This image is the cover for the book Waterloo General

Waterloo General

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.

John Morewood

John Morewood read history at Oxford University. He was editor of the Nelson Society from 1997 to 1999 and of the Waterloo Association from 2001 to 2011. He writes articles and lectures on the Napoleonic Wars and co-authored HMS Vanguard at the Nile: The Men, the Ship, the Battle. The mystery surrounding the circumstances of Sir William Ponsonby's death during the Battle of Waterloo, and the criticism levelled at him by historians, prompted John to research in depth Sir William's life and career, following in his footsteps through Belgium, France, Ireland, Portugal, and Spain.

Pen and Sword