<p>This account of the final years of Britain's long war against Revolutionary and Napoleonic France places the conflict in a new - and wholly modern - perspective. Rory Muir looks beyond the purely military aspects of the struggle to show how the entire British nation played a part in the victory. His book provides a total assessment of how politicians, the press, the crown, civilians, soldiers and commanders together defeated France.<br>Beginning in 1807 when all of continental Europe was under Napoleon's control, the author traces the course of the war throughout the Spanish uprising of 1808, the campaigns of the Duke of Wellington and Sir John Moore in Portugal and Spain, and the crossing of the Pyrenees by the British army, to the invasion of southern France and the defeat of Napoleon at the Battle of Waterloo. Muir sets Britain's military operations on the Iberian Peninsula within the context of the wider European conflict, and examines how diplomatic, financial, military and political considerations combined to shape policies and priorities. Just as political factors influenced strategic military decisions, Muir contends, fluctuations of the war affected British political decisions.<br>The book is based on a comprehensive investigation of primary and secondary sources, and on a thorough examination of the vast archives left by the Duke of Wellington. Muir offers vivid new insights into the personalities of Canning, Castlereagh, Perceval, Lord Wellesley, Wellington and the Prince Regent, along with fresh information on the financial background of Britain's campaigns. This vigorous narrative account will appeal to general readers and military enthusiasts, as well as to students of early nineteenth-century British politics and military history.</p>

Britain and the Defeat of Napoleon, 1807-1815

History

Rory Muir

Americas

Yale University Press

The British army reached the apogee of its success in the war against Napoleon, and in particular in the famous campaigns in the Peninsula, while under Wellington¹s command. Yet many aspects of how it achieved its victories have been ignored or taken for granted. This book breaks new ground in a series of meticulous studies, which reveal the hidden mechanisms that lie behind triumphs such as Salamanca and Vitoria. At the same time it places Wellington¹s campaigns in their strategic context and explains how he achieved his success.The organization of Wellington¹s army and the principles underlying the way in which the troops were placed in the line of battle are uncovered in a penetrating new analysis. The subordinates who commanded his brigades and divisions are given the attention they deserve, and there is an authoritative explanation of the importance of army rank and seniority.Fascinating studies of bridging operations, including the construction of Europe¹s first suspension bridge, and the role of reconnaissance (or "exploring") officers reveal the practical difficulties of campaigning in a country where roads were few, maps inaccurate, and what bridges existed were often of ancient Roman origin. An invaluable appendix lists and organizes by regiment the titles of the many hundreds of first-hand accounts of the war by British soldiers.This book emphasizes that there was more to Wellington¹s generalship than just commanding on the battlefield. It is an important and original contribution to the history of the Peninsular War, and it builds upon the pioneering work of Sir Charles Oman.

Inside Wellington's Peninsular Army: 1808 - 1814

Biographies & Memoirs

Bob Burnham

Howie Muir

Ron McGuigan

Leaders & Notable People

Pen and Sword Military

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Books by Rory Muir