Tuesday 8 April 2014

Review: 1815 The Waterloo Campaign: Wellington, His German Allies and the Battles of Ligny and Quatre Bras


1815 The Waterloo Campaign: Wellington, His German Allies and the Battles of Ligny and Quatre Bras
1815 The Waterloo Campaign: Wellington, His German Allies and the Battles of Ligny and Quatre Bras by Peter Hofschröer

My rating: 5 of 5 stars



Hofschroer is a different beast to the English writers on the Battle of Waterloo. He includes German, but also English and even a few Dutch sources. Since the book is mostly a revision of English dominated historiography of the campaign, Hofschroer is critical of Wellington's conduct of the campaign and his dealings with the Prussians. The constant focus on Wellington's double dealing gets tiresome, even if it's clear that the Hof is on to something.

There are very useful chapters on the diplomatic struggle over the minor German contingents between the allied armies and the Saxon mutiny.

The research is very good, and I think for anyone not digging into the primary sources this book is more valuable than almost anything published by Anglo-Saxon authors.





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