with total page 306 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: During the Waterloo Campaign, Wellington had only one division that was composed entirely of British infantry, the 1st Division. This consisted of two brigades of the most famous regiments of the British Army the three regiments of Guards.The exploits of the Guards at Waterloo have passed into legend. On that day, Wellington entrusted the most crucial part of his line to the men he knew would hold their position at all cost. That vital position was the Chteau d'Hougoumont, and those men were the Guards.As the great battle unfolded, the French threw more and more troops at the walls of Hougoumont, setting some of the Chteaus buildings on fire and almost forcing their way in through its northern gateway. Though almost an entire French corps was engaged in the struggle for Hougoumont, the detachment of the Guards valiantly resisted every attack.Then, as the battle reached its climax, Napoleon launched his Imperial Guard at the centre of Wellingtons line. Just as the French believed that victory was in their grasp, up stood the 1st Guards Brigade to deliver a devastating volley, followed by a ferocious bayonet charge from which the French never recovered.The experienced duo of Robert Burnham and Ron McGuigan have compiled the first comprehensive study of the Guards Division throughout the entire Waterloo campaign, from the initial deployment in Belgium to the Occupation of Paris. The book also includes an explanation of the organisation and composition of the two brigades and personal details of many of the Guards officers the men who saved the day at Waterloo.

Download or read book Waterloo Myth and Reality written by Gareth Glover and published by Pen and Sword. This book was released on 2014-09-01 with total page 506 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: “A radical re-assessment . . . This is fascinating stuff . . . a most useful addition to the Waterloo—and indeed Napoleonic—bookshelf.”—Military Modelling Magazine More has probably been written about the Waterloo campaign than almost any other in history. It was the climax of the Napoleonic Wars and forms a watershed in both European and world history. However, the lethal combination of national bias, willful distortion and simple error has unfortunately led to the constantly regurgitated traditional “accepted” version being significantly wrong regarding many episodes in the campaign. Oft-repeated claims have morphed into established fact, and it is high time that these are challenged and finally dismissed. Gareth Glover has spent a decade uncovering hundreds of previously unpublished eyewitness accounts of the battle and campaign, which have highlighted many of these myths and errors. In this groundbreaking history, based on extensive primary research of all the nations involved, he provides a very readable and beautifully balanced account of the entire campaign while challenging these distorted claims and myths, and he provides clear evidence to back his version of events. His thoughtful reassessment of this decisive episode in world history will be stimulating reading for those already familiar with the Napoleonic period, and it will form a fascinating introduction for readers who are discovering this extraordinary event for the first time. “An enjoyable and informative review of the battle that shaped Europe for the next two centuries.”—Firetrench

Download or read book Waterloo written by Paul O'Keeffe and published by Abrams. This book was released on 2017-01-24 with total page 226 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The consequences of Napoleon’s most famous defeat are explored in this “highly readable, richly anecdotal retelling of the battle’s devastating results” (Kirkus). In the early morning hours of June 19, 1815, more than 50,000 men and 7,000 horses lay dead and wounded on a battlefield just south of Brussels. In the hours, days, weeks, and months that followed, news of the battle would begin to shape the consciousness of an age; the battlegrounds would be looted and cleared, its dead buried or burned, its ground and ruins overrun by tourists; the victorious British and Prussian armies would invade France and occupy Paris. And for Napoleon, there was no avenue ahead but surrender, exile and captivity. In this dramatic account of the aftermath of the Battle of Waterloo, Paul O'Keeffe employs a multiplicity of contemporary sources and viewpoints to create a reading experience that brings into focus as never before the sights, sounds, and smells of the battlefield, of conquest and defeat, of celebration and riot.

Download or read book 24 Hours at Waterloo written by Robert Kershaw and published by Random House. This book was released on 2014-08-28 with total page 424 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: ‘One of the lancers rode by, and stabbed me in the back with his lance. I then turned, and lay with my face upward, and a foot soldier stabbed me with his sword as he walked by. Immediately after, another, with his firelock and bayonet, gave me a terrible plunge, and while doing it with all his might, exclaimed, “Sacré nom de Dieu!” ’ The truly epic and brutal battle of Waterloo was a pivotal moment in history – a single day, one 24-hour period, defined the course of Europe’s future. In March 1815, the Allies declared war on Napoleon in response to his escape from exile and the renewed threat to imperial European rule. Three months later, on 18 June 1815, having suffered considerable losses at Quatre-Bras, Wellington’s army fell back on Waterloo, some ten miles south of Brussels. Halting on the ridge, they awaited Napoleon’s army, blocking their entry to the capital. This would become the Allies’ final stand, the infamous battle of Waterloo. In this intimate, hour-by-hour account, acclaimed military historian Robert Kershaw resurrects the human stories at the centre of the fighting, creating an authoritative single-volume biography of this landmark battle. Drawing on his profound insight and a field knowledge of military strategy, Kershaw takes the reader to where the impact of the orders was felt, straight into the heart of the battle, shoulder to shoulder with the soldiers on the mud-splattered ground. Masterfully weaving together painstakingly researched eyewitness accounts, diaries and letters – many never before seen or published – this gripping portrayal of Waterloo offers unparalleled authenticity. Extraordinary images of the men and women emerge in full colour; the voices of the sergeants, the exhausted foot-soldiers, the boy ensigns, the captains and the cavalry troopers, from both sides, rise from the page in vivid and telling detail, as the fate of Europe hangs by a thread.

Download or read book Wellington s Waterloo Allies written by Andrew W. Field and published by Pen and Sword Military. This book was released on 2022-05-05 with total page 417 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: For almost 200 years, the British perception of the Battle of Waterloo was that it was a great British victory gained over the French tyrant Napoleon which was achieved in spite of, rather than because of, the allied contingents in the Duke of Wellington’s army. Eyewitness accounts by British soldiers, encouraged by the doubts expressed in Wellington’s despatches, denigrated and vilified the courage and prowess of these allies. But in the last twenty years modern historians, with better access to the accounts and archives of the allied nations, have tried to put the record straight, and their efforts have been rewarded by changing attitudes and a greater understanding of the significant part the allies played. Andrew Field, in this the latest of his series of pioneering books on Waterloo, makes a powerful contribution to this continuing debate by analyzing in forensic detail the records of these allied forces throughout the campaign. In his balanced, nonpartisan reassessment he describes the make-up of these forces, their training and experience, and their military capability. Included are graphic accounts of their actions and performance on the battlefield. His work is essential reading for all students of the Waterloo campaign.

Download or read book Fighting Napoleon written by Gareth Glover and published by Grub Street Publishers. This book was released on 2017-01-30 with total page 237 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: “These lively and entertaining memoirs provide an intriguing counterpoint to Wellington’s better-known operations in the Iberian Peninsula” (Julian Stockwin, author of the Thomas Kydd series). It is often forgotten that Britain’s struggle against Napoleon ranged across the continents, and the extensive operations of the Royal Navy and the British Army in the Mediterranean were key battlegrounds in this prolonged war of attrition. Even when Napoleon considered himself the master of Europe, he was unable to control the Mediterranean. Lt. John Hildebrand arrived in the Mediterranean as part of the garrison of Malta in 1810. He was then involved in the defense of the island of Sicily; the campaign to capture the Ionian Islands; the siege of Ragusa; and the Occupation of Corfu. With the war ending in 1814, John and his regiment returned home, only to be sent to Belgium when Napoleon escaped from Elba in 1815. The regiment was not involved at Waterloo, but was at Hal, where it guarded Wellington’s flank during the battle. He then marched to Paris with the army. “Napoleonic students will enjoy this refreshingly different slant on Napoleonic warfare.” —Stuart Asquith, author of Stuart Asquith’s Wargaming 18th Century Battles “Essential reading for military historians and collectors of Napoleonic War era artifacts and militaria.” —The Armourer Incorporating Classic Arms & Militaria

Download or read book Waterloo written by Nick Lipscombe and published by Bloomsbury Publishing. This book was released on 2016-09-22 with total page 385 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Published to coincide with the 200th anniversary of the battle of Waterloo, this lavishly illustrated volume looks at all the different aspects of the 100-day campaign which has become synonymous with the Napoleonic Wars and saw the eventual defeat of Napoleon's French forces. Ten articles by internationally renowned historians examine the battle from different angles, from the microcosm of the bitter fighting for the fortified farmhouse of Hougoumont through to a wider perspective of the 100-day campaign in its entirety. The official publication of the Waterloo 200 organization, slipcased and highly collectible, Waterloo: The Decisive Victory offers a unique and authoritative history of one of the most important battles in world history.

