{"product_id":"at-war-with-wellington-the-peninsular-war-letters-of-william-george-and-charles-napier-9781399059916","title":"At War with Wellington: The Peninsular War Letters of William, George and Charles Napier","description":"\u003cb\u003eA unique and unfiltered perspective on the Napier brothers' firsthand experiences during the Peninsular War, revealed through their private letters.\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eThe Napier family are famous for their military exploits in the Peninsular War. Charles served in the 50th and 102nd Foot, George in the 52nd and 71st Foot and William (the famous historian of the Peninsular War) who served with the 43rd Foot. Two or three of them were always serving in the Peninsula at any given time and all suffered a number of severe wounds.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eWilliam has a basic biography written of him and his famous \u003ci\u003eHistory of the Peninsular War\u003c\/i\u003e is littered with his personal and professional prejudices; Charles wrote a form of autobiography, mostly dealing with his later India campaigns; and virtually nothing has been written on poor George, despite the fact that he commanded the storming party at Ciudad Rodrigo, where he was severely wounded. However, much of this writing emanates from decades after they fought, when memories and changing political attitudes had clearly affected their writing.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003ci\u003eAt War With Wellington\u003c\/i\u003e focuses on their private letters penned immediately from the front, without that dreaded hindsight. They are packed with detail of the horrors of battle and siege warfare, but also show life in the Army, the close bond between the three brothers while serving close to each other in action and also with their mother at home, who clearly had constant fears that her three boys would never come home again. All three did survive but were all badly maimed during this war.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eTheir individual exploits are legion, but no one has ever brought all of this material together in one book, until now. Between them, they participated in almost every action in the six-year war and two of them participated in the Army of Occupation in France from 1815-18, although none were at the Battle of Waterloo.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eTheir close relationships with many senior officers of the period, gives a rare glimpse into the thinking of the generals and helps us understand how the decisions were made and with what information they were formed. Being also politically active, it is fascinating to hear their views on both political matters at home and the Allied cause against France.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eThis material is both absorbing and revealing. It adds much to our understanding, primarily of the Napier's themselves, but also the effects of a world war on the family dynamics, the political upheavals surrounding it, the failures of the Allied campaigns and even the perceived failings of the senior officers in their promotion of the war effort, which are expressed vehemently.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003ci\u003eAt War With Wellington\u003c\/i\u003e opens a window onto a different view of the war, from very experienced soldiers, but with very different political leanings, and will cause readers to question some of their long-held views.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eBinding Type:\u003c\/b\u003e Hardcover\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePublisher:\u003c\/b\u003e Frontline Books\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePublished:\u003c\/b\u003e 10\/16\/2024\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eISBN:\u003c\/b\u003e 9781399059916\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePages:\u003c\/b\u003e 224\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eWeight:\u003c\/b\u003e 0.95lbs\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eSize:\u003c\/b\u003e 9.30h x 6.20w x 1.10d","brand":"Gareth Glover, Robert Burnham","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":45150642372789,"sku":"9781399059916","price":42.46,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0473\/0804\/6492\/files\/img_4618ba75-fc73-4bb2-8ce6-f6ecefc6196f.jpg?v=1741104695","url":"https:\/\/pastforward.org\/products\/at-war-with-wellington-the-peninsular-war-letters-of-william-george-and-charles-napier-9781399059916","provider":"Past Forward","version":"1.0","type":"link"}