Books: Best Books/Links on The Napoleonic Era

[Massena]

That one is definitely on my list. I do hope there is more on the British artillery than how they performed in the battles they participated in, such as their training, schooling, etc.

Sincerely,
M

[Massena]

If you mean John Franklin's, These are the titles that are 'due for release on the 18th December 2013' ???

Waterloo Prussian Correspondence: v.1: Letters and Reports from Printed Sources.
http://www.waterstones.com/waterston...a+v-1/9598823/
Waterloo French Correspondence: v.1: Letters and Reports from Printed Sources.
http://www.waterstones.com/waterston...a+v-1/9598705/

You should know about Erwin Muilwijk's Quatre Bras 'Perponcher's gamble' as he is punting it out over on TMP.

Paul

Paul,

There is a notation on the site for each of the books stating 'publication abandoned.'

Sincerely,
M

[Dibble201Bty]

Paul,

There is a notation on the site for each of the books stating 'publication abandoned.'

Sincerely,
M

Oh! I wondered why I couldn't upload the images of the books from my Amazon wishlist account! Every time I clicked on the images I got an error page come up, so I went to Waterstones site to get the images and just didn't notice. Oh bugger! And I was so looking forward to them

Paul

[Massena]

Yeah, me too.

Sincerely,
M

[Compans]

Waterloo The French Perspective. Andrew Field.

Well I just finished this last night. I think there have been a review or two in this thread so here's my 2 new pence.

Firstly I have to say that this book is definitely not for anyone reading about the battle for the first time. It's very much for the person with an intimate knowledge of the day's events and moves who wants some more insight from the other side - which I guess is what it says on the tin.

I found the book very interesting in parts and it does fill a much needed gap in the English-speaking world. However, Field is not the most eloquent of writers and, as I feared, it does have a rather self-published feel to it. Although the meat of this book comes from the first hand accounts of the participants, there is little drama in Field's writing to tie them sucessfully together and I found the flow to be a bit halting. Another complaint are the square perentheses within the quotes which are jarring and could have been dealt with by explaining things in the preceding text. Field admits to failing his O level French three times (I can relate) and has done much of the translating himself. Whilst applauding his tenacity with this, I do feel that some quotes may have been strangely translated. If one were not a fluent English speaker for example, how would the common Napoleonic British phrase 'made them to the right about' be translated? It sounds like a manouevre but means to retreat. I would imagine there are several similar phrases within the French texts that have been translated literally, leading to some stiff and rather confusing quotes.

The really interesting stuff within this comes from the remarkable accounts by the French cavalry for example. Maybe I've let it pass me by in other tellings, but I wasn't aware that Foy's brigade made a concerted attempt to storm the French left of the allied line just after the cavalry attacks. The overall feeling one gets from the French perspective is one of muddle and disjointedness. Although there are accounts of French horse artillery pouring fire into the British squares from close range, one is left, as ever, with the question of why Foy's assault was not coordinated with the cavalry and artillery. There were no infantry to be had is the probable answer, but it's frustrating nonetheless. This is of course nothing new regarding Waterloo but very interesting to have it confirmed by the French combatants. Another feeling that consistantly comes across is of the fierceness and zeal of the French throughout the battle, despite the pointlessness of some of the actions required of them. The cavalry's bravery in the face of stalemate is incredible. Fields puts forward the theory that the cavalry was used in this way to buy some time during the lull after D'Erlon's assault which is interesting.

The other really important part of this book deals with the rout following the attack of the guard. Most authors tend to whitewash this as a mass breaking up of order following the guard's repulse, but evidently the process - in places at least was more gradual and I have such respect for the units who sacrificed themselves as rear guard to the fleeing army. There are several accounts from old guard veterans relating their painfully slow withdrawal in square all the way back to Genappe. The discipline was truly incredible.

I think this book is a must read. It's flawed and there'll probably be better books on the subject but it's very thought provoking and gave me some very fresh insight into something that's fascinated me for 40 years.

[Massena]

Excellent review and definitely worth more than two cents.

Sincerely,
M

[Dibble201Bty]

Just to let you Know.

