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Loading... Wellington: The Iron Duke (Military Profiles)by Philip J. Haythornthwaite
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Sign up for LibraryThing to find out whether you'll like this book. No current Talk conversations about this book. “Wellington the Iron Duke” by Philip Haythornthwaite is part of the Potomac's military profiles which is basically a series of elongated historical essays on various military figures in paperback format. I have wanted to read a biography of Wellington for some time now and then I espied this one on the shelves of a Seattle Half-Price Books. Written in a pithy, erudite manner Mr. Haythornthwaite accomplishes a thorny task in covering the voluminous life and times of one of Britain’s most celebrated figures. Needless to say Mr. Haythornthwaite covers a number of Wellington’s famous battles from both India and the Peninsula Campaign, including his most famous the defeat of Napoleon at Waterloo. He then wraps up his biography with a smart synopsis of Wellington’s political life thereafter. I was so impressed with this mini-biography that I am inclined to not only seek out Mr. Haythornthwaite’s other books, but to also pick up other books in the Potomac series. ( ) no reviews | add a review
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One of the Duke of Wellington's officers once remarked, "We would rather see his long nose in the sight than a reinforcement of ten thousand men." Arthur Wellesley, first duke of Wellington (1769–1852), was one of the greatest military commanders in history and is best known as the successful opponent at Waterloo of arguably the leading general of all time, Napoleon Bonaparte. Although Waterloo is the battle most associated with Wellington, his career was much wider. He gained his first military experience in the Netherlands in 1793-94 in an unsuccessful campaign that taught him, as he said, "how not to do it." From there he went to India, where he conducted a number of successful campaigns and honed his military skills until he became Britain's leading general. With great strategic foresight and as master not only of the battlefield but also of organization and logistics, he helped expel the French from Spain and Portugal during the Peninsular War, which materially weakened Napoleon's strategic position and led to his downfall in 1814. After Napoleon returned from exile in 1815, Wellington was a principal leader of the coalition forces at Waterloo. In subsequent years, Wellington exerted a considerable influence on British politics, serving as prime minister and in later life as a trusted elder statesman. Upon his death, he was widely regarded as the greatest Briton of his generation and undisputedly one of the greatest British soldiers. The Duke of Wellington has been the subject of many biographies over the years but none as comprehensive yet concise as this latest addition to Potomac's Military Profiles series. No library descriptions found. |
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Google Books — Loading... GenresMelvil Decimal System (DDC)941.081092History and Geography Europe British Isles Historical periods of British Isles 1837- Period of Victoria and House of Windsor Victoria 1837-1901LC ClassificationRatingAverage:
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