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A soldier of the 71st: the journal of a soldier in the Peninsular War. Christopher Hibbert (ed). 144 pp. ISBN 0900075899
First published in 1819, this memoir covers the entire Penisular War, the Walcheren expedition and the Battle of Waterloo - where this Scot narrowly escaped death.
Arthur Bryant. Years of victory: 1802-1812. 499 pp. Available second-hand.
A narrative history of the Napoleonic period from the Treaty of Amiens to the last siege of Badajoz. Second part of a trilogy that includes Years of Endurance 1793-1802 and Age of Elegance 1812-1820. The historian Sir Arthur Bryant wrote the trilogy during the Second World War when another continental despot sought European conquest.
Guy Dempsey. Albuera 1811: The Bloodiest Battle of the Peninsular War. 336 pp, ISBN 9781848324992
Charles Esdaile. The Peninsular War: a new history. 587 pp, Illustrated.
ISBN 0-140-27370-0
Professor Esdaile gives not only a detailed account of the battles, as depicted in Peninsular War diaries and reports, but provides a careful analysis of Iberian political, economic and social developments from 1808-1814.
Ian Fletcher. Bloody Albuera: The 1811 Campaign in the Peninsular. 128 pp, Illustrated. ISBN 1861263724
On 16th May 1811, during Wellington's long campaign against Napoleon's armies of occupation in Portugal and Spain, some 35,000 Allied troops under the command of Marshal William Carr Beresford took up position at Albuera to prevent the relief of the French fortress of Badajoz by the army of Marshal Soult. Beresford was a gifted staff officer but no tactician. Earlier, Campo Major demonstrated the skill of the British cavalry and Beresford's weakness in command. At Albuera 7 British battalions stood off 19 French battalions, trading volleys at 60 yards' range for an hour. Wellington's redcoats won the respect of ally and enemy alike.
Ian Fletcher. In Hell Before Daylight: Siege and Storming of the Fortress of Badajoz, 16 March to 6 April 1812 144 pp, Illustrated. ISBN 187337626X
The only book that focuses on the third siege and subsequent sacking of Badajoz, told with the aid of eyewitness accounts. Includes aerial photos taken from a balloon in 1914 that show how Badajoz would have looked in 1812.
C.S. Forrester. Death to the French 160 pp. ISBN 0304358835
The novel that inspired Bernard Cornwell's Sharpe series. It is 1810, and the last French invasion of Portugal has penned Wellington's army behind the river Tagus with their backs to the sea. Separated from his regiment, Rifleman Dodd of the Ninety-Fifth stumbles on a band of undisciplined Portuguese peasants. With rough inventiveness he transforms this ramshackle group into an organised fighting force, continually harrying French as Dodd fights his way back to his own lines. Written by the author of the Hornblower series, Death to the French is a classic novel of the Peninsular War.
David Gates. The Spanish Ulcer. 560 pp. ISBN 0712697306
A balanced account of the Peninsular War that provides a serious assessment of the opposing generals and their troops, as well as analyzing in detail the social and political background.
John Grehan. The Lines of Torres Vedras: The Cornerstone of Wellington's Strategy in the Peninsular War 1809-1812. 248 pp, maps. ISBN 1862272581
Examines the role of one of the most important fortifications in the Peninsular War.
Philip Guedalla. The Duke 544 pp. ISBN 1853266795
A biography of the Duke of Wellington, who drove the French army from the Iberian Peninsula and defeated Napoleon at Waterloo.
Robert Harvey. The War of Wars: The Epic Struggle Between Britain and France, 1793-1815. 800pp. ISBN 1841199583
Who, in the end, defeated Napoleon Bonaparte? This is the question that Robert Harvey, journalist and former MP, asks at the end of his comprehensive account of the revolutionary and Napoleonic wars. It is pertinent, as he points out, since all the coalition members at one time or another lay claim to the honours: Dogged Austria deserves a large share of the credit for rising from defeat again and again. Prussia, after its lamentable initial performance, renewed some of its national pride at the end. Russia can claim credit for the 1812 campaign in which, although there was no great feat of Russian arms, the French were completely routed. Harvey’s verdict is unequivocal: ‘the lion’s share must surely go to Britain’. Pitt’s and then Grenville’s continental coalition-building, the Royal Navy’s ‘astounding feats’ under Nelson and Wellington’s ‘relentless performance’ in the Peninsula; these were the pillars of victory.
Philip J. Haythornthwaite. The Autobiography of Sir Harry Smith 1787-1819.
