Volume 1 of 2. Eye-witness accounts and memoirs of the Peninsula War by ordinary soldiers who took part in the campaign have deservedly acquired a high reputation for the vivid picture they give us of life in Wellington's army and their insights into a brutal and merciless war. These two volumes of ‘Peninsular Sketches' are the cream of the genre. Collected by William Hamilton Maxwell, a colourful and well-regarded Anglo-Irish military historian and writer who may well have served in the Peninsular himself, they are now published in a modern revised edition. Volume One of this smart and conveniently sized re-print includes a lengthy and learned introduction by the modern military historian Stanley Monick, which comprises a biography of Maxwell himself, an outline of the course of the war, as well as well-informed notes and a commentary on the sketches themselves. Both volumes also have full indexes compiled by Dr Monick. Volume One of the sketches give us raw material from such events as the storming of the fortress of Ciudad Roderigo and the sack of Badajoz as well as the great victory at Salamanca. Long out of print, and a rare collector’s item in the antiquarian book market; these fascinating volumes are now within the price range of every enthusiast of the Peninsular War and Napoleonic warfare generally. For the serious student of the subject these are not to be missed.

Volume 2 of 2. Eye-witness accounts and memoirs of the Peninsula War by ordinary soldiers who took part in the campaign have deservedly acquired a high reputation for the vivid picture they give us of life in Wellington's army and their insights into a brutal and merciless war. These two volumes of ‘Peninsular Sketches' are the cream of the genre. Collected by William Hamilton Maxwell, a colourful and well-regarded Anglo-Irish military historian and writer who may well have served in the Peninsular himself, they are now published in a modern revised edition. Volume One of this smart and conveniently sized re-print includes a lengthy and learned introduction by the modern military historian Stanley Monick, which comprises a biography of Maxwell himself, an outline of the course of the war, as well as well-informed notes and a commentary on the sketches themselves. Both volumes also have full indexes compiled by Dr Monick. Volume Two follows the course of the war from the capture of Madrid, Wellington’s victory at Vittoria and the British army’s passage over the Pyrenees and its final triumphal march to Toulouse. Long out of print, and a rare collector’s item in the antiquarian book market; these fascinating volumes are now within the price range of every enthusiast of the Peninsular War and Napoleonic warfare generally. For the serious student of the subject these are not to be missed.

The author of Wellington at Waterloo delivers an in-depth history of the military commander’s tactics and strategy in the Peninsular War. After gaining strategic and tactical experience in Colonial India, Arthur Wellesley went to battle against French forces in the Peninsular War. With his decisive victories there, he ascended to the peerage of the United Kingdom as the 1st Duke of Wellington. Inthis volume, historian Jac Weller delivers a complete account of Wellington’s career on the Iberian Peninsula, covering all the battles in which he took part. Talavera, The battles of Busaco, Salamanca and Vitoria are among the famous conflicts Weller brings to life in the lively chronicle, combining meticulous research with extensive visits to the historic battlefields. Supplementing his accessible narrative with photographs, Weller demonstrates how this great commander finally achieved victory after six years of battle against Napoleon’s army.

This history and battlefield guide is an essential reference for anyone visiting the sites of Wellington’s war with Napoleon in Spain and Portugal. Wellington's Peninsular War provides a concise and comprehensive account of the battlefields as they exist today, with historic context and practical details to help readers find and explore them. The Peninsular War of 1808 to 1841 was a major part of the twenty-year struggle against Napoleon Bonaparte’s imperial ambitions. Military historian Julian Paget presents a balanced picture of the conflict, covering the Duke of Wellington’s campaigns as well as the crucially important efforts of the Spanish and Portuguese. Paget begins with an overview of the war and its background, followed by a complete year-by-year account. He then presents a chapter on each of the major battles, includes maps and photographs of the battlefields, orders of battle, and helpful information about the battlefield today. The maps show the ground as it was at the time but also include modern features for easier identification.

“A detailed and riveting account of the Light Division and its three regiments, 43rd and 52nd Light Infantry and the 95th Rifles . . . An important book.” —Firetrench In February 1810, Wellington formed what became the most famous unit in the Peninsular War: the Light Division. Formed around the 43rd and 52nd Light Infantry and the 95th Rifles, the exploits of these three regiments is legendary. Over the next 50 months, the division would fight and win glory in almost every battle and siege of the Peninsular War. How the division achieved its fame began on the border of Spain and Portugal where it served as a screen between Wellington’s Army and the French. When it came time pull back from the border, the division endured a harrowing retreat with a relentless enemy at their heels. It was during this eventful year it developed an esprit-de-corps and a belief in its leaders and itself that was unrivaled in Wellington’s Army. Wellington’s Light Division in the Peninsular War uses over 100 primary sources—many never published before—to recount the numerous skirmishes, combats, and battles, as well as the hardships of a year of duty on the front lines. Others are from long-forgotten books published over 150 years ago. It is through the words of the officers and men who served with it that this major, and long-anticipated study of the first critical year of the Light Division is told. “Given the limited scope of the book, covering only one year of the Peninsular campaign, the depth of the study is truly remarkable . . . An excellent history of the Light Division ‘Warts and All.’”—The Napoleon Series