24 Hours at Waterloo: 18 June 1815

by Robert Kershaw

'One of the lancers rode by, and stabbed me in the back with his lance. I then turned, and lay with my face upward, and a foot soldier stabbed me with his sword as he walked by. Immediately after, another, with his firelock and bayonet, gave me a terrible plunge, and while doing it with all his might, exclaimed, "Sacre nom de Dieu!" '

'Charge! Charge the guns!' shouted Colonel Hamilton, who was last seen galloping through the Grand Battery 'going at full speed, with the bridle-reins between his teeth', according to one witness, 'after he had lost his hands'.

'There was nothing to be heard but the clashing of swords and bayonets, and the cries of the dying and wounded.'

The battle of Waterloo had all the drama and brutality of a nineteenth-century bare-knuckle prize fight. It was a vicious fight to the finish between two evenly matched opponents. In 24 Hours at Waterloo, using a plethora of previously unpublished eyewitness accounts, letters and diaries, Robert Kershaw reveals the soldier's view of this iconic battle: how they felt, what they saw, what they smelt and what they heard enduring this epic confrontation on Sunday 18 June 1815. Visceral and raw, this is Waterloo as you've never experienced it before.

Genres: History, Nonfiction, Military History, Military Fiction

421 pages, Hardcover

First published August 28, 2014

About the author

Born in 1950 and a graduate of Reading University, Robert Kershaw joined the Parachute Regiment in 1973.

He served numerous regimental appointments until selected to command the 10th Battalion The Parachute Regiment (10 PARA). He attended the German Staff College (Fuhrungsakademie) spending a further two years with the Bundeswehr as an infantry, airborne and arctic warfare instructor. He speaks fluent German and has extensive experience with NATO, multinational operations and all aspects of operations and training.

His active service includes several tours in Northern Ireland, the First Gulf War and Bosnia. He has exercised in many parts of the world and served in the Middle East and Africa. His final army appointment was with the Intelligence Division at HQ NATO in Brussels Belgium.

On leaving the Army in 2006 he became a full-time author of military history as well as a consultant military analyst. He has written a paper on the military impact of HIV AIDS for Cranfield University and more recently was the historical editor for ParaData, an on-line archive for the Parachute Regiment and Airborne Forces.

Reviews

['Aussie Rick' · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have just finished reading my third book recently published on the Battle of Waterloo. This one was by Robert Kershaw, titled; “24 Hours at Waterloo”. The previous books were by Gordon Corrigan and Bernard Cornwell and each have been different in their approach in telling the story of this famous battle.

Robert Kershaw’s approach has been to tell the story by the use of first-hand accounts, his aim was to give a human and personal dimension to the battle and in this he succeeds admirably. This is a well told account of Waterloo, mainly narrated through the experiences of the officers and soldiers involved in the fighting. We hear from French, British, Prussian and the other allied nationals who made up 2/3rds of Wellington’s forces on the ridge.

The author’s use of these personal accounts are well placed within the narrative and never detracted from the story, in fact, they added to the telling and really drew me into the depiction of this horrendous battle, like this account of a wounded French prisoner in Brussels after the fighting around Quatre Bras: "I noticed one, a fine fellow, who had had one arm shot off; and though the bloody and mangled tendons were still undressed, and had actually dried and blackened in the sun, he marched along with apparent indifference, carrying a loaf of bread under his remaining arm and shouting 'Vive l'Empereur!'

'Prepare the soup' he recommended, because his friends would be arriving that evening in Brussels and would join them in the Grand Place. 'Don't believe him, sir,' a badly wounded Scotsman whispered, in agony. 'It's all right - I - assure you '- he haltingly gasped."

This from a soldier in the KGL: "Albrecht Heifer, in the King's German Legion, was bowled over by an enormous punch to his chest, which snatched his breath away and left him breathing with pain and difficulty. The flesh of his right breast had been torn away by a glancing blow from round shot, eviscerating fat, skin and muscle from the chest wall. Iron powder stained the skin area around the bright red gouge mark visible through his torn uniform breast coat. It was rare for soldiers to survive a direct hit on the torso, but Albrecht, remarkably would do so."

A French soldier about to advance with the massed infantry formations against the British held ridge: "When the 44-year-old Pierre Guillot had uncased the eagle of the 45th, he knew what to expect. He had suffered considerably in Spain, shot in the right foot in 1809, lanced in the left flank in 1811, and two years later he was wounded in the right thigh and captured by the British. His time had come again. As he hoisted the eagle, he may have briefly reflected that it was precisely one year since he had been released by the British. Ahead of the columns trotted voltigeur skirmishes, preceding a phalanx of bayonets, all moving in time with the menacing drumbeat that tapped out the pace. These were the veterans of battles from Austerlitz in Bohemia to Borodino in Russia, from Wagram in Germany to the final battles for France the year before. It was their first opportunity to prove themselves in this campaign, and now the sun emerged, bathing the ranks in glorious colour. 'All combined to make more majestic the terrible scene which was unfolding,' recalled Jacques Martin."

