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At Waterloo, some 70,000 men under Napoleon and an equal number under Wellington faced one another in a titanic battle. Alessandro Barbero's majestic account combines British and French histories to give voice to all nations involved. The Battle is a masterpiece of military history.
This account of the 18th of June, 1815, is less of a straight military history and more of an attempt to recreate the experience of combat at Waterloo that day. Barbero is very successful in this but, if I could, I would only give it 3.5 stars as the most powerful recreation of Waterloo remains, for me, [b:Waterloo: A Near Run Thing|314683|Waterloo A Near Run Thing|David Howarth|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1387752665s/314683.jpg|305521], David Howarth's classic book. ( )
The history of a battle is not unlike the history of a ball! Some individuals may recollect all the little events of which the great result is the battle won or lost; but no individual can recollect the order in which, or the exact moment at which, they occurred, which makes all the difference as to their value or importance, — Wellington
I object to all the propositions to write what is called a history of the battle of Waterloo. . . . But if a true history is written, what will become of the reputation of half of those who have acquired reputation, and who deserve it for their gallantry, but who, if their mistakes and casual misconduct were made public, would NOT be so well thought of? — Wellington
Leave the battle of Waterloo as it is. — Wellington
Dedication
First words
Prologue: In the afternoon of March 1, 1815, a fleet consisting of one warship and six smaller vessels dropped anchor off Golfe-Juan on the southeastern coast of France, in view of what are today the most luxurious vacation spots on the Cote d'Azur but were then miserable fishing villages clinging to the edge of an inhospitable landscape.
Quotations
Information from the Dutch Common Knowledge. Edit to localize it to your language.
Het relaas van een veldslag lijkt enigszins op het relaas van een dansfeest. Sommigen kunnen zich alle geringe gebeurtenissen herinneren die het winnen of het verliezen van de veldslag tot gevolg hebben gehad, maar niemand kon zich de volgorde herinneren, of het exacte moment waarop ze hebben plaats-gevonden, en juist dat maakt het verschil. Ik ben een tegenstander van elk voornemen om een zogeheten geschiedenis van de slag bij Waterloo te schrijven. Want als de ware geschiedenis wordt opgetekend, wat zal er dan overblijven van de roem van degenen die deze terecht hebben verworven vanwege hun moed, maar van wie de helft er NIET zo goed af zou komen als hun fouten gepubliceerd zouden worden? Laat de slag bij Waterloo maar rusten. (Arthur Wellesly, hertog van Wellington).
Last words
Once great events are incised so deeply in the collective memory, they take on a life of their own, despite the changes wrought by time; this is the reason that today, nearly two centuries later, and without even knowing exactly why, we all continue to be fascinated by the name Waterloo.
At Waterloo, some 70,000 men under Napoleon and an equal number under Wellington faced one another in a titanic battle. Alessandro Barbero's majestic account combines British and French histories to give voice to all nations involved. The Battle is a masterpiece of military history.