A Rough Sketch of the Field of Waterloo

A Rough Sketch of the Field of Waterloo is a scholarly historical account and early travel guide to the Waterloo battlefield, written by Henry Robert Addison, a former military officer, and published in 1839 by the Belgian Company of Booksellers (Hauman & Co.). Combining military analysis with practical guidance for nineteenth-century visitors, Addison examines the tactics and course of the 1815 battle while directing readers through its historic landscape.

Particularly noteworthy are the original first-edition illustrations, including a, partly coloured lithographed plan of the battlefield and an organisational chart detailing the staff of Field Marshal the Duke of Wellington. These visual aids enhance the book's value as both a military study and a contemporary record of the battlefield.

The substantial appendix broadens the work's scope, presenting French and Spanish perspectives on the conflict alongside detailed regimental records. An alphabetical register of officers killed or wounded provides a valuable reference to the human cost of the battle. Combining military observation, documentary evidence and battlefield topography, Addison's work offers an intriguing insight into both the campaign itself and the early development of Waterloo as a destination for military tourists and historians.