"Any recommendations for a modern book on Vitoria?" Topic

Pretty much what the title says.

Vitoria appears to be the only one of The Duke's Peninsula actions that isn't the subject of a modern (last 20 or 30 years) monograph present on my alumni university's generously laden Napoleonic shelves.

Has anything been written on Vitoria in the last while?

I have the Osprey "Vittoria 1813" book by Ian Fletcher. I think the book is pretty well done with good maps and explanations on the battle and campaign. From the inside cover, it appears to be from 1998.

"La bataille de Vitoria" by Jean Sarramon,published in 1985, more than 700 pages with a loads of phd like infos, only drawback, you have to be able to read french.
In a more "Osprey like " fashion, La Batalla de Vitoria 1813" by Emilio Larreina, Guerreros y Batallas , ed Almeina, 2009, only drawback, you have to be able to read spanish.
Being multilingual is definitly an asset nowaday.

Have read somewehre that a lot of colleges and universities are giving up studying foreign language in anglo-american world!

Sharpe's Honour ;)

"La bataille de Vitoria" by Jean Sarramon,published in 1985, more than 700 pages with a loads of phd like infos, only drawback, you have to be able to read french.
In a more "Osprey like " fashion, La Batalla de Vitoria 1813" by Emilio Larreina, Guerreros y Batallas , ed Almeina, 2009, only drawback, you have to be able to read Spanish.

The Sarramon sounds like what I want. Although the other suggestions are worth checking out as well.

Have you read the Sarramon book?

link

I take it that the preface by Comte Clausel is by a descendant of the well known Peninsular General de Division?

link

I notice that Sarramon also wrote a book on Salamanca.

@huevans011

Rory Muir makes reference to Sarramon's work in his own excellent book on Salamanca.

Sarramon's work is unique and a must with nearly 100pages of Batlle orders, primary sources, bibliography and son on.

But it is fairly difficlult to find it, even in libraries.

Good luck

Sarramon's work is unique and a must with nearly 100pages of Batlle orders, primary sources, bibliography and son on.

But it is fairly difficult to find it, even in libraries.

Good luck

1 of the local University libraries has it. I have to inquire if my cut price alumnus borrowing card allows me to order it in from a satellite campus.

If there is anything you wish me to check for you, pls do not hesitate to ask.

Sarramon's book is available as a reprint on abebooks.

Sarramon's book is available as a reprint on abebooks.

Roughly 300.00 CAD with shipping. Looks like I might throw another 20.00 on my alumnus card to order in the library copies!

I got Sarramon from my alumnus library and took advantage of the CV-19 lockdown to read it. Decent, very detailed history of the battle. (I skipped the build up campaign phase, as I read slowly in French).

It goes through deployment and the phases of the battle in some detail, focusing on the French. Not much in the way of the "contemporary colourful quotations from men who were there". More of an analytical overview.

Sarramon's take is that the battle was unwinnable, due to disparity in numbers and the French deploying over far too large a frontage. He presents the battle as a series of foredoomed holding actions, until the final collapse of the Army of South and the position dissolving.

Learned a lot, but probably lost some of my interest in the battle, given S's description of how one-sided and predictable it was.

Only one I can think of is the Osprey title which I own. Honestly it's very well illustrated and I think it should satisfy.