The Battle of Waterloo Or, A History of General History of the Events, etc. From the Period of Bonaparte's Escape From Elba to His Arrival at St Helena. (with letters from E. B. Neill. Newspaper writer. 1883 loosely attached)

Picton, Lieut G. W. (George)

Published by R. Edwards., Crance Court, London., 1815

About this Item

488 pages with 6 hand coloured aquatint plates inc frontispiece, 3 copper engraved portraits and 3 folding hand outline coloured maps of Belgium, Waterloo & the "Military Operations in the Netherlands". Title page grubby and old glue residue noticed at gutter, old library label inside front board for St Edmund's College (Old Hall) Cambridge, with a presentation from The Right Rev M Ward to R. E. Doran (Librarian) and the date 5-4-1900. Contents shaken in binding original old smooth calf, hinges weak and stringing showing on the spine, contents have been handled and feel handled, but better than good. Overall a fair to good+ copy. Octavo. Scarce and no other copies for sale online at time of listing. NOTE* This early "supposed" eye-witness account of the events leading up and to the June Battle at Waterloo & Hougoumont Farm. I say "supposed" as there are 5 handwritten letters on 20 pages from Edward Bernard Neill (Respected and highly rated newspaper correspondent with a column called "Metropolitan Gossip" in the Liverpool Albion and was Vice Consul to Uruguay until the 1870's). Here in this group he is refuting the authors claims in the book and other Waterloo information and quoting the fact it is NOT in Allibone is significant as a "fictionalised" account? and comparing the contents as "as fallacious as Hugo's Le Miserables" passages on his battle scenes in his work was, "a magnificent mirage". The letters are very detailed, difficult to read in part, but a delicious insight to this work for researchers and the seemingly scarcity of this work, was it withdrawn or just poor sales? The letters date between March 10th to September 3rd 1883 to a single correspondent, perhaps writing another account in the 19th century and have his address (correctly as Mortlake at the time these were penned), He lived on Worple St. He was friends with Sir William Napier and mentions this in the correspondence here. (there are 5 letters in the Nat Lib of Scotland to Napier). Further enquiries on these will be answered.

Seller Inventory # B00924

Bibliographic Details

• Title: The Battle of Waterloo Or, A History of General History of the Events, etc. From the Period of Bonaparte's Escape From Elba to His Arrival at St Helena. (with letters from E. B. Neill. Newspaper writer. 1883 loosely attached)
• Publisher: R. Edwards., Crance Court, London.
• Publication Date: 1815
• Language: English
• Binding: Calf
• Edition: 1st Edition
• Condition: Fair
• Seller catalogs:
  • English History.
  • Antiquarian
  • Military