In this compelling book, Richard Holmes tells the exhilarating story of the Duke of Wellington, Britain's greatest ever soldier.

For one reason or another. modem historians have neglected the Congress of Verona. some because they thought the field already had been thoroughly plowed. while others doubted that enough material could be found for more than an article or two on the subject. Indeed. not a single book-length monograph of this international assembly has ever been published in any language. This study. therefore. attempts to fill the gap by (1) explaining the genesis of the Congress. (2) furnishing a comprehensive account of its work. (3) revising some of the interpretations of Sir Charles K. Webster. Harold W. V. Tempedey. and others. and (4) analyzing the significance of the Congress. with emphasis on its contribution to the fall of the Quintuple Alliance. a consequence aided by the dissimilar and often contradictory interests of the allies themselves. This book is essentially a diplomatic history. but diplomats. of course. do not live in a vacuum. Numerous political. social. commercial. financial. and sometimes even religious factors. impinge upon their consciousness.

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First published in 1986. In this book Neville Thompson traces Wellington’s life after 1815 using then new archival and documentary records. The work examines the development of Wellington’s character and outlook, and assesses the significance of his persistent involvement in politics over three decades. It shows the Duke was a crucial figure in the development of the compromise between reform and the preservation of traditional institutions and practices. This title will be of interest to students of history.