During this period, the outcome of the war was effectively decided by Wellington's advance from Portugal into Spain. The operations that took place at this time included the French campaigns of late 1811, the Allied offensive, and Wellington's great victory at Salamanca. Other notable actions included that at Garcia Hernandez, and there were also smaller operations such as those on the east coast of Spain. Orders of battle, lists of strength and casualties, and an account of Wellington's intelligence officer and code-breaker Sir George Scovell, whose efforts contributed greatly to Wellington's plans of campaign, are given in the appendices to this volume.
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Editorial Reviews
About the Author
Sir Charles Oman was one of Britain's greatest and most celebrated historians. His other books published by Greenhill are A History of the Art of War in the Middle Ages (1853673323) and A History of the Art of War in the Sixteenth Century (1853673846).
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
excellent depth, captures key motives, topography, and peopl,
By A Customer
This review is from: October 1811-August 31, 1812: Valencia, Ciudad Rodrigo, Badajoz, Salamanca, Madrid (History of the Peninsular War) (Hardcover)
If you are interested in military history this series is a tremendous education while at the same time being engrossing. Done approximately 100 years after the conflict the author travels throughout the arena of the conflict trying to describe what the battlefields look like and how the campaign and battles unfolded. A must read to understand the geopolitics of the 1800's which this conflict and the subsequent defeat of Napoleon were driven by and which shaped the next 100 years.
2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
The Turning Point of the Peninsular War,
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This review is from: A History of the Peninsular War, Volume V: October 1811 to August 31, 1812: Valencia, Cuidad Rodrigo, Badajoz, Salamanca, Madrid (Paperback)
This wonderfully affordable paperback edition makes available Volume V of Charles Oman's definitive history of the Peninsular War, which covers the turning point of the war. In early 1812, Napoleon withdrew some of his Imperial troops from Spain for the ill-fated invasion of Russia. The dispersal of the remaining French forces to hold down Spanish insurgents coincided with a buildup of the Anglo-Portuguese Army, enabling Wellington to go over to the offensive with his experienced and well-trained force.
The bold seizure of the Spanish frontier fortresses of Ciudad Rodrigo and Badajoz opended the way for Wellington's magnificent victory of maneuver over Marshal Marmont's French Army at Salamanca. Wellington would later overreach himself at the siege of Burgos and be forced to retrench on the Portuguese frontier over the winter of 1812-1813. However, the French had lost the initiative in the Peninsular War for good. Oman includes a brief but fascinating account, perhaps particularly relevant for modern readers, of the challenges faced by the British Tory government in waging an expensive six year campaign to dislodge the French from the Iberian Peninsula. The British Whig Party, in opposition, decried every expense and casualty in favor of an immediate peace treaty with Napoleon. The effect of such a treaty prior to Napoleon's defeat in Russia would have been to concede control of Continental Europe to the French Emperor. The British Ministry withstood both Whig opposition and internal Tory dissension to persevere against Napoleon and to trust Wellington to fulfill the mission of his command in Spain. Oman's command of his subject is masterful; his narrative is mature and confident. While the focus is on the operational level of war, Oman provides descriptive and occasionally thrilling vignettes of the critical battles. The footnotes provide much additional context which will be of interest to the serious student of the Napoleonic Wars. The casual reader without background of the conflict may find this volume a challenging read.
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
The Complete Story,
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This review is from: October 1811-August 31, 1812: Valencia, Ciudad Rodrigo, Badajoz, Salamanca, Madrid (History of the Peninsular War) (Hardcover)
Sir Charles Oman's comprehensive seven volume history of the Peninsular War is the yardstick by which any other history of this theatre must be measured. It is exhaustive in detail and in breadth of coverage. If it happened, it is in one of these volumes. Napoleon may have considered Spain a side show, but as results turned out it was a bleeding ulcer. French losses here, combined with the 1812 campaign, placed a strain on the Empire which could not be overcome by even the best generalship. Any true student of the Napoleonic Wars should find these books and read them. They are essential to a complete understanding of the conflict.
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