"Review of Andrew Fields ‘Waterloo Rout & Retreat’" Topic

"This, unfortunately the last in this particularly excellent series of books looking at the 1815 through French eyes, is surprisingly one of the best! I do not mean that in a negative way, but if I am honest I wasn't too sure how a book purely on the rout of the French and the events up to the surrender of Paris in 1815 could actually say much. How wrong I was!

Andrew has divided the French description of the rout by day and he clearly explains the constant efforts to reform the French army and the often all too belated orders as events developed faster that the French authorities could cope with…"
Full Review
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Amicalement
Armand

Anyone have read this book?

Amicalement
Armand

Armand

I have just recently obtained the book but have not caught up with my unread titles, so I have not yet had a chance to actually read it. I'm looking forward to it, although I was a little disappointed to find it contained no illustrations, plates, prints or photographs. And no colour maps either. But I'm guessing the text and narrative will make up for that.

I have and it's a good un' Well worth the £25.00 GBP I paid for it I also think Prelude to Waterloo was good too. Shame about his first one though 'Waterloo the French Perspective'. He should go back and comprehensively revise that one.

So if you buy all three books, they will be like a 'sandwich'. Two slices of good, wholemeal bread (Prelude and Rout) with a mediocre filling (Waterloo).

Gazzola: There are maps which aren't very detailed but there are appendix tables, OOB French army 23rd-26th June and a sitrep table of the French army 1st July.

Many thanks!.

Amicalement
Armand

Wow milking multi-volumes from one campaign- cant wait for the next series of ex-soldier turned poet/diarist/author.
Given the rest of the review was exactly one paragraph and one sentence:

"My overarching impression from the book – is that the French were more capable of rallying at least some of their forces and severely impeding the allied approach on Paris than I had previously understood, but were simply undone by the relentless drive by the allies to take the French capital, not giving them the time they needed to rally.

An excellent finale to the series and thoroughly recommended."

Not for me tho…
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@SHatT1984 'Not for me tho…'

Have you read the book? Presuming that you must have done, what's wrong with it, or why is it not for you? Shouldn't we welcome tomes looking at the French perspective, based on French accounts, for those of us who don't speak French. I can think of one or two multi-volumes from the British perspective!

Glup!….

Amicalement
Armand

All three volumes of Field's study are definitely worth having and reading. They are excellent studies from a superb historian who knows his business.

Refusing to consider either one or all of the volumes in the trilogy indicates a closed mind to me…

I believe Field wrote four books, covering Quatre Bras, Ligny/Wavre, Waterloo as well as 'Rout and Retreat'.

Brechtel

Refusing to consider either one or all of the volumes in the trilogy indicates a closed mind to me…

Waterloo The French Perspective was Field's first book. There was at least what I could see at the time, no mention that it was part of a trilogy so was read by me in isolation anyway. And anyway, it wasn't as good as his later tomes.

I (and no doubt many others who contribute to this site) have read countless books of or relating to, the battle since childhood, with the best being published recently just prior, during and post the Waterloo 200th anniversary so not being open to different accounts is further from the truth where I'm concerned and such assumption is both ignorant and arrogant.

Field's book came out in 2012, since then there is a much better understanding and more information about the battle and the armies and tactics involved from the likes of John Hussey, Gareth Glover, Erwin Muilwijk, Paul Dawson, Nick Lipscombe, John Franklin, etc.

The other two books by Field 'Rout and Retreat' 'Prelude to Waterloo' are later editions that were published in the sweet-spot of good tomes pertaining to the other main aspects of the campaign.

Anyway, "a closed mind" is all the accusers considering the battering taken by the said accuser over historical facts.

Delort

I believe Field wrote four books, covering Quatre Bras, Ligny/Wavre, Waterloo as well as 'Rout and Retreat'."

Yes, he did. I have the book in amongst my piles of unread tomes so I haven't remarked on it…Yet!

Thanks!.

Amicalement
Armand

I believe Field wrote four books, covering Quatre Bras, Ligny/Wavre, Waterloo as well as 'Rout and Retreat'.

Correct, he wrote four books on the subject. However, three of them form a trilogy to my mind and are a continuous 'subject.'