THE FOLIO SOCIETY

Sir Arthur Wellesley was 39 when he watched his tiny army struggle through the heavy surf at Figueira da Foz on Portugal's Atlantic coast. Seven years later, by now the Duke of Wellington, he wept as the army surgeon read through the casualty lists in the aftermath of his greatest victory at Waterloo.

These three volumes tell the story of the intervening years: the epic campaigns that won unprecedented glory for the British army and rewrote the map of Europe for a century. They describe brilliant defensive battles – where the British and their Portuguese allies held out against a numerically superior enemy – lightning forced marches and nightmare retreats, devastating bayonet charges and the terrible storming of heavily garrisoned fortresses. Interwoven with warfare, both heroic and tragic, is the everyday life of an army: the need to find fodder for horses; the chaos of makeshift hospitals and camps; and moments of calm or even luxury in an abandoned castle or convent.

The Peninsular and Waterloo campaigns were the first wars from which such a number of accessible and readable accounts survive, and this 3-volume set includes the full range of participants, from Wellington himself, his staff and junior officers, to riflemen and dragoons. Together they reveal with unrivalled freshness and authenticity the human experiences and military realities of both campaigns.

Over 150 illustrations and 27 maps

This magnificent new commission is illustrated by over 150 contemporary images, many of which were made by artists who had visited the area or were involved in the war. Alongside numerous maps and battle-plans, the result is a compelling view of the battles and an exceptionally authentic picture of the life of those who followed the drum.

The Peninsular War 1808-1811

In 1808, almost the whole of the Iberian Peninsula was in Napoleon's hands. Yet Wellington was convinced that Portugal's long Atlantic coastline made it a good base for operations against the French and that the outnumbered British army could hold and defend it. In the years that followed, a small British force managed to win a series of striking victories supported by their Portuguese allies (although Wellington was often less complimentary about the Spanish forces). The Battle of Talavera earned Wellesley the title Viscount Wellington; his masterly retreat behind the secretly prepared fortifications of the lines of Torres Vedras, confirmed him as a brilliant strategist. By the end of 1811, Portugal's defence was secure, but Wellington was under no illusions over the size of the task that awaited him if Spain was to be liberated.

The Peninsular War 1812–1814

Two powerful fortresses guarded the approach to Spain, Ciudad Rodrigo and Badajoz. If Wellington was to advance, they had to be captured. Their siege and eventual storming was a costly prelude to two years of hard campaigning across Spain. Many critics in Britain claimed that, while Wellington was a genius in defence, he would never be able to capitalise on those gains by attacking. The Battle of Salamanca proved them wrong. It was a signal victory for the Anglo-Portuguese, allowing Wellington to enter Madrid in 1812. But the liberation of Spain was far from over. Even after the decisive battle of Vitoria, where British soldiers plundered the staggering riches abandoned by King Joseph Bonaparte, there was still much bitter fighting as Wellington forced his way across the Pyrenees. France lay ahead and, as the Battle of Toulouse proved, an invasion would prove a difficult business. When Napoleon abdicated, Europe breathed a sigh of relief: with the Peace of Paris it seemed the war was over.

The Waterloo Campaign

Napoleon's escape from Elba to reclaim his imperial throne caught Europe unprepared. Britain's Peninsular veterans were scattered across the globe. In their place Wellington led an 'infamous army' of ill-trained and inexperienced recruits. When the Emperor finally struck he took his opponents by surprise. Forced back from Quatre Bras by the overwhelming French advance, Wellington's men retreated through knee-deep mud and driving rain to an inconsequential little ridge: Waterloo. Here, exhausted, hungry and miserable, they waited for the sun to rise and the fight to begin. The shattering carnage that ensued was all but unprecedented in British history. Napoleon knew he had to defeat Wellington before the nearby Prussian army could come up in support. He threw everything into the battle, pounding Wellington's positions with artillery and launching wave after wave of thunderous attacks. But the British held steady despite their appalling casualties. As the final desperate assault of the Imperial Guard was being repulsed, the Prussians began to pour on to the field. Although Napoleon escaped in the confusion, the adventure of the Hundred Days was all but over. Wellington had won his last and greatest battle: 'the most desperate business I ever was in. I never took so much trouble about any battle, and never was so near being beat.'

A new Folio Society commission from an expert historian

Ian Fletcher is a leading authority on the Peninsular War and Wellington's army. He has published over 22 books, including numerous editions of the primary sources which form the basis for The Campaigns of Wellington. A Fellow of the International Napoleonic Society and a Member of the British Commission for Military History, he lectures, broadcasts and has advised on several TV documentary series.