320pp. ISBN 0094797404 The military life of an officer in the 95th Regiment [later called the Rifle Brigade] through the Peninsular War and the occupation of France. But Harry Smith was best known for his marriage following the Third Siege of Badajoz to the Spanish lady Juana Ponce de Leon. Her adjustment to the realities of campaigning are depicted in the novel The Spanish Bride.
Philip J. Haythornthwaite. Die Hard!: Action from the Napoleonic Wars. 272 pp. ISBN 0304352055
Ten battles of the Napoleonic wars, four of which deal with the Peninsular campaign.
Richard Holmes. The Napoleonic Wars Experience. 80 pp, maps.ISBN 0233001980.
Napoleon was the colossus of his age. He became one of Revolutionary France's most successful generals and was crowned emperor in 1804. During the next eight years, he fought a series of campaigns, defeating all his continental rivals, though his inability to take command of the sea prevented him from beating Britain. This authoritative book tells the story of the Napoleonic Wars, bringing them to life with 30 items of previously unpublished facsimile memorabilia from museum collections around the world.
First published in 1819, this memoir covers the entire Penisular War, the Walcheren expedition and the Battle of Waterloo - where this Scot narrowly escaped death.
Arthur Bryant. Years of victory: 1802-1812. 499 pp. Available second-hand.
A narrative history of the Napoleonic period from the Treaty of Amiens to the last siege of Badajoz. Second part of a trilogy that includes Years of Endurance 1793-1802 and Age of Elegance 1812-1820. The historian Sir Arthur Bryant wrote the trilogy during the Second World War when another continental despot sought European conquest.
Guy Dempsey. Albuera 1811: The Bloodiest Battle of the Peninsular War. 336 pp, ISBN 9781848324992
Charles Esdaile. The Peninsular War: a new history. 587 pp, Illustrated.
ISBN 0-140-27370-0
Professor Esdaile gives not only a detailed account of the battles, as depicted in Peninsular War diaries and reports, but provides a careful analysis of Iberian political, economic and social developments from 1808-1814.
Ian Fletcher. Bloody Albuera: The 1811 Campaign in the Peninsular. 128 pp, Illustrated. ISBN 1861263724
On 16th May 1811, during Wellington's long campaign against Napoleon's armies of occupation in Portugal and Spain, some 35,000 Allied troops under the command of Marshal William Carr Beresford took up position at Albuera to prevent the relief of the French fortress of Badajoz by the army of Marshal Soult. Beresford was a gifted staff officer but no tactician. Earlier, Campo Major demonstrated the skill of the British cavalry and Beresford's weakness in command. At Albuera 7 British battalions stood off 19 French battalions, trading volleys at 60 yards' range for an hour. Wellington's redcoats won the respect of ally and enemy alike.
Ian Fletcher. In Hell Before Daylight: Siege and Storming of the Fortress of Badajoz, 16 March to 6 April 1812 144 pp, Illustrated. ISBN 187337626X
The only book that focuses on the third siege and subsequent sacking of Badajoz, told with the aid of eyewitness accounts. Includes aerial photos taken from a balloon in 1914 that show how Badajoz would have looked in 1812.
C.S. Forrester. Death to the French 160 pp. ISBN 0304358835
The novel that inspired Bernard Cornwell's Sharpe series. It is 1810, and the last French invasion of Portugal has penned Wellington's army behind the river Tagus with their backs to the sea. Separated from his regiment, Rifleman Dodd of the Ninety-Fifth stumbles on a band of undisciplined Portuguese peasants. With rough inventiveness he transforms this ramshackle group into an organised fighting force, continually harrying French as Dodd fights his way back to his own lines. Written by the author of the Hornblower series, Death to the French is a classic novel of the Peninsular War.
David Gates. The Spanish Ulcer. 560 pp. ISBN 0712697306
A balanced account of the Peninsular War that provides a serious assessment of the opposing generals and their troops, as well as analyzing in detail the social and political background.
John Grehan. The Lines of Torres Vedras: The Cornerstone of Wellington's Strategy in the Peninsular War 1809-1812. 248 pp, maps. ISBN 1862272581
Examines the role of one of the most important fortifications in the Peninsular War.
Philip Guedalla. The Duke 544 pp. ISBN 1853266795
A biography of the Duke of Wellington, who drove the French army from the Iberian Peninsula and defeated Napoleon at Waterloo.
