A Near Run Thing: The Day of Waterloo

A minute-by-minute review of the greatest battle in history is provided, mostly from the allied side, which brings the battlefield events to life. It's all a bit gnarly, what with the explicit descriptions of heads blown apart by cannonballs and the like, but the book definitely makes the strategy and the tactics very understandable to the lowest common denominator reader (me).

Napoleon's strange behaviour is explained (piles) and Wellington comes across as the cool-ass dude that he really was. His remarks would be Twitter-worthy in today's world. Marshal Ney is redeemed somewhat as being the only French general to actually do anything that day, while his Emperor sat, literally, on his butt.

I would have liked more emphasis on each of the show more real-life participants whose recollections are brought together by the author. Still, it's quite good, a swift overview of a near run thing.

Book Season = Year Round show less

One of my all-time favorite military histories, Howarth examines this most-examined of battles through the eyes of many participants (albeit British participants) to understand the battle in all its phases. A great read, that puts you on the battlefield.

I have this recorded as a light-weight trot through Waterloo. Quite Anglo-centric in its treatment. The Prussians show up, but apparently out of the blue.
Read it twice.

Brilliant evocation of the experience of the battle of Waterloo.