Napoleon won his final victory on June 16th, 1815 at Ligny, shortly before suffering a crushing defeat at Waterloo. Facing two enemy armies – Wellington’s Anglo-Allied and Bluecher’s Prussian – he aimed his main attack against Bluecher at Ligny and diverted Wellington’s attention by engaging his forward elements at Quatre Bras. The Eagle’s Last Triumph is the single most comprehensive examination of this vital aspect of the 1815 campaign available in English. Having put the battle at Ligny into perspective, the author provides a clear account of the action in detail, including much eye-witness testimony. The complex story of Wellington and Bluecher’s cooperation throughout the struggle against the French is revealed, with new light on Wellington’s promises of prompt aid to the Prussians in the early stages of the campaign – promises which he failed to keep. The reasons for General d’Erlon’s failure to support the French forces at either Ligny or Quatre Bras are traced, and how the main culprits in the fiasco later sought to cover up their responsibility. The Eagle’s Last Triumph is a vivid military epic, providing a cogent and lucid explanation of why Napoleon, victorious at Ligny, met with utter defeat just two days later at Waterloo.
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Editorial Reviews
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Military History Magazine
"Uffindell is that rare combination in military historians - outstanding researcher and sparkling writer."
The Daily Telegraph
"Meticulously researched.'"
"A brilliant analysis of the battle.'"
-- Byron Farwell
-- Byron Farwell
Midwest Book Review, February 2007
“A powerful, exact coverage perfect for in-depth study.”
About the Author
Andrew Uffindell has written extensively on the Napoleonic Wars, and is the author of On the Fields of Glory: The Battlefields of the 1815 Campaign.
Andrew Roberts, the acclaimed historian, is the author of Waterloo: Napoleon’s Last Gamble.
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Excellent & clear description of campaign and battle,
This review is from: The Eagle's Last Triumph: Napoleon's Victory at Ligny, June 1815 (Hardcover)
"Eagles Last Triumph" is an outstanding treatment of the Waterloo Campaign, with special focus on the battle of Ligny, 2 days prior to the more commonly known battle of Waterloo. Uffindell counts on a variety of primary and secondary sources. Nor does he depend heavily on British accounts; German, French and Dutch-Belgian sources are used as well, balancing the writing so that the reader can understand the why of the decisions made by the battlefield commmanders. There are maps, though not many of them, but clear and relevant to the accounts in the book. His after-battle analysis, leading to the impact the twin battles of Quatre-Bras and Ligny had 2 days later on their more famous cousins, Waterloo and Wavre, is excellent. Through it, you may (as I have) come away convinced that Ligny, though a French tactical victory, was a strategic defeat in that it was the best chance in the campaign for Napoleon to destroy one of the armies he faced during the campaign. If the Prussian army had been destroyed at Ligny, Waterloo would not have been fought. Strongly recommended for all readers.
4 of 6 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Concise, Insightful,
By
This review is from: The Eagle's Last Triumph: Napoleon's Victory at Ligny, June 1815 (Hardcover)
This short, concise, and insightful book is not a tactical study of the battle, but rather an objective operational and strategic study. So maps, although plentiful, lack details. Among the author's conclusions are that Napoleon believed that defeating Britain, with the great financial support and subsidies that it gave, would end the coalition and war against him. As a result, he originally planned a quick advance on Brussels, but Blucher concentrated more quickly, forcing him to change his plans. Prussian Chief of Staff Gneisenau thought that his nation had no interests in Belgium and that the Brits alone should defend it. Wellington, expecting Napoleon to fight defensively behind fortresses like in 1814, was slow to respond but did not intentionally mislead Blucher about his difficulties in concentrating. Dutch-Belgian commanders at Quatre-Bras stayed in place, against orders, helping to save the situation. From their pre-battle conference, Blucher believed that Wellington would attack Napoleon's flank, but as he left, the Duke added, "if possible", which the Prussian may not have picked up on, as both the French and Prussian armies deployed with the hope of help from the west. Napoleon intended an encircling a flank attack by D'Erlon's corps and an attack on the enemy's center at Ligny, but his army encountered a great crisis and was on the verge of panic when D'Erlon's unidentified corps mistakenly approached Napoleon's rear. The crisis was ended, however, and Blucher rashly committed all of his reserves, making the battle ripe for Napoleon to commit the Imperial Guard. A decisive victory was stymied because of the blundering and miscommunication regarding D'Erlon's reserve corps. Although Napoleon had changed his plan and now intended to attack Blucher, the staff officer sent to get D'Erlon's support did not continue on to explain this to Ney. Ney recalled D'Erlon, who despite being in sight of the battle at Ligny, compromised and brought most of his troops back toward Quatre-Bras - but too late to effect that battle. Napoleon's orders were not precise, so D'Erlon had not advanced into the Prussian flank, but into Napoleon's rear, nearly causing a panic. All the parties involved are responsible in some way. The failure to achieve a decisive victory and the failure to pursue quickly the following day made Napoleon's defeat at Waterloo possible. There, the author argues, Wellington prepared, if necessary, to retire toward Ostend on coast, and not through the forest behind him. This implies a readiness to abandon Blucher, who, despite advice to the contrary, was prepared to stand by Wellington to the end.
5.0 out of 5 stars
The Hussar General Crosses Swords with the Emperor,
By Fife and Drummer "Fife" (Boston, MA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: The Eagle's Last Triumph: Napoleon's Victory at Ligny, June 1815 (Hardcover)
Excellent campaign study of the battle of Ligny. Many good maps at both the campaign and tactical level (much improved from the 1st edition from 1994). Several good appendices on D'Erlon's meanderings, Ney's blunderings, communication breakdowns, and a tour of the battlefield today.
Blucher emerges as the true hero, which is unusual in histories of the 1815 campaign. Good exposition of how the "other half" of this double battle (Quatre Bras) influenced Ligny. Very nicely written.
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