Since its publication in 1894, Tomkinson’s unique view of the Peninsular War has influenced every serious account of the conflict. A serious soldier and gifted writer, he records every detail of the campaigns and difficulties of camp life, including Lord Wellington’s working day from six a.m. until midnight and his infamous mood swings. He pulls no punches about the atrocities committed by all sides, or in his vivid descriptions of the wounded left on the fields of Waterloo.
About the Author
Lieutenant-Colonel William Tomkinson was born in 1790 in Cheshire, England, and joined the 16th Light Dragoons in 1808. He spent the next six years with Wellington’s army in Spain and Portugal, and went on to see Napoleon’s ultimate defeat at Waterloo. His memoirs of the experience were edited by his son and published in 1894.
The Marquess of Anglesey, author of the Introduction, is world-renowned for his eight-volume History of the British Cavalry, the classic work on the subject. He is Vice President of the Society of Army Historical Research and President of the Victorian Military Society.
