The Battle: A New History of Waterloo
by Alessandro Barbero

List Price: $28.00  Hardback: 400 Pages
Publish Date: July 20, 2005

Review by Brian Williams  

As The Battle: A New History of Waterloo by Alessandro Barbero (translated by John Cullen) states on the front book flap, it is a "majestic new account of the the historic battle [and] gives voice to all the nationalities that took part.  Invoking the memories of British, French, and Prussian soldiers, Barbero meticulously recreates the conflict as it unfolded, from General Reille's early afternoon assault on the Chateau of Hougaumont to the desperate last charge of Napoleon's Imperial Guard as evening settled in."

Barbero pulls accounts from numerous individuals ("from privates and generals") and retells the battle in great detail.  The book is very readable and enjoyable.  Several detailed maps are included in the beginning of the book which help greatly in understanding the battle.

Barbero does an excellent job of explaining the predicament of Napoleon. The splitting of the Allied armies, the misarable weather the night before, the pursuit of the Prussians, Wellington's intentions, and all else are told in great detail.

The greatest thing about this book is that it is written by an author who is from a non-participant country.  So, the book comes across as non-biased and objective.  I really enjoyed Barbero's writing style since he comes across as someone who understands both sides of the armies.

I highly recommend this book to anyone interested in the battle of Waterloo.  It was a very enjoyable read.

Review by Brian Williams (militaryhistoryonline@hotmail.com)