Download or read book The American Sharpe written by Gareth Glover and published by Casemate Publishers. This book was released on 2016-10-30 with total page 366 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Sharpe and his adventures has made the 95th Foot renowned again and the discovery of an unpublished diary by an American from Charleston South Carolina who served, despite his father’s objections, as an officer in this elite regiment has caused great excitement. James Penman Gairdner was born in Charleston, South Carolina, but he was sent back to the ‘Old Country’ for his education, receiving his schooling at Harrow. After school, rather than joining his father’s merchant business he decided to become a soldier, receiving a commission in the famous 95th Rifles. He subsequently served, without a break, from the siege of Ciudad Rodrigo in January 1812 until the end of the war in 1814. He then fought in the Waterloo campaign and formed part of the Army of Occupation. He was wounded on three occasions. Throughout his service he kept a journal, which he managed to maintain on almost a daily basis. This journal, along with a number of letters that he wrote to his family, have been edited by renowned historian Gareth Glover and are presented here to the public for the first time. Readers will not find dramatic stories of great battles or adventurous escapades. Instead, Gairdner, details the everyday life of one of Wellington’s soldiers; one of marches and billets, of the weather, the places and the people of the Iberian Peninsula and of Paris and Occupied France – the real nature of soldering. His diaries also highlight the very strange relationship between these newly independent Americans and the ‘Old Country’ they had so recently fought with; which even allowed for a true American boy to fight in the British Army, but not in America!

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 Napoleonic Lives written by Carole Divall and published by Pen and Sword. This book was released on 2012-06-19 with total page 198 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Two hundred years ago the Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars convulsed the whole of Europe. These were key events in the history of the continent, and for Britain, and they are a fascinating field for historical _ and family history _ research. More records than ever are available on the men who served in the British army during the wars _ and on their families - and Carole DivallÍs new book is the perfect guide to how to locate and understand these sources - and get the most out of them. She gives a vivid insight into what soldiersÍ lives were like during the period and shows how much of their experience can be recovered from the records. Using the full range of sources - contemporary military records, correspondence, diaries, memoirs _ she reconstructs in detail the stories of a representative group of individuals who took part in the wars - a soldier who saw action as a marine in the Mediterranean fleet, a Gordon Highlander who was taken prisoner, riflemen who served at Walcheren, in the Peninsula and at Waterloo, artillery men who played a crucial role in battles and in sieges, a gentry family whose sons served as officers in the Peninsula and in India, and two remarkable women who were among the many who went to war with the men. Carole DivallÍs informative and accessible book will be essential reading and reference for anyone who wants to find out about the Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars and is keen to understand the part an ancestor played in them.

Download or read book Waterloo Archive written by Gareth Glover and published by Frontline Books. This book was released on 2010-01-30 with total page 290 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: In the first groundbreaking volume of a new series, acclaimed Napoleonic scholar Gareth Glover brings together previously unpublished material relating to the Battle of Waterloo. The range and unique nature of much of the research will intrigue and fascinate enthusiasts and historians alike. The wealth of hitherto unseen British material contained in Volume I includes: a series of letters written by a senior officer on Wellington's staff to Sir Thomas Graham immediately following the battle; the letters of a member of the Wedgwood family in the Guards at Waterloo; the journal of Sergeant Johnston of the Scots Greys, detailing all his experiences, including a very rare transcript of his own court martial; and letters from eminent surgeons – including those of Hume, Davy and Haddy James – who recall their harrowing tales of the horrific wounds suffered at Waterloo. In addition to these letters and journals, this volume will include 21 original line drawings created by Cavalié Mercer to accompany his famous book on his experiences at Waterloo, but which was never published. Subsequent volumes will include French, German, Dutch and Belgian material that has never been translated into English before.

Download or read book Battle written by Graeme Callister and published by Pen and Sword Military. This book was released on 2022-10-07 with total page 290 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: What are the critical factors that determine the outcome of battles? Which is more decisive in a clash of arms: armies or the societies they represent? How important is the leadership of the commanders, the terrain over which the armies fight, the weapons they use and the supplies they depend on? And what about the rules of war and the strategic thinking and tactics of the time? These are among the questions Graeme Callister and Rachael Whitbread seek to answer as they demonstrate the breadth of factors that need to be taken into account to truly understand battle. Their book traces the evolution of warfare over time, exploring the changing influence of the social, political, technological and physical landscape on the field of battle itself. They examine how the motivation of the combatants and their methods of fighting have changed, and they illustrate their conclusions with vivid, carefully chosen examples from across a range of Western European military history, including the Norman Conquest, the Hundred Years War, the Wars of Religion, the Napoleonic Wars and the world wars, and beyond. By exploring the wide range of interconnected factors that influence the results of battles, the authors broaden the study of this aspect of military history from a narrow focus on isolated episodes of conflict. Their original and thought-provoking writing will be fascinating reading for all students of warfare.