1 online resource

The defeat of Napoleons French army by the combined forces of Wellington and Blcher at Waterloo on 18 June 1815 was a turning point in world history. This was the climax of the Napoleonic Wars, and the outcome had a major influence on the shape of Europe for the next century and beyond. The battle was a milestone, and it cannot be properly understood without a detailed, on-the-ground study of the landscape in which it was fought and that is the purpose of David Butterys new battlefield guide. In vivid detail, using eyewitness accounts and an intimate knowledge of the terrain, he reconstructs Waterloo and he takes the reader and the visitor across the battleground as it is today. He focuses on the pivotal episodes in the fighting the day-long struggle for the chateau at Hougoumont, the massive French infantry assaults, repeated cavalry charges, the fall of La Haye Sainte, the violent clashes in the village of Plancenoit, the repulse of the Imperial Guard and rout of the French army. This thoroughgoing, lucid, easy-to-follow guide will be a fascinating introduction for anyone who seeks to understand what happened on that momentous day, and it will be an essential companion for anyone who explores the battlefield in Belgium

Includes bibliographical references and index

Online resource; title from PDF title page (EBSCO, viewed September 16, 2016)

Preface; Prologue; Chapter 1 The Ponsonby Family; Chapter 2 William's Early Years: 1772-1798; Chapter 3 Into Action for the First Time: 1798; Chapter 4 In Command of the 5th Dragoon Guards: 1799-1810; Chapter 5 Fighting in the Peninsula Part 1: 1811-1812; Chapter 6 Fighting in the Peninsula Part 2: The Battle of Salamanca; Chapter 7 Fighting in the Peninsula Part 3: Madrid, Burgos and the Great Retreat; Chapter 8 Fighting in the Peninsula Part 4: The Battle of Vitoria; Chapter 9 Fighting in the Peninsula Part 5: The Final Engagements; Chapter 10 A Brief Interlude at Home: 1814-1815

Chapter 11 The Trumpets Call: Countdown to WaterlooChapter 12 'Humbugged by God!' 15 and 16 June; Chapter 13 'The Prettiest Field Day of Cavalry You Ever Saw' 17 June; Chapter 14 Waterloo: 18 June 2pm -- The Battle Lost!; Chapter 15 Waterloo 18 June 2.20pm -- The Battle Regained! The Charge of the Union Brigade; Chapter 16 Waterloo 18 June: The Wheel of Fortune Turns Again; Chapter 17 How Did Sir William Die?; Chapter 18 'Dulce et decorum est pro patria mori'; Chapter 19 Postscript; Appendices; 1. Sir William's Brothers and Sister; 2. The 5th Dragoon Guards

3. Sir William's sword -- The Barbet de Vaux lettersNotes; Bibliography; Index

plus-circle Add Review

comment

Reviews