Robert Harvey. The War of Wars: The Epic Struggle Between Britain and France, 1793-1815. 800pp. ISBN 1841199583
Who, in the end, defeated Napoleon Bonaparte? This is the question that Robert Harvey, journalist and former MP, asks at the end of his comprehensive account of the revolutionary and Napoleonic wars. It is pertinent, as he points out, since all the coalition members at one time or another lay claim to the honours: Dogged Austria deserves a large share of the credit for rising from defeat again and again. Prussia, after its lamentable initial performance, renewed some of its national pride at the end. Russia can claim credit for the 1812 campaign in which, although there was no great feat of Russian arms, the French were completely routed. Harvey’s verdict is unequivocal: ‘the lion’s share must surely go to Britain’. Pitt’s and then Grenville’s continental coalition-building, the Royal Navy’s ‘astounding feats’ under Nelson and Wellington’s ‘relentless performance’ in the Peninsula; these were the pillars of victory.
Philip J. Haythornthwaite. The Autobiography of Sir Harry Smith 1787-1819.
320pp. ISBN 0094797404 The military life of an officer in the 95th Regiment [later called the Rifle Brigade] through the Peninsular War and the occupation of France. But Harry Smith was best known for his marriage following the Third Siege of Badajoz to the Spanish lady Juana Ponce de Leon. Her adjustment to the realities of campaigning are depicted in the novel The Spanish Bride.
Philip J. Haythornthwaite. Die Hard!: Action from the Napoleonic Wars. 272 pp. ISBN 0304352055
Ten battles of the Napoleonic wars, four of which deal with the Peninsular campaign.
Richard Holmes. The Napoleonic Wars Experience. 80 pp, maps.ISBN 0233001980.
Napoleon was the colossus of his age. He became one of Revolutionary France's most successful generals and was crowned emperor in 1804. During the next eight years, he fought a series of campaigns, defeating all his continental rivals, though his inability to take command of the sea prevented him from beating Britain. This authoritative book tells the story of the Napoleonic Wars, bringing them to life with 30 items of previously unpublished facsimile memorabilia from museum collections around the world.
Recommended reading
Whoever forgets history is doomed to relive it.
Celui qui ne se souvient pas du passé est condamné à le revivre.
George Santayana 1863-1952
Celui qui ne se souvient pas du passé est condamné à le revivre.
George Santayana 1863-1952
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Lt. Col. Charles Bevan was the commanding officer held responsible for the night escape of the French garrison from Almeida. For this disaster he incurred the wrath of the Duke of Wellington but whether this was fair remains debatable. Drawing on letters and papers of the Bevan family and other contemporary sources this book examines the background to Wellington's order to defend the bridge; the subsequent blame of Bevan and his Battalion; and Wellington's acceptance of the incompetent, drunken General Erskine's version of events and his refusal of Bevan's request for an inquiry. The book also covers the six earlier campaigns in which Bevan served with distinction before joining Wellington in Portugal.
Captain MacCarthy: Recollections of the storming of the Castle of Badajos.
112 pp. ISBN 1862271313
This text is a personal memoir by Captain MacCarthy of the 50th Regiment, who was assistant engineer in the 3rd Division. Included are recollections of the storming of Fort Napoleon, Almaraz and the battle of Coruna.
Rory Muir. Britain and the defeat of Napoleon, 1807-1815. 480 pp. ISBN 978-0300064438
Muir sets Britain's military operations on the Iberian Peninsula within the context of the wider European conflict and examines how diplomatic, financial, military and political considerations combined to shape policy and priorities. He focuses on Britain's politicians as well as the officers who led its armies and analyses the effectiveness of the British economy and the coherence of the nation that sustained the Peninsular War.
Frederick Myatt. British Sieges of the Peninsular War 1811-1813. 192 pp.
ISBN 0946771596
Contains the basics of siege craft and a description of Peninsular War sieges, including the successful Third Siege of Badajoz.
Lieutenant General Sir William Napier, K.C.B. English Battles and Sieges in the Peninisula. 469 pp Available second-hand.
An extraction from Napier's six volume History of the Peninsula War. The author was an eye-witness to the events he relates or aquired his knowledge from officers on both sides who were.
Daren Wayne Norris. Over the hills and far away: the life and times of Thomas Norris 1778-1858. 288 pp. ISBN 1904181740
The author presents this account of the life and times of his Great-Great-Great Grandfather who was born in Watford in 1778 and served with the 57th of Foot (The West Middlesex Regiment) from 1803 to 1816. Thomas Norris was present at the Battle of Albuera during the Peninsular War, where on 16th May 1811 the 57th regiment earned their famous nickname "The Die Hards". The battle honour 'ALBUERA' has remained synonymous with this proud regiment ever since. A donation will be made from the proceeds of the sale of this book to support the upkeep and maintenance of the British Cemetery at Elvas in Portugal, where those lost in the battle were taken for burial almost 200 years ago. These are thought to be among the oldest British war graves in existence anywhere in the world.
Charles Oman. A history of the Peninsular War. Volumes I-IX.
Sir Charles Oman (1860 - 1946) was a notable British military historian whose reconstruction of medieval battles from fragmentary accounts was pioneering. His narratives, founded on deep research, read as smoothly as fiction. His interpretations have been challenged, especially his widely copied thesis that British troops defeated their Napoleonic opponents through the enormous discrepancy between the firepower delivered by the British two rank line and that which could be generated by the deep, narrow French columns. Modern historians claim the British infantry's discipline and willingness to attack were equally important. Professor Oman was invited in 1907 by King Manuel II of Portugal to actively research the Peninsular War in the Portuguese archives and on the battlefields. Oman's seven volumes still stand as the most comprehensive history of the warfare between 1808 and 1814.
In his preface to volume V, Oman pays tribute to his friend Rafael Reynolds, his companion on his last Portuguese tour, who gave him the complete set of Beresford’s Ordens do Dia for the Portuguese Army.
Margaret: Panikkar. Daniel Hoghton: hero of Albuera 26 pp. ISBN 095219810X
A biography of Major-General Daniel Hoghton who is buried in the British Cemetery, Elvas.
The Recollections of Rifleman Harris. Christopher Hibbert, ed.126 pp.ISBN 0900075 643
Benjamin Harris was a shepherd from Dorset who joined the 95th Rifles and fought in Portugal. Introduction and notes by the historian Christopher Hibbert.
Ian Robertson. A Commanding Presence: Wellington in the Peninsula 1808-1814: Logistics, Strategy, Survival. 448 pp. ISBN 978 1 86227 374 0
An analysis of logistics, strategy and survival during the Peninsular War. This study emphasises the practical and administrative difficulties to provision and sustain the Allied army during the Peninsular War. It was Wellington’s commanding presence that enabled the army to be supplied.
Mark S. Thompson. The Fatal Hill: The Allied Campaign under Beresford in Southern Spain in 1811. 228 pp, 24 maps. ISBN 0952293072
Badajoz fell to the French in March 1811 when Wellington was evicting the French Army from northern Portugal. Portugal was finally free of the French but Wellington could not ignore French control of Badajoz. Marshal Beresford was appointed to command the southern forces and the campaign he waged would be the most controversial of the British Army during the Peninsula War. The campaign was marked by both unprecedented cooperation between the British and Spanish forces and huge casualties among the British troops. In the end it achieved little and in the years following there were bitter public arguments over it. Thompson’s book covers all aspects of the campaign, using the many eyewitness accounts but the strength of The Fatal Hill lies in the author’s superb description and analysis of the whether General Long, commander of the British cavalry, was incompetent or whether he was a bungler.
Mark Urban. Rifles: Six Years with Wellington's Legendary Sharpshooters.
320 pp. ISBN 0571216811.
In a well-researched, captivating work of narrative history, Mark Urban traces the story of the 95th Rifles, the toughest and deadliest sharpshooters in Wellington’s army. Established ca. 1800 by Sir John Moore, it played a pivotal role in the Peninsular War and later at Waterloo. These were the first riflemen to aim at their target instead of firing volleys in the general direction of the enemy. The first of the modern British infantryman, they developed the concept of tactical manoeuvres.
112 pp. ISBN 1862271313
This text is a personal memoir by Captain MacCarthy of the 50th Regiment, who was assistant engineer in the 3rd Division. Included are recollections of the storming of Fort Napoleon, Almaraz and the battle of Coruna.
Rory Muir. Britain and the defeat of Napoleon, 1807-1815. 480 pp. ISBN 978-0300064438
Muir sets Britain's military operations on the Iberian Peninsula within the context of the wider European conflict and examines how diplomatic, financial, military and political considerations combined to shape policy and priorities. He focuses on Britain's politicians as well as the officers who led its armies and analyses the effectiveness of the British economy and the coherence of the nation that sustained the Peninsular War.
Frederick Myatt. British Sieges of the Peninsular War 1811-1813. 192 pp.
ISBN 0946771596
Contains the basics of siege craft and a description of Peninsular War sieges, including the successful Third Siege of Badajoz.
