Waterloo: The French Perspective
From the author of Talavera, an extensive history of the Battle of Waterloo from the losing side's point of view.
The story of the Battle of Waterloo—of the ultimate defeat of Napoleon and the French, the triumph of Wellington, Blücher, and their allied armies—is most often told from the viewpoint of the victors, not the vanquished. Even after 200 years of intensive research and the publication of hundreds of books and articles on the battle, the French perspective and many of the primary French sources are under-represented in the written record. So, it is high time this weakness in the literature—and in our understanding of the battle—was addressed, and that is the purpose of Andrew Field's thought-provoking new study. He has tracked down over ninety first-hand French accounts, many of which have never been previously published in English, and he has combined them with accounts from the other participants in order to create a graphic new narrative of one of the world's decisive battles. Virtually all of the hitherto unpublished testimony provides fascinating new detail on the battle and many of the accounts are vivid, revealing, and exciting.
1111702409
Waterloo: The French Perspective
From the author of Talavera, an extensive history of the Battle of Waterloo from the losing side's point of view.
The story of the Battle of Waterloo—of the ultimate defeat of Napoleon and the French, the triumph of Wellington, Blücher, and their allied armies—is most often told from the viewpoint of the victors, not the vanquished. Even after 200 years of intensive research and the publication of hundreds of books and articles on the battle, the French perspective and many of the primary French sources are under-represented in the written record. So, it is high time this weakness in the literature—and in our understanding of the battle—was addressed, and that is the purpose of Andrew Field's thought-provoking new study. He has tracked down over ninety first-hand French accounts, many of which have never been previously published in English, and he has combined them with accounts from the other participants in order to create a graphic new narrative of one of the world's decisive battles. Virtually all of the hitherto unpublished testimony provides fascinating new detail on the battle and many of the accounts are vivid, revealing, and exciting.
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Waterloo: The French Perspective

Waterloo: The French Perspective

by Andrew W. Field
Waterloo: The French Perspective

Waterloo: The French Perspective

by Andrew W. Field

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$17.99 

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Overview

From the author of Talavera, an extensive history of the Battle of Waterloo from the losing side's point of view.
The story of the Battle of Waterloo—of the ultimate defeat of Napoleon and the French, the triumph of Wellington, Blücher, and their allied armies—is most often told from the viewpoint of the victors, not the vanquished. Even after 200 years of intensive research and the publication of hundreds of books and articles on the battle, the French perspective and many of the primary French sources are under-represented in the written record. So, it is high time this weakness in the literature—and in our understanding of the battle—was addressed, and that is the purpose of Andrew Field's thought-provoking new study. He has tracked down over ninety first-hand French accounts, many of which have never been previously published in English, and he has combined them with accounts from the other participants in order to create a graphic new narrative of one of the world's decisive battles. Virtually all of the hitherto unpublished testimony provides fascinating new detail on the battle and many of the accounts are vivid, revealing, and exciting.

Product Details

ISBN-13: 9781781599983
Publisher: Pen & Sword Military
Publication date: 01/31/2020
Sold by: Barnes & Noble
Format: eBook
Pages: 256
File size: 26 MB
Note: This product may take a few minutes to download.

About the Author

Andrew Field is an expert in the battles of Napoleon.
Andrew Field MBE is a former British army officer whose travels around the world have given him a unique opportunity to explore battlefields from ancient history to present times. He has always harboured a special fascination for the Napoleonic Wars. In particular he has reassessed Napoleon's campaigns in 1814 and 1815, and has carried out extensive research into Wellington's battles in the Peninsula. His books include Talavera: Wellington's First Victory in Spain, Prelude to Waterloo: Quatre Bras, Grouchy’s Waterloo: The Battles of Ligny and Wavre and Waterloo: Rout and Retreat: The French Perspective.

Table of Contents

List of Maps v

List of Illustrations vi

Preface vii

Introduction 1

Section 1 Setting the Scene 9

1 The French Army of 1815 9

2 Preliminary Moves 23

Section 2 Prelude to Battle 33

3 The Night Before 33

4 The Morning of Battle - lam to 11.30am 44

Section 3 11.30am to 1.30pm 61

5 The First Attacks on Hougoumont 61

6 The Grand Battery 71

7 The First Sightings of the Prussians 80

Section 4 1.30pm to 3.30pm 84

8 Preparations for d'Erlon's Attack 84

9 The First Assault on La Haye Sainte 89

10 The Attack on the Ohain Road 97

11 The Counter-Attack of the British Cavalry 109

12 Hougoumont 123

13 The Second Assault on La Haye Sainte 131

Section 5 3.30pm to 6.00pm 133

14 The Prussians Arrive on the Battlefield 133

15 The Great French Cavalry Attacks 137

16 The Prussian Pressure Begins to Mount 164

Section 6 6.00pm to 8.00pm 170

17 The Taking of La Haye Sainte and the Real Crisis 170

18 The Defence of Planchenoit 176

19 The Attack of the Middle Guard 184

20 The Rout Begins 205

21 The Sacrifice of the Old Guard 208

Section 7 8.00pm to 1.00am 213

22 The Loss of Planchenoit 213

23 The Disintegration of the French Army 216

24 The Last Squares 224

25 The Road to Genappe 233

Section 8 Tactical Notes 239

Introduction 239

Napoleon's Attack Options 239

Hougoumont 242

The Columns Used in d'Erlon's Attack 244

The French Cavalry Attacks 249

French Cavalry Tactics at Waterloo 252

The Sunken Lane as an Obstacle 253

The Killing of Prisoners 255

The Attack of the Middle Guard 256

The Grenadier Guards 260

Section 9 Summary: The French Perspective 261

Introduction 261

Hougoumont 261

The Attack of d'Erlon's I Corps 263

The Great Cavalry Charges 264

The Fighting Around La Haye Sainte 267

The Real Crisis 268

The Fight Against the Prussians 270

The Attack of the Middle Guard 271

French Generalship 273

Could the French have won the battle? 276

Appendix 1 The French Army at Waterloo 278

Appendix 2 Anecdotes 281

Appendix 3 Eye-witnesses Consulted 288

Notes 291

Select Bibliography 301

Index 305

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