The story of the hero of Waterloo (Wellington: The Iron Duke - Richard Holmes)

Member Name: markos9

Product:	Wellington: The Iron Duke - Richard Holmes
Date:	18/06/09 (65 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Brilliantly readable; gives a real insight into what life was like at the time.

Disadvantages: None.

Sir Arthur Wellesley, The Duke of Wellington was arguably Britain's greatest ever soldier. Colonel of a regiment serving in India at the age of 27, he rose through the ranks to become commander of the British forces in the Peninsular War 1809-1814, taking the British to victory and returning a year later to vanquish Napoleon's forces at the Battle of Waterloo.

After his victory at Waterloo, Wellington's career went from strength to strength; he became Commander in Chief of the British Army and, in 1827 became Prime Minister of Great Britain. At his state funeral Queen Victoria wept and called him the greatest man the nineteenth century had produced.

Any book about a character as colourful, heroic, but dark and complex as Wellington is bound to be an interesting read, but this book is made all the more special because of who the author is.

Richard Holmes is a man ideally suited to the task of chronicling Wellington's long life and illustrious careers. Holmes will be familiar to many as the presenter of the BBC TV series "War Walks" and "Battlefield". He's also written over a dozen books on military history and taught the subject at Sandhurst.

As anyone who's seen his TV series will know, Holmes is extremely passionate and knowledgeable about military history. The Duke of Wellington has been a hero of Holmes' since childhood and the reader will detect his enthusiasm and even awe of the great man in his writings.

That's not to say that he puts Wellington on a pedestal (as many historical writers have been accused of doing when tackling the Iron Duke), rather he tells the story like it is, character flaws, mistakes, and all.

Holmes describes that Wellesley's childhood, born and brought up in Ireland, and raised by parents who showed little affection to him, was critical to the development of his character. He was lonely, aloof, and devoid of any tenderness, but with an iron hard resolution and determination to succeed. Lady Mornington, his mother, proclaimed in a letter to a prospective employer of his, "What shall I do with my awkward son Arthur"?

The bulk of the book follows, of course, the resolution to Lady Mornington's question; Wellesley, as the younger son, so not due to inherit his father's estate, joined the army. Campaigns in Ireland, the Netherlands, and India followed. Holmes is in his element writing this section of the book.

Wellesley showed a real flair for command and strategy, resulting in some famous victories such as Assaye. Holmes, his own understanding of strategy obvious, delights in detailing Wellesley's battles, often against unfavourable odds to their (usually) successful conclusion; explaining to the reader the skill shown by Wellesley at critical parts of the battle.

To someone uninterested in military history, this may sound dreary, but Holmes' speedy delivery of the pertinent facts is actually quite gripping; many people will find following Wellesley, taking in Holmes' analysis of his character very absorbing (I certainly did).

Although Holmes considers each battle in detail, he never lets the reader forget that Wellesley was also a man. Conversations with staff and exchanges with the common soldiers, recorded at the time are recounted and commented on. The horrors of war as seen (and felt) by Wellesley hit the reader powerfully; this was not a good time to be a soldier.

Also enriching the book are the contents of letters that soldiers wrote of their experiences during the wars. These personal accounts, written two hundred years ago by long dead men, are gripping and at times, shocking.

Wellington's most famous battle, Waterloo, is examined in detail. I found this chapter completely fascinating. As Wellington himself said, "It was a close run thing". Holmes' analysis of the battle shows exactly how close, and also how brutal. A battlefield of only a few square miles saw over 47,000 men killed in less than 12 hours.

Holmes shows Wellington's emotions after the battle. Clearly affected, he was to tell his surgeon, with tears streaming down his face, "Certainly nothing can be more painful than to gain a battle with the loss of so many of one's friends". Wellington never fought another battle.

The final part of the book details the Duke's political career; with two spells as Prime Minister, Wellington, perhaps inevitably, found himself out of favour with the public. He was an oligarch and resisted the dawning democracy with a fervour (as Holmes explains, his childhood in Ireland had given him a fear of 'the mob'), and he honestly believed that power should rest with a favoured few.

The final chapter is quite moving. Despite his unpopularity during his political career, when he died in 1852, there was a public outpouring of grief. One million people lined the route of the funeral procession; several being killed in the crush. Wellington was laid to rest in St Paul's Cathedral along with Lord Nelson. Holmes finishes his book by comparing Wellesley with modern men stating "I see little sign of such figures in our own landscape; he was indeed a great man"

This book has then, much to commend to the reader; a towering historical figure, one of the most momentous periods in modern history, and an author with the knowledge and skill to write about it. Highly recommended.

The book is available from Amazon for £6.99 in paperback.

Summary: Enthralling story of one of Britain's greatest historical figures.