The author does not neglect the stories of those who had no voice in the battle: "Sitting erect on his horse 'Bijou' in the ranks was an old sergeant in the cavalry. He had originally captured Bijou from the Mamelukes at the Battle of the Pyramids in 1798 and since then the pair had been inseparable. The horse had saved the sergeant's live on 20 occasions and brought him out of Russia. 'Bijou only lacked speech,' the sergeant explained, and 'had all the intelligence and loyalty of a poodle dog'. They stood alongside other veteran campaigners, such as Private Melet with the Dragoons of the Imperial Guard and his horse 'Cadet'. Such combinations encapsulated Ney's hopes. Melet and Cadet had fought together since 1806, from Prussia to Poland, to Spain and Austria, back again to Spain then across the frozen wastes of Russia to Saxony until the dreadful days of the final campaign in France the year before..... Melet and Cadet had seen 12 major battles and 30 lesser ones. Small wonder Ney was hopeful. They formed part of a tightly knit group dedicated to the service of the Emperor, and the Emperor needed them once again."

Again, Captain Alexander Mercer highlighting the nature of warfare during this period: " ... 'A sickening sensation came over me,' he admitted, 'mixed with a deep feeling of pity.' The poor horse was pressing his panting body against the leaders of the ammunition wagon horse team just behind, 'as though eager to identify himself as their society.' The driver, 'a kind hearted lad', was trying to drive the horse away, horror written 'on every feature', but could not bring himself to strike the animal. Mercer saw why: 'a cannon ball had completely carried away the lower part of the animal's head, immediately below the eyes,' and his clear eye seemed to be imploring them not to chase him away. Price, the farrier, was ordered to put the beast out of its misery and he ran a sabre through its heart. 'even he', Mercer recalled, 'evinced feeling on this occasion'. "

The author does not fail to follow up on Bijoux and Cadet and their riders. In this case maybe I didn’t really want to know as this is what happened to them after the massed French cavalry charges against the British infantry squares: "Bijoux the horse carried his old cavalry sergeant back to the French lines. His master's left thigh was torn apart by a shell fragment. The sergeant's 'best friend' carried him with difficulty back to the Imperial Guard, Sergeant de Mauduit watched them approach. The horse had been riddled with case shot, 'parts of his entrails hanging out announced the gravity of his wound'. Bijoux had saved his master for the last time. The long partnership of Private Melet and his horse Cadet, with the Imperial Guard Dragoons, was also at an end. They had campaigned together since 1806 and now formed an anonymous part of the grisly debris covering the slopes of Mont St Jean. Melet, severely wounded, was barely clinging on to life."

The book is full of these harrowing and at times sad stories from the men on both sides who had to do the fighting and dying on this day. I enjoyed the author’s depictions of the fighting and could not notice any national bias in his account. In fact this book had numerous accounts and stories from Dutch, Hanoverian, German and Belgian sources that I had not read before.

If you really want to get a feel for this battle then this would be the book to read and I have no hesitation in recommending it for anyone who enjoys a good book on military history, this is the ‘blood and guts’ story of this famous battle. Of note, there are no photographs in this book and at the start of each chapter is a 3D representational map of the battle area with persons of interest highlighted. Overall a very good account and well worth the time to read.

[Jo · Rating 4 out of 5]

Kershaw breaks the battle down and goes through it with a fine tooth comb. This was produced through a mix of letters, memoirs and official reports, making a very personal account of Waterloo.

[Pirate · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a masterpiece imho. I thought I had read it all about this battle that resonates still more than two centuries after its bloody conclusion. Masterfully told using testimonies from not the principal characters but from officers and the lower ranks. Yes there are the odd comments from Napoleon and Wellington but it is the anecdotes that elevate this book onto another plane.
The cavalry for instance which Marshal Ney -- who the author probably rightly claims was suffering from PTSD -- recklessly launched included the Guard cavalry known as 'the gods' or the 'invincibles' though when held back by Napoleon quickly were derided as 'brats' or 'pets'....or the cuirassiers whose officers in one regiment had to prove themselves by "three bottles of champagne, three wenches and three horses. They were given three hours to drink the bottles, whore and ride the horses 20 miles." Their courage is not wanting as they constantly charged even as their losses mounted but the squares stayed resolute even though they too suffered appalling casualties, especially the 1/27th Inskillings largely from the artillery.
On the British side there are echoes of today among Brexiteers in their disregard for their foreign allies who held 2/3 of the line --'rid Jarmins and the Like' -- the Belgians not long before allies of Napoleon's did turn tail but many of the others such as the Nassauers and the Germans fought valiantly, though, post battle little shamefully was said about their contribution. An exception is that thankfully the Prince of Orange was replaced by Wellington as overall commander as he sent the 5th battallion to its annihilation an order questioned by the valiant Baron Christian von Ompteda but on being told by the spoilt Prince "I will listen to no further arguments" charged and out of respect for his courage at first the French refused to fire on him. He was ultimately to die. This is though a feature of the battle there was respect between the two armies -- not the Prussians who hated the French with a passion and made that clear with brutal pursuit after the collapse -- some plunderers who set upon a French cