"Waterloo guide?" Topic

I am sure this has been mentioned somewhere but I can't find the post it may be in. But I wondered if anyone had had a chance to look over Esdaile's latest title Waterloo Guide yet?

What? Has no one bought or read it? LOL

I have! In fact, I've had it since it first came out.

dibble

That's good to know. New books are so hard to resist. But I'm sure many of us would be interested in hearing your view on the title. Is it just another Waterloo book without anything new? Is it a better guide than say, Adkin's Waterloo? Better visually? I'm only asking because the description and what is available to view online, does not imply it would be a better guide than others available, most of which I already own. But what is available and what I've seen might not really give it credit. Anyway, any info would be really appreciated.

It's OK! Has colour and black & white pictures of the areas in the chapters where a certain incident occurred. There are also modern maps here and there which shows troop formations in grey and black solid squares, lines etc, high ground as shaded areas but they are not too detailed. You also have run-of-the-mill, dashing paintings of the battle and Esdaile at his character best when venting his opinions. But the book isn't an Adkins type of book as its only half the size (same size as any novel '14cm x 21.5cm) and 300 pages. He relies on the same old authors as well as modern researcher/authors such as Glover, Muilwwijk, Dawson, etc, but he also lists Hofschroer. So make of that what you will. Myself, from what I can remember, for all of 'hoffies' rants in his tomes, some of his stuff holds good information where the Prussians are concerned.

I found that I liked it for its point of view, not its revelations. Gareth Glover is the person whose research has really brought new light to the saga from the allied perspective.

If you are going to the battlefield, it would make an excellent guide.

Posting through a Migraine so I apologise for the rambling Paul :)

dibble

Hope the migraine didn't last too long. And what you wrote is very helpful and much appreciated. I'm still undecided at the moment, even though the book is on my list to buy and new Napoleonic titles are so hard to resist. But I was getting the feeling from the few descriptions I could find that, rather than being a helpful guide to the battlefield, it might just be a vehicle for Charles to vent his biased viewpoints. I'm sure he won't mind my saying that because from knowing him when I was at Uni, we both basically had to agree to disagree when it came to Napoleon. I still buy his books though, although I still feel he should have stuck to the Peninsular area. Anyway. now I'm rambling. So apologies from me and thanks again for the info.

When I said that I liked his point of view, it doesn't mean I agreed with them. Perhaps the tome would be more to your liking?

Paul :)

PS Thanks! The migraines I get are a (for some time I can't see properly, partial numbness, sickness and headache that feels like a bayonet in the temple) but I get over them…

Knowing Charles, I doubt it. LOL

But I guess I probably will end up purchasing it. I always think I have enough Waterloo titles and then another one comes along. Why is it so hard to resist?

Wow, those pains sound really nasty. I sometimes get zig zags which blocks out some of my vision. It goes after a while and I often get a headache afterwards. But nothing a few paracetamols can't sort out.

I blame all the heated Napoleonic debates! LOL

You might already be aware of it but there is yet another Waterloo themed title due to be offered next month – The Long Shadow of Waterloo by Timothy Fitzpatrick. (available 31st May, Amazon, UK £30.00 GBP)
I think there should be a ban on any new Waterloo titles for a year at least, in order to give everyone a chance to catch up with their reading (and to save up for the new ones). LOL