"Waterloo 1815 Mont St Jean and Wavre" Topic

"Waterloo 1815 (3) Mont St Jean and Wavre is the third and final volume in John Franklin's excellent Waterloo trilogy. The first two books examine the actions fought at Quatre Bras and Ligny, while this volume not only considers the Battle of Waterloo but also the generally less well-known Battle of Wavre. Although it is advisable for the potential reader to have read the first two books, this title works well as a standalone volume.

Following a similar format to Quatre Bras and Ligny, Mont St Jean and Wavre begins by presenting the reader with a useful introduction to the opposing commanders; including Napoleon, Wellington, Blücher and Gneisenau. Next is a brief examination of the French, Allied and Prussian armies along with their respective – and highly detailed – orders of battle, something which military history enthusiasts and war gamers alike will greatly appreciate. The bulk of the book, however, is taken up by a detailed description of the Battle of Waterloo itself, giving the reader a rather enjoyable blow-by-blow account of the events of 18 June 1815. As already mentioned, the lesser known Battle of Wavre is also included, which helps bring to a close the Hundred Days campaign that has been so expertly written about by Franklin in this Osprey series. Finally, some information regarding the aftermath of the battle and the battlefield today concludes the volume…"
Full review here
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Amicalement
Armand

Yes I have this. I haven't finished reading it yet but what I've read so far seems like a good, streamlined account. As with the previous 2 volumes, the orbats are a disappointment, with for example French Infantry Regiments listed but no details on the number of battalions or bayonets. Normally a strength of the 'campaign' format.

However every bit as good as you'd expect from Osprey are the maps of the battlefield, 3 large double pagers, the opening positions at 11;30, the Prussians arrive 4;00pm, and the moment of crisis 7;00pm. Also 6 good one page maps, the overall strategic situation night of 17/18 June; the fighting at Hougomont; a breakdown of D'Erlon's attack 14;00pm, the Prussian attack on Plancenoit @ 6;30pm; the attack of the Imperial Guard; and the fighting at Wavre.

The volume is peppered with small contemporary illustrations, and there are 3 double page colour artworks by Gerry Embleton: The Guards skirmishing outside Hougomont, The Blues mixing it with Cuirassiers, and a Prussian battery opening up on Plancenoit. The execution of these is in the 'naif' quasi impressionistic style – not to my taste but they are certainly dramatic!

All in all, recommended – worth it for the maps alone.

Unfortunately, in my opinion, it is a very disappointing third volume. For a start, as Navy Fower Wun Seven points out, the names of the various regiments are listed in the OOB, but not the number of battalions or squadrons. I mentioned this in my review and pointed out that this information could have been included quite easily by inserting the number inside brackets eg (3), as other authors have done. So it would not take up much space or affect the word count. And, unlike his previous books, the author does not even give the divisional or brigade strengths. The same goes for the artillery. The batteries are named but not how many guns they have.

Sadly, and as for the previous two books, the losses for such a dramatic and history changing battle are also missing, despite the inclusion of an image showing the bodies all over the battlefield. That is quite surprising since Prof. Charles Esdaille recently compared the losses to those suffered on the first day of the Somme in WW1.

The artwork is okay and some of the maps are good, such as the one on Hougoumont (p41). But the 3D maps are not really 3D. For this volume, they show the battlefield from above, but there is no indication of ridges or undulations in the ground.

Many of the prints are far too small and basically a waste of space. And the actual description of Waterloo does not start until page 28 and ends of page 84. That leaves only 55 pages to cover the battle, and included in these pages are 19 pages of artwork and maps, plus 34 prints.

Wavre is given only 5 pages and one map, and all the events throughout the book jump from one to another very quickly and give the overall effect of a rush job. I recommended the first two books, but not the third, other than to complete a readers Osprey collection.

I think Napoleonic enthusiasts must really feel spoilt this special year by the appearance of so many new books covering the great battle, especially when they are added to those that were already available. It really is breathtaking and I am sure many a collection (including my own) have swollen due it. We should enjoy it while we can.

I do agree with you about the reproduction of the contemporary prints and paintings. These are often too small to be viewed with any pleasure.

Personally, I find such pictures often have more period atmosphere than the specially commissioned modern artwork, although the details of uniforms &c. may be more accurate.

The 3D maps are, for reasons which escape me, as usual printed across two pages so that often crucial details are hidden in the spine, unless one is prepared to destroy it.
I can only assume that Osprey believe modern readers will not be willing to turn a book sideways to view a map in landscape format?

I think Mr Franklin has been ill-served by the strait-jacket of the Osprey Campaign format.

arthur1815

I'm not sure we can blame the publishers. As far as I am aware with publishers, unless things have dramatically changed recently, is that the author gets the final say and a chance to view a copy before the go ahead is given. That way they can spot any errors, make alterations and include any final bits of text before it is too late.

Gazzola,
You may be right, BUT surely it was Osprey that set the parameters for the Campaign series, that decided the page count, to have illustrations on two pages across the spine &c.?