"Beckett's Video on 1815 Concentration of the Nord" Topic

Please see:

link

Thanks for posting. The video maker has it posted on their youtube channel and it is approaching 150k views:
YouTube link

Scott Bowden was kind enough to post the following review on Amazon:
"The effort that Mr Beckett has put into this project (five volumes) makes it one of the most valuable contributions to the historiography of the Napoleonic epoch, and arguably the most valuable addition of the last 100 years to Napoleon's final campaign. Without this invaluable collection of documents (volumes I through IV) and analysis (which is the fifth volume of the set), a full appreciation of the campaign and resulting battles is incomplete at best. Indeed, the five-volume set is a must for anyone wishing to understand the French plans for the 1815 campaign, the Armée du Nord, and the significant obstacles and treachery that Napoleon was facing."

There are plans for 2 additional videos – but we'll see, as there are also some big discussions in place and big plans for fall/winter.

Thank you, Stephen, for making available the efforts of this massive project. I am currently on my second read through of the series and enjoying it very much. Looking forward to the additional videos.

Really interesting and many pieces fall into place.
The importance of the treachery to the outcome of the campaign was also an eye opener.

The video animations are simple superb. I love the mapwork with the unit blocks moving in a "simultaneous" fashion. So much easier to understand, at any given moment, than the best series of still maps with arrows and labelled corps. Few books contain such decent maps anyway, but this is far better.

Does suggest chaotic staff work at best, most foul treachery at worst.

There was treachery, and it was significant.
There was poor staff work, and it was significant.

But the most important result of this research was the discovery that that is, to this day, a massive number of primary source documents that remain in private collections. In Volume 5, I catalog hundreds relating to 1815 – many of which are CRITICAL. A Soult registry, reports from June 15 and June 16, etc.

Prior to this research, all Waterloo campaign histories were WRONG. Way wrong. It is certain that much remains wrong, and significant answers are available, if only these collectors would make their materials available – digitally is fine.

And this is not an issue about 1815 – but the entire Napoleonic Era, as well as all periods in the Age of Pen. We must make this a major issue, or we'll continue to study and repeat aging fiction. There will be more on this topic later.