Lieutenant General Sir William Napier, K.C.B. English Battles and Sieges in the Peninisula. 469 pp Available second-hand.
An extraction from Napier's six volume History of the Peninsula War. The author was an eye-witness to the events he relates or aquired his knowledge from officers on both sides who were.
Daren Wayne Norris. Over the hills and far away: the life and times of Thomas Norris 1778-1858. 288 pp. ISBN 1904181740
The author presents this account of the life and times of his Great-Great-Great Grandfather who was born in Watford in 1778 and served with the 57th of Foot (The West Middlesex Regiment) from 1803 to 1816. Thomas Norris was present at the Battle of Albuera during the Peninsular War, where on 16th May 1811 the 57th regiment earned their famous nickname "The Die Hards". The battle honour 'ALBUERA' has remained synonymous with this proud regiment ever since. A donation will be made from the proceeds of the sale of this book to support the upkeep and maintenance of the British Cemetery at Elvas in Portugal, where those lost in the battle were taken for burial almost 200 years ago. These are thought to be among the oldest British war graves in existence anywhere in the world.
Charles Oman. A history of the Peninsular War. Volumes I-IX.
Sir Charles Oman (1860 - 1946) was a notable British military historian whose reconstruction of medieval battles from fragmentary accounts was pioneering. His narratives, founded on deep research, read as smoothly as fiction. His interpretations have been challenged, especially his widely copied thesis that British troops defeated their Napoleonic opponents through the enormous discrepancy between the firepower delivered by the British two rank line and that which could be generated by the deep, narrow French columns. Modern historians claim the British infantry's discipline and willingness to attack were equally important. Professor Oman was invited in 1907 by King Manuel II of Portugal to actively research the Peninsular War in the Portuguese archives and on the battlefields. Oman's seven volumes still stand as the most comprehensive history of the warfare between 1808 and 1814.
In his preface to volume V, Oman pays tribute to his friend Rafael Reynolds, his companion on his last Portuguese tour, who gave him the complete set of Beresford’s Ordens do Dia for the Portuguese Army.
Margaret: Panikkar. Daniel Hoghton: hero of Albuera 26 pp. ISBN 095219810X
A biography of Major-General Daniel Hoghton who is buried in the British Cemetery, Elvas.
The Recollections of Rifleman Harris. Christopher Hibbert, ed.126 pp.ISBN 0900075 643
Benjamin Harris was a shepherd from Dorset who joined the 95th Rifles and fought in Portugal. Introduction and notes by the historian Christopher Hibbert.
Ian Robertson. A Commanding Presence: Wellington in the Peninsula 1808-1814: Logistics, Strategy, Survival. 448 pp. ISBN 978 1 86227 374 0
An analysis of logistics, strategy and survival during the Peninsular War. This study emphasises the practical and administrative difficulties to provision and sustain the Allied army during the Peninsular War. It was Wellington’s commanding presence that enabled the army to be supplied.
Mark S. Thompson. The Fatal Hill: The Allied Campaign under Beresford in Southern Spain in 1811. 228 pp, 24 maps. ISBN 0952293072
Badajoz fell to the French in March 1811 when Wellington was evicting the French Army from northern Portugal. Portugal was finally free of the French but Wellington could not ignore French control of Badajoz. Marshal Beresford was appointed to command the southern forces and the campaign he waged would be the most controversial of the British Army during the Peninsula War. The campaign was marked by both unprecedented cooperation between the British and Spanish forces and huge casualties among the British troops. In the end it achieved little and in the years following there were bitter public arguments over it. Thompson’s book covers all aspects of the campaign, using the many eyewitness accounts but the strength of The Fatal Hill lies in the author’s superb description and analysis of the whether General Long, commander of the British cavalry, was incompetent or whether he was a bungler.
Mark Urban. Rifles: Six Years with Wellington's Legendary Sharpshooters.
320 pp. ISBN 0571216811.
In a well-researched, captivating work of narrative history, Mark Urban traces the story of the 95th Rifles, the toughest and deadliest sharpshooters in Wellington’s army. Established ca. 1800 by Sir John Moore, it played a pivotal role in the Peninsular War and later at Waterloo. These were the first riflemen to aim at their target instead of firing volleys in the general direction of the enemy. The first of the modern British infantryman, they developed the concept of tactical manoeuvres.
Archie Hunter. Wellington’s Scapegoat: The Tragedy of Lieutenant Colonel Charles Bevan. 224 pp. ISBN 1844150291