[Military Dispatches (Penguin Classics)] [Author: Wellington, The Duke of] [July, 2014]

by Arthur Wellesley

Accounts from the front lines of the Napoleonic Wars from Britain’s greatest military commander The Duke of Wellington was not only an incomparable commander in battle but also a remarkably powerful writer. His dispatches have long been viewed as classics of military literature and have influenced all military accounts after his. This new selection follows the epic campaign of the British against Napoleon in Wellington’s own words, telling the story of the conflict from its desperate beginnings in Portugal to the final triumph at Waterloo.

Genres: History, Military Fiction, Nonfiction, 19th Century, War, Military History

Paperback

First published July 3, 2014

About the author

Field Marshal Arthur Wellesley, 1st Duke of Wellington, KG GCB GCH PC FRS (1 May 1769 – 14 September 1852), was a British soldier and statesman, a native of Ireland from the Anglo-Irish Ascendancy,[3] and one of the leading military and political figures of the 19th century. His importance in national history is such that he is often referred to as "the Duke of Wellington" instead of "the 1st Duke of Wellington."

Reviews

[Anthony · Rating 3 out of 5]

His Thoughts

There’s is not much to say about this book. It is a collection of military dispatches or hand written letters by His Grace Arthur Wellesley the Duke of Wellington from the Peninsular War in 1810 to Waterloo in 1815. There is some historical context provided by the renowned historian Charles Esdaile, who’s books are great and I can recommend.

I wanted to read this book because the Duke is a hero of mine, an exceptional person and a true great. It can be emotional to read his words and thoughts from his own mind. What is striking is his superb memory especially after a battle has take place and he was able to recall the events and people involved. I have read the famous Waterloo dispatch to Earl Bathurst a number of times over the years and again here. It’s an important piece of history, the battle was mark of the end of an era, the epoch of grand campaigns and line and musket warfare. The dispatch was also controversial as it failed to mention certain commanders and divisions, which others felt more deserving and crucial to battles outcome.

This is not a thrilling read, more for the serious or geeky historian who likes to add context and meat to their historical reading. It is best to dip in and out as I have done and not to read cover to cover. One has to remember this content was never intended to thrill the reader and be published. Glad I’ve read this.

[E. G. · Rating 4 out of 5]

Preface
Introduction
Further Reading
A Note on the Text
Short Biographies of Recipients
List of Maps

--The Campaigns of 1808
--The Campaigns of 1809
--The Campaigns of 1810
--The Campaigns of 1811
--The Campaigns of 1812
--The Campaigns of 1813
--The Campaigns of 1814
--Waterloo

Sources

[Richard R]

As one might expect a lot of this consists of detailed accounts of troop movements and casualties, as well as assessments of the Portuguese, Spanish and Prussian armies he was allied to. For me, some of the most interesting passages come towards the end when it is clear that Napoleon faces defeat but with the scale of this being yet unknown. One possibility is that Napoleon is simply driven back to France and is effectively imprisoned there. Wellington hypotheses that in this scenario the regime would simply collapse, as lacking popular support by that point it was largely sustained by corruption. This does seem a repeated pattern in the collapse of dictatorships in general. Equally though, Wellington was cautious about the Bourbon restoration: correctly so, as events later proved.

[Roland · Rating 3 out of 5]

What I took away:
History can be so abstract: a series of events and dates and separated by centuries. Seeing history and how it affects real humans is important. It is not just facts and figures but also disappointment, joy at a lucky turn, frustration at how a group like the Spanish are steadfast under fire but they can’t move as well. It’s Wellington recommending his officers and venting the folly of his peers. Seeing it real is important. It’s interesting to see how something with such importance in the world is seen through the eyes of another man living it. He is living history. It adds a human element.
Now what are the repercussions? Because that is the whole reason to study history. To try to predict just as any science. To try to understand how our actions have consequences. The why and the what after?
There is also a deeper insight into how Wellington understands War. He says Napoleon wouldn’t keep fighting in Spain (Wellington thought) if it was not sustainable and started pulling money from France. Later, he talks about how the Spanish either have to be fed and payed if they are to fight in France because if they are left to plunder they will do so and then they will have to face guerrilla warfare from the French people. These economic and social understanding seem to be just as important to his success as his military strategy.

Good quotes:
“Next to a battle lost there’s nothing sadder than a battle won.”
“Necessity has no law”

[Adrian R. · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book is basically a collection of administrative reports. This is not light reading.

[Dale · Rating 4 out of 5]

Not an easy read but so interesting. If you are a fan of the Sharpe series this is a must read.

[Daniel Polansky]

I really have no idea what possessed me to read this, it was just entirely beyond my ken. I also have no idea how to review it—this is indeed the collected dispatches of Arthur Wellesley, later the Duke of Wellington, detailing various aspects of his Penninsular campaigns and Waterloo. It is of essentially no interest to anyone not a narrow specialist in the field, like very narrow, like which division went where on what day, which I am not at all. So, it was kind of a slog, and also for some reason I refused to stop reading it, and so most of my week reading-wise was eaten up by this. That's not it's fault though, really. Anyhow. Were there sword fights: God, I would have killed for a sword fight just to break up the monotony. But no, there were not really any sword fights.