I received the latest Gareth Glover Waterloo Archives volume V: German Sources yesterday morning. I have had a quick perusal and I can tell you that I have got to page 41, and so far the accounts have been very good. the colour plates have been well selected with pictures of The Duke of Brunswick leading a cavalry charge. The Death of the Duke of Brunswick, General Chasse leading the attack on the Imperial Guard, The wounding of the Prince of Orange and Sortie at La Haye Sainte by Knotel.

there is also a snippet from the panorama painting showing a Nassau square being attacked by Cuirassiers. And last but not least, uniform plates by Von Scriba and also those well known Uniform Plates by Bernhard Schwertfeger. Those of you who have Beamish's History of the Kings German Legion will know what plates I mean.

When I have gotten round to reading the whole book I will give a more detailed appraisal. But at the moment, so-far so-good.

Paul

Well! I have just managed to complete said book and though the correspondence pages only go up to page 190 of 238 pages, you do get an Appendix (made up of the rest of the book) of very interesting eyewitness accounts of Halkett's capture of Cambronne. 'Glorious feats' acts of bravery by individual NCOs and other ranks during the battle and who were awarded the Guelphic Medal. And a pretty comprehensive listing of officers and appointments within the Brunswick (KGL officers who were transferred to Hanoverian Landwehr Battalions), Nassau Regiments and Hanoverian Army.

There is also a good section on the Court martial of surgeons of the 5th Hanoverian Brigade. with many testimonies by the accused. 'most not very convincing'

Though most of the recollections are very good indeed, some like the especially rare 'episode' of Lt.von der Host, who was captured at Quatre Bras who tells of his experience after capture and his subsequent escape and evasion, is an especially good account. And that of Major von Berckefeldt of the Landwehr Battalions Munden, who in his, tells of an episode where The Munden Battalion was sent to support the Scots, and in particular the 92nd regiment who were posted on the Ohain road and low on ammunition.

"The lack of ammunition was only alleviated by an officer of the Munden Battalion who chanced on an English ammunition wagon that was arriving from Mont St Jean, and made some of his men carry its contents to the Scottish troops. In no time were the ten barrels with cartridges torn open; the Scots hurried over from their ranks and helped themselves to the cartridges, of which the most effective use was immediately made."

There are a lot of accounts within these letters that tell of the fighting at Quatre Bras, the subsequent so called 'flight' to Mont St Jean and the aftermath and advance into France and on Paris.

Even though I have had Mike Robinson's The Battle of Quatre Bras 1815, book on my shelf for ages I haven't gotten around to reading it yet so I don't know if any of the Quatre Bras accounts in Gareth Glover's tome has been used before.

But the one I like best is of the trials and tribulations of Private Peter Henninger, of the Grenadier company 1st Battalion 1st Nassau regiment who though wounded, went out to rescue his badly wounded Captain. he was aided by another Grenadier by the name of Reinhard Zahn. all three were heading towards "a farm" [La Haie Saint?] when they were attacked by Cuirassiers. Henninger was stabbed (for the fourth time that day) in the side and fell down half dead. Even though his Captain and Zahn tried to help him, he gave himself up for dead and told Zahn to save the Captain.

Henninger laid terribly wounded on the battlefield until the morning of the 20th, where he was rescued by five 'English' soldiers and carried in a cuirassiers cloak to La Haie Saint where his wounds were dressed by a Dutch surgeon.

Suffice to say that he was awarded the Medal of Merit in silver.

Zahn and Captain Schuler survived and both had attested to Henninger being killed and him being officially listed as dead!

Just a little quibble:
The painting of the death of the Duke of Brunswick is reversed in Gareth's tome ( ) and also credited to William Heath when the original was by Heinrich Monten.

I don't think that Kevin will like this tome though as Gareth has used Adkins Waterloo Companion in his sources which, as most of us know, Kevin doesn't rate at all.

No 'English' squares broken. No British heavies being beaten at Genappe

An aside:

Funny how some on this site think that Sgt. Morris of the 73rd is a good primary source

Well done Gareth! Your latest edition is a five star addition to the collection.

Paul

[Massena]

Don't pre-judge, Paul, that's not nice.

Whether or not I 'like it' is irrelevant-what counts is if it useful for further research and I trust Gareth Glover on that count as well as others.

Sincerely,
M

[Dibble201Bty]

Don't pre-judge, Paul, that's not nice.

Whether or not I 'like it' is irrelevant-what counts is if it useful for further research and I trust Gareth Glover on that count as well as others.

Sincerely,
M

Sorry old bean! But I just had to prod the nest with a sticky stick

Paul

[Massena]

Understand and I'm always glad to hear from you.

Sincerely,
M

[PhilinYuma]

@Dibble: "Funny how some on this site think that Sgt. Morris of the 73rd is a good primary source"
Shame on you for doubting anything that that trustworthy soldier said. I was personally relieved when he revealed that some newly captured French soldiers, who had been POWs earlier in the war, were comfortable with the idea of going back to those friendly old prison hulks around our shore. Obviously, claims of brutality on the hulks were unfounded.
I also like his sense of continuity. The story he tells about the officer who couldn't remember the order, "Halt!" must go back to Roman days. I remember (because I am old) a WWII English cartoon of German soldiers stolidly marching off a cliff because their officer has had the same lapse. His companion says, "Well, say something, even if it's only 'Goodbye'".
I'll see your Thomas Morris and raise you a George Farmer, any day!
Cheers,
Phil

[Dibble201Bty]

@Dibble: "Funny how some on this site think that Sgt. Morris of the 73rd is a good primary source"
Shame on you for doubting anything that that trustworthy soldier said. I was personally relieved when he revealed that some newly captured French soldiers, who had been POWs earlier in the war, were comfortable with the idea of going back to those friendly old prison hulks around our shore. Obviously, claims of brutality on the hulks were unfounded.
I also like his sense of continuity. The story he tells about the officer who couldn't remember the order, "Halt!" must go back to Roman days. I remember (because I am old) a WWII English cartoon of German soldiers stolidly marching off a cliff because their officer has had the same lapse. His companion says, "Well, say something, even if it's only 'Goodbye'".
I'll see your Thomas Morris and raise you a George Farmer, any day!
Cheers,
Phil

You see Phil, When ever Waterloo and broken British squares comes up, we have the Nappy lovers throw Morris' account of how the square of the 69th/33rd 'was broken' quote into the ring. Thing is, is that not many of those that do the throwing have actually read Morris' tome and I bet that they have never read both his first 1845 and his own heavily edited second 1858 edition as part of The Three Sergeants trilogy. If they did they would get two differently worded versions of the 33rd/69th square supposedly broken by cavalry.

He slags off Corporal Shaw of the Life Guards as a reckless fool and says he saw him get drunk on copious amounts of Hollands at about 12 noon on the day of the battle, and that Shaw charged the enemy like a madman.

Suffice to say, all of what Morris wrote in his first edition about Shaw, was totally omitted from the 1858 edition including even mentioning Shaw's name.

If one reads Trooper Thomas Playford's account of what happened to Shaw that day, you will see that Morris' account is very err! Dubious.

Morris' Account of the rearguard action at Genappe, is also iffy. He states that he witnessed the "household heavy horse" drive back the enemy cuirassiers. The reason being he was...."an unwilling spectator to this scene as I was compelled to stop to remove some gravel which had got into my boots".

Did he have very bad eyesight perchance! Because he mistook lancers for cuirassiers It seems that he was able to regain his vision to be able to distinguish cuirassiers from lancers more than once in the later battle of the 18th.

The points above are just a few of the iffy bits of the accounts. If one reads both editions, one will also see that large portions have been rewritten from the original and many of the incidents changed in the telling.

For those of you who are interested:

The 1845 edition
http://books.google.co.uk/books?id=y...page&q&f=false

The 1858 edition
http://archive.org/stream/threeserje...ge/n8/mode/2up

Paul

[Zouave]

You will be happy to know that I shall be getting a copy of that tome too. due to be delivered on the 23rd of August

Paul

[Zouave]

You will love this one (in French), Kevin... The never before published memoirs of General Marulaz.

http://www.bgedition.com/detailboutique.do?prod=BG160

[Massena]

Thanks very much, Z, a great find!

How did you know that Marola, dit Marulaz, was one of my favorites?

My wife is going to be very unhappy with me for yet another 'necessary' book!

Sincerely,
Kevin