In Hell Before Daylight: The Siege and Storming of the Fortress of Badajoz, 1812 by Ian Fletcher

by Ian Fletcher

Together with Ciudad Rodrigo, Badajoz was one of the great fortress cities that commanded the two routes between Spain and Portugal, and together they were known as the Keys of Spain during the Peninsular War. Rodrigo was the first to fall in January 1812, and the following month Wellington's men began to slip away southwards to lay siege to Badajoz. The city had been attacked twice before by the British, but a lack of proper siege materials had caused both attempts to be abandoned. Based on eye-witness accounts of the men of the French and British armies, this is the story of this bloody siege, the conditions in which the British soldiers fought and died, and the horrifying sack of the city as the victorious army ran unchecked.

Genres: Nonfiction, History

Paperback

First published January 1, 1984

Reviews

[Jeanne · Rating 3 out of 5]

I first heard about the Siege of Badajoz when I discovered that my ancestor fought there under Wellington. Luke Lydon was discharged from the British Army for a "broken constitution". This book did a very good job in helping me to understand what he faced and why that would result in a broken constitution.

The author lays out the details of the battle using many first-hand accounts as sources. After getting into the fort, the conquering army collectively loses its mind and proceeds to rape, pillage and plunder with abandon. Fletcher presents a harrowing and gripping depiction of what must have been hell on Earth. In the words of eyewitness Charles Von Hodenberg, "my blood has frozen with the outrages I have witnessed."

[Betsy · Rating 3 out of 5]

A short but interesting look at one of the bloodiest sieges of the Peninsular War. There are some excellent photos showing what the bastions and town must have looked like in 1812. The author makes use of statements of those who fought at Badajoz to illustrate what the British had to endure in taking the town by storm, and also what the French and Spanish civilians faced during the sack afterwards.

[Mike Wigal · Rating 5 out of 5]

Amazing feat. See also "Sharpe's Company" by Bernard Cornwell. https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sharp...

[Mick Scrimshaw · Rating 3 out of 5]

In some ways this was one of the most traumatising books I have ever read. I already knew about the bravery and sacrifice at the 1812 storming of Badajoz as well as the horrific aftermath, but reading a book devoted to it obviously allowed the author to go into much more detail than it being just a mention in a larger history. Some of the technicalities and lead up to the storming, the who was who, and who did what and where, I didn’t find particularly gripping and I also started off by thinking there were too many direct quotes from the journals and memoirs of the participants. I naively felt that this was a cop out and the author should have used them to weave his own narrative but soon realised of course that these eye witness accounts could tell the horrific sorry better than any historian writing 200 years later.

I still struggle to imagine the bloody carnage at the storming of the breeches. To my modern sensitive soul, it is impossible to understand how the British Army carried on climbing over the bodies and wounded of their comrades against the impregnable defences of the French. For so many it was clearly a suicide mission, but swept along in a tide of fury and determination they carried on anyway. Eventually, after success coming at the most brutal price, the sacking of the city descended into horror as men became animals and indulged in the most cruel and depraved behaviour imaginable.

That night was undoubtedly both one of the British Army’s greatest and also most terrible moments.

The truth is that for me, it was the subject matter itself that led to this book being such a compelling read. I’m not sure if the author had chosen a different subject I would have devoured every word with quite so much enthusiasm but for anybody with an interest in the subject, this is clearly a must read book.

My version (which appears to be a 1984 first edition with a sepia coloured cover) didn’t have the 1914 aerial balloon photos mentioned above which was a shame. Sorry, but I don’t know how to upload a different version.