24 Hours at Waterloo: 18 June 1815 - Softcover

Kershaw, Robert

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0753541440 ISBN 13: 9780753541449

Publisher: RH UK, 2015

Synopsis

A vibrant and exhilarating hour-by-hour portrayal of this iconic battle, drawing on the eye witness accounts of those who fought it. 2015 is the 200th anniversary of the Battle of Waterloo.
     The truly epic and brutal battle of Waterloo was a pivotal moment in history -- a single day, one 24-hour period, defined the course of Europe's future.
     In March 1815, the Allies declared war on Napoleon in response to his escape from exile and the renewed threat to imperial European rule. Three months later, on June 18, 1815, having suffered considerable losses at Quatre-Bras, Wellington's army fell back on Waterloo, some ten miles south of Brussels. Halting on the ridge, they awaited Napoleon's army, blocking their entry to the capital. This would become the Allies' final stand, the infamous battle of Waterloo.
     In this intimate, hour-by-hour account, acclaimed military historian Robert Kershaw resurrects the human stories at the centre of the fighting, creating an authoritative single-volume biography of this landmark battle. Drawing on his profound insight and a field knowledge of military strategy, Kershaw takes the reader to where the impact of the orders was felt, straight into the heart of the battle, shoulder to shoulder with the soldiers on the mud-splattered ground.
     Masterfully weaving together painstakingly researched eyewitness accounts, diaries and letters -- many never before seen or published -- this gripping portrayal of Waterloo offers unparalleled authenticity. Extraordinary images of the men and women emerge in full colour; the voices of the sergeants, the exhausted foot-soldiers, the boy ensigns, the captains and the cavalry troopers, from both sides, rise from the page in vivid and telling detail, as the fate of Europe hangs by a thread.

About this title

About the Author:

ROBERT KERSHAW is a former Para, having joined the Parachute Regiment in 1973, commanded 10 Para and left as a full Colonel in 2006. His active service includes tours in Northern Ireland, the first Gulf War (during which he was awarded the US Bronze Star) and Bosnia. He is now a professional writer and has written seven highly praised books of military history. He has been interviewed on numerous TV documentaries and has published articles in the Times, Sunday Times, Telegraph, Mail and Express. He recently edited Paradata, an online encyclopaedia covering the living history of British Airborne Forces, which won the Outstanding Achievement Award in the Military category of the 2008 Interactive Media Awards. Kershaw has led site-specific battlefield touring groups across the world, including at Waterloo. He has also given lectures at the National Army, Airborne and Tank Museums and aboard the Queen Elizabeth cruise liner.

Review:

   · "Gripping... The hour-by-hour account is packed with fascinating and often poignant vignettes." --Daily Express

   · "Kershaw writes well and makes sense of the battle... a clear and straightforward military view." --Literary Review

   · "Shows us the battle at its grittiest and bloodiest, but through it all manages to maintain a grip on the bigger picture." --Scotsman

About this edition

• Publisher: RH UK
• Publication date: 2015
• ISBN 10: 0753541440
• ISBN 13: 9780753541449
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 448