Book Review:
Waterloo Battlefield Guide

By David Buttery

Next year is the 200th anniversary of the Battle of Waterloo and The Napoleonic Guide crew couldn't be more excited.

We are heading along to the commemoration and will use our knowledge of the area's battles to explore the fields of Waterloo, Quatre Bras, Ligny and Wavre at leisure.

I have been to Waterloo once before, a couple of decades ago with my brother, and before I'd made a study of the Napoleonic Wars and the creation of The Napoleonic Guide.

This time around I'll know far more than I did and I'll also have a copy of David Buttery's excellent Waterloo Battlefield Guide in hand.

It is a terrific companion to take with you to Waterloo as it not only covers the lead up and events of the battle, but also features some of the characters from all sides.

More importantly, for those wanting to visit the field upon which some 60,000 men fell as casualties, there is a really good number of historic places listed and where you get the best view of them.

Buttery has done a terrific job with this book. It is very readable and he deserves it to sell exceptionally well.

He follows the battle as it unfolds, introduces key characters and, at the end of each section, has the viewpoints listed.

I remember that when I first visited the area my brother and I wanted to see the field of Quatre Bras.

I had wargamed the battle reguarly and using my recollections of the map navigated our way there.

We drove down the main highway through what I thought could be the crossroads and then we saw a farmhouse.

Stop I said let's have a squizz, I think that's Piraumont.

We went down to the bulding and I saw the musketball holes in the walls. It was Piraumont and I was pretty pleased with myself.

With more time next year, and Buttery's guide, we will be making a much more thorough examination of the entire area and the key places of interest.

Buttery has broken his book up into the following chapters; The return of Napoleon, The Decisive Moment of the Century, The Struggle for Hougoumont, D'Erlon's Attack, Cavalry Onslaught, The Fall of La Haye Sainte, The Battle of Wavre, Street Fighting in Plancenoit, La Garde Recule!, The Aftermath, Visiting the Battlefield.

I reckon Waterloo Battlefield Guide should be in every visitors' bag when they go to that historic site, or if they just want to know more about the battle that changed Europe.

It'll go with us as we explore the area in 2015.

Thanks, David, for your efforts.

- Richard Moore

9/10

Pen and Sword