Waterloo voices 1815 : the battle at first hand / Martyn Beardsley.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Beardsley, Martyn, author.

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Waterloo, Battle of, Waterloo, Belgium, 1815.

Waterloo, Battle of, Waterloo, Belgium, 1815--Personal narratives.

Belgium--Waterloo.

Genre:

Personal narratives.

Physical Description:

284 pages, 16 unnumbered pages of plates : color illustrations ; 20 cm

Place of Publication:

Gloucestershire : Amberley Publishing, 2017.

Summary:

The Battle of Waterloo, fought over the course of a day on a muddy field in Belgium, brought an end to two decades of war in Europe. It had been a draining conflict, both financially and in terms of human life, and had threatened the very sovereignty of numerous nations. Here, at the crisis point, Bonaparte and Wellington faced each other at last and fought for control of the continent. The tale of the battle that ended the Napoleonic Wars has been told many times, but most often in terms of the political and military situation, debates over strategies, tactics and the broader global arena. In this book, the story is told by those who were present, in their own words. The accounts come from letters, diaries and published accounts, sometimes recounted many years later, the eyewitness testimonies of officers and ordinary soldiers, friend and foe. This gripping collection of first-hand experiences lets us feel the deafening roar of cannon, hear the anguished cries of the wounded and marvel at the heroism on both sides, at the very heart of a battle that was to prove one of the major turning points in European history. Book jacket.

Contents:

Part I The Road to War 11

1 Napoleon Returns 13

2 Belgium: Preparations and Rumours 17

3 A Place Called Waterloo 22

Part II Quatre Bras 29

4 The Forces Gather 30

5 Ney Attacks 36

6 'Let me see the colours' 49

Part III The Calm Before the Storm 55

7 The Day Begins 56

8 'I have them then, these English' 61

Part IV The Battle Begins 69

9 General Sir James Shaw Kennedy's Description of the Battlefield 70

10 'The most tremendous fire that was ever heard' 72

11 The Battle Intensifies 80

Part V The Charge of the Heavy Cavalry 95

12 Ewart and the Eagle 96

13 'Scotland Forever!' 101

Part VI Mid-Afternoon 111

14 'Soldiers, we must never be beat' 112

15 De Lancey Is Hit 124

Part VII Crisis 131

16 The Fall of Lay Haye Sainte 133

17 Napoleon's Final Gamble 149

18 Blucher Arrives 157

Part VIII Aftermath 173

19 'Oh Doctor, it was a terrible night ...' 174

20 The Morning After 182

Part IX Counting the Cost 197

21 The Dreadful Scene of Death 198

21 The Death of De Lancey 204

Part X Scars of Battle 213

23 Attending to the Wounded 215

Part XI Napoleon's Final Journey 225

24 Surrender 226

25 Torbay 229

Part XII Looking Back 239

26 'Such has been the battle of Mont St Jean' 240

27 The Sacrifice of Ney 246

28 'My papper is dun' 249

Key to Quotation Sources 256.

Notes:

Includes bibliographical references (pages 282-283).

ISBN:

1445660164

9781445660165

OCLC:

938399526

Publisher Number:

99974827834