What do you think?
Rate this book
Waterloo 1815: Quatre Bras and Ligny
The Battles of Quatre Bras and Ligny are often overshadowed by the Battle of Waterloo that took place two days later. Yet the events of 16 June 1815 were crucial, as Napoleon missed his chance of achieving a decisive victory.
Peter Hofschroer's authoritative guide to these two critical engagements tells the story of the campaign and investigates each battle in detail, and he takes the reader on a fascinating tour of the present-day battlefields.
By skillful use of maps, photographs and diagrams, he describes the movements of the armies and analyses the thinking and actions of the commanders.
Peter Hofschroer's authoritative guide to these two critical engagements tells the story of the campaign and investigates each battle in detail, and he takes the reader on a fascinating tour of the present-day battlefields.
By skillful use of maps, photographs and diagrams, he describes the movements of the armies and analyses the thinking and actions of the commanders.
- GenresHistory
144 pages, Paperback
First published September 1, 2005
8 people want to read
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 of 1 review
December 8, 2024
Synopsis A concise and focused examination of the battles of Quatre Bras and Ligny, offering insight into their role in the Waterloo campaign. This is one of a series by the author focused on the Waterloo Campaign.
Title Waterloo 1815: Quatre Bras and Ligny
Author Peter Hofschröer
Categories Documentary, History, Military History, Napoleonic
Date First published by Pen & Sword Military in 2005.
Pages 139 pages; paperback with some maps, diagrams, and black and white illustrations. There's four colour plates and double spread map in the centre of the book.
Readability Medium—accessible to history enthusiasts with some prior knowledge of the Napoleonic Wars.
Cover Front cover painting by James B. Wollen, Black Watch at Bay.
Waterloo 1815: Quatre Bras and Ligny delves into the often-overlooked battles that shaped the Waterloo campaign. The book provides a well-balanced narrative, combining strategic analysis, tactical details, and personal accounts. Its clear focus and inclusion of maps and diagrams make it an excellent resource for those wanting a deeper understanding of these battles.
For a start we have to confirm that you, the reader, are either a military buff ... most likely with a strong interest in military history if not Napoleonic military history ... or you are at the entirely wrong book review. These military history books are of little interest to the general public.
Peter Hofschröer is famous (aka notorious) for having written Wellington's Smallest Victory: The Duke, the Model Maker and the Secret of Waterloo. I remember when this came out in 2004, I immediately got a copy and consumed it furiously. During this time I was travelling to London quite a bit and got to go visit the famous model of the Battle of Waterloo created by Siborne. I am an avid Napoleonic Wargamer (unfortunately not as much as I like to nowadays), and this book became the talking point (read heated arguments) of the time! I shall review Wellington's Smallest Victory elsewhere.
Hofschröer does do a really good job at broadening the range of appeal of Waterloo 1815: Quatre Bras and Ligny by:
• Including quite a nice travelogue feel to the whole book, including suggested plans for day trips for the lightly interested who are really wanting to take in the Belgium countryside.
• Keeping the overall length down to a very readable 130 odd pages of text. (There's orders of battle etc at the end to fill up the remaining pages)
Overall as far as the level of readability goes, Hofschröer book is very good. Most of the tomes I read of such military history topics are a dry factual statement with too much detail, giving very little concern for the reader ... more about the author and their level of authoritativeness.
What stands out is Hofschröer’s ability to highlight the interplay between these two battles and their strategic importance. The descriptions are engaging without losing historical accuracy, though the book may feel brief for those wanting a more comprehensive account.
Who should read Waterloo 1815: Quatre Bras and Ligny? Military history buffs and readers interested in the Napoleonic Wars.
Who should not read Waterloo 1815: Quatre Bras and Ligny? Readers seeking a general history of the Waterloo campaign or those new to the Napoleonic era.
Recommendation A must-read for anyone wanting an in-depth understanding of the battles leading up to Waterloo.
Title Waterloo 1815: Quatre Bras and Ligny
Author Peter Hofschröer
Categories Documentary, History, Military History, Napoleonic
Date First published by Pen & Sword Military in 2005.
Pages 139 pages; paperback with some maps, diagrams, and black and white illustrations. There's four colour plates and double spread map in the centre of the book.
Readability Medium—accessible to history enthusiasts with some prior knowledge of the Napoleonic Wars.
Cover Front cover painting by James B. Wollen, Black Watch at Bay.
Waterloo 1815: Quatre Bras and Ligny delves into the often-overlooked battles that shaped the Waterloo campaign. The book provides a well-balanced narrative, combining strategic analysis, tactical details, and personal accounts. Its clear focus and inclusion of maps and diagrams make it an excellent resource for those wanting a deeper understanding of these battles.
For a start we have to confirm that you, the reader, are either a military buff ... most likely with a strong interest in military history if not Napoleonic military history ... or you are at the entirely wrong book review. These military history books are of little interest to the general public.
Peter Hofschröer is famous (aka notorious) for having written Wellington's Smallest Victory: The Duke, the Model Maker and the Secret of Waterloo. I remember when this came out in 2004, I immediately got a copy and consumed it furiously. During this time I was travelling to London quite a bit and got to go visit the famous model of the Battle of Waterloo created by Siborne. I am an avid Napoleonic Wargamer (unfortunately not as much as I like to nowadays), and this book became the talking point (read heated arguments) of the time! I shall review Wellington's Smallest Victory elsewhere.
Hofschröer does do a really good job at broadening the range of appeal of Waterloo 1815: Quatre Bras and Ligny by:
• Including quite a nice travelogue feel to the whole book, including suggested plans for day trips for the lightly interested who are really wanting to take in the Belgium countryside.
• Keeping the overall length down to a very readable 130 odd pages of text. (There's orders of battle etc at the end to fill up the remaining pages)
Overall as far as the level of readability goes, Hofschröer book is very good. Most of the tomes I read of such military history topics are a dry factual statement with too much detail, giving very little concern for the reader ... more about the author and their level of authoritativeness.
What stands out is Hofschröer’s ability to highlight the interplay between these two battles and their strategic importance. The descriptions are engaging without losing historical accuracy, though the book may feel brief for those wanting a more comprehensive account.
Who should read Waterloo 1815: Quatre Bras and Ligny? Military history buffs and readers interested in the Napoleonic Wars.
Who should not read Waterloo 1815: Quatre Bras and Ligny? Readers seeking a general history of the Waterloo campaign or those new to the Napoleonic era.
Recommendation A must-read for anyone wanting an in-depth understanding of the battles leading up to Waterloo.
Displaying 1 of 1 review