Author
Alan Forrest
Publisher
Folio Society
Price
£39.95
Released
Out now
As Alan Forrest makes clear in his introduction to this book, he’s not a military historian and that’s precisely why this deep dive into the Battle of Waterloo is so fascinating and rich. Rather than being caught up in the microcosm of events of 18 June 1815, Forrest looks to paint a broader and multinational picture. This is not just the story of Napoleon facing off against the Duke of Wellington (although both are given prominent amounts of ink as their contribution would demand), but of many nations, each with their own reasons for being in Belgium on that day to inflict a final defeat on a would-be emperor. The battle itself takes up only a single 20-page chapter.