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Review
"'This is not just the best book on Waterloo I've read, it's also one of the most original and stimulating works of military history I've come across in years. *****' Simon Shaw, Mail On Sunday 'A thoroughly readable, exciting account of a great clash of arms... Brilliant.' Mark Adkin, author of The Waterloo Companion 'Perhaps the most readable and original account for many years.' John Childs, Professor of History, University of Leeds 'Alessandro Barbero's new book deserves to be read by anyone with an interest in warfare.' Dr Gary Sheffield, King's College London"
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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 new account stands apart from previous British and French histories by giving voice to all the nationalities involved. The Battle is a masterpiece of military history and the definitive account of a battle that, in the words of John Keegan, 'reversed the tide of European history'.
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
18 of 19 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
This is certainly a well written book and a decent translation, although you'll have to forgive the odd discrepancy - the term 'Fusilier' is frequently used instead of 'infantry'.
As a primer, it doesn't have enough detailed maps, but you should be able to get by with the ones included. However, the author does give clear explanations of the arms and their roles and is quite explicit as to the location of various formations during the battle.
I didn't detect any significant bias - all nations were given a fair summary, which is a change from the now fashionable attempts to prove that the very few British troops who actually made it in time for the game were drunk, incompetent or cowardly and they were all Irish anyway. The German and Netherlands units aren't all hard done by, the Prussians aren't infallible supermen and the French aren't all Hollywood heroes making a last stand.
If you're a history buff and familiar with the battle or you're just curious, this is a very good read. It's not a seminal study and doesn't claim to be, but it does give a decent account of the battle and interesting insights into the main characters.
If you're thinking of buying it, do so: it's an entertaining read.
As a primer, it doesn't have enough detailed maps, but you should be able to get by with the ones included. However, the author does give clear explanations of the arms and their roles and is quite explicit as to the location of various formations during the battle.
I didn't detect any significant bias - all nations were given a fair summary, which is a change from the now fashionable attempts to prove that the very few British troops who actually made it in time for the game were drunk, incompetent or cowardly and they were all Irish anyway. The German and Netherlands units aren't all hard done by, the Prussians aren't infallible supermen and the French aren't all Hollywood heroes making a last stand.
If you're a history buff and familiar with the battle or you're just curious, this is a very good read. It's not a seminal study and doesn't claim to be, but it does give a decent account of the battle and interesting insights into the main characters.
If you're thinking of buying it, do so: it's an entertaining read.
6 of 6 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
Product The Battle book by Alessandro Barbero
Excellent move by move description of the battle which included what a French column was and its advantages and disadvantages, same for British line and difference between 2 deep and 4 deep line and why. Easily understood by layman. Same goes for other 'technical' points. Details here and there of personal experiences kept my interest, author is anything but dry. As always I would ideally like bigger maps with more detail, but again I did not buy a specialist £40 book.
Sent on time, excellent condition, full marks.
Excellent move by move description of the battle which included what a French column was and its advantages and disadvantages, same for British line and difference between 2 deep and 4 deep line and why. Easily understood by layman. Same goes for other 'technical' points. Details here and there of personal experiences kept my interest, author is anything but dry. As always I would ideally like bigger maps with more detail, but again I did not buy a specialist £40 book.
Sent on time, excellent condition, full marks.
23 of 25 people found the following review helpful
Format:Hardcover
This book is instructive as well as entertaining. The English edition is quite readable and as far as the translation is concerned all I can say is that I noticed no clunkers. I find the description of how the combatants conducted themselves as interesting as the command decisions. I never realized what a dog fight it was and how vicious the participants were.
Nothing is perfect and this edition has some weaknesses in my opinion. For one thing, there are insufficient maps. I was unable to find the important village of Plancenoit on the battle maps. This village is named in at least two chapter titles. More than that it would have been helpful to have maps of the battle area as it is discussed. The battle maps provided are just not in enough detail in my opinion.
The other thing I would have liked in this book is a list of the important commanders and their general role. I spent a lot of time trying to identify who was who, but then this is my first book on this great battle.
All in all this is a fine book and I am enjoying it immensely.
I would recommend this book to anyone with an interest in the battle, the Napoleonic wars or the history of the 1800's.
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
Detailed and Engrossing
this was a great read and does an amazing job in telling the story of the battle of waterloo and really giving the reader an idea of how massive a spectacular the battle must have... Read more
Published 3 months ago by john
An excellent new perspective and a stellar translation
This book quite frankly deserves its 5 stars just for the translation job. At no point do you ever feel you're reading something that's been written in a different language and... Read more
Published 8 months ago by schlockhorror
A galloping good read
Comprehensive and well laid out, The Battle really benefits from Barbero's use of short pithy chapters. Read more
Published 13 months ago by Sebastian Palmer
Brilliant account on Waterloo
Can't remember having read a book so fast due to not being able to put it down. Perfect balance between solid military history and an exciting captive narrative from start to... Read more
Published 17 months ago by G. W. Mclean
Waterloo again?
I have a small library mostly about military history. There are four about Waterloo each has its own specific merits. Read more
Published 22 months ago by Derby Duck
Unbelievably detailed!
I had to give a short briefing to my fellow students of an in-service course as we briefly stopped by the Lion Mound and Visitors Centre on a tour de NATO Headquarters in and... Read more
Published on 4 May 2010 by Steen Lykke Laursen
A fresh new look
I've been reading books about Waterloo for longer than I care to remember; it's one of my favourite subjects, and I sometimes shock myself with how much information I've picked up... Read more
Published on 12 Jan 2010 by M. Green
An excellent read
This book makes what is a complicated battle easy to follow and provided interesting references to previous interpretations of how the battle was fought. Fully recommended
Published on 18 Aug 2009 by J. Woolley
A definitive account of the Battle of Waterloo
This is an excellent and detailed account of the day of the Battle of Waterloo from all perspectives. Read more
Published on 24 Jun 2009 by Mr. S. Harrison
The Battle: A New History of the Battle of Waterloo
A very thorough and informative book. Nothing lost in its translation, and proved a valuable reaserch resource for the events of 1815
Published on 17 May 2009 by Mr. Orlando Job Prestidge
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