The lie at the heart of Waterloo
Subtitle: the battle's hidden last half hour
By: Nigel Sale
Publisher: Spellmount
Published: 2014
Place of publication: Stroud
Language: eng
ISBN-13: 9780750959629; 9780750962766
Subjects: Waterloo, Battle of, Waterloo, Belgium, 1815
Description: "Waterloo has, perhaps, a greater claim to have left its mark on Europe than any single battle before it, yet, even after two hundred years, there is confusion about how the battle ended. Readers will believe they know perfectly well how Wellington gave the order to the men of the First Foot Guards and they finished the business; but they will find themselves mistaken and intrigued. The Lie at the Heart of Waterloo is not the customary eulogy but a critical analysis of the carefully engineered misinformation that has often totally misled historians and students of military history for so long. The author uses quotations from eyewitnesses - not only those published shortly after the battle but also the most modern academic work - to tell the true story. The truth is as complicated and dramatic as anyone could desire. There is also an answer to the inevitable question: why has this knowledge been hidden for so long? The process of unravelling the mystery brings to life the horrifying reality of battle for the soldiers in Napoleonic warfare. There is also a whiff of suicide and blackmail, and senior officers' reputations are not sacrosanct. This history shines a light on the confusion and challenges long-standing assumptions. It is supported by a sequence of specially produced full-colour maps."--Back cover.
Notes: Includes bibliographical references and index.
Table of contents: title: Chapt. 1. The Reason Why; title: Chapt. 2. The Campaign so Far; title: Chapt. 3. Hard Pounding this, Gentlemen; title: Chapt. 4. Formez Le Carré!; title: Chapt. 5. En Avant La Garde!; title: Chapt. 6. Slap Came their Grape; title: Chapt. 7. Up Guards and at 'em; title: Chapt. 8. Make that Column Feel our Fire; title: Chapt. 9. Don't let them Rally; title: Chapt. 10. The Moment to Attack was Arrived; title: Chapt. 11. Complete your Victory; title: Chapt. 12. The Prussian Assault; title: Chapt. 13. The Crisis in Quick Time; title: Chapt. 14. Myth making; title: Chapt. 15. Avoiding the Issue; title: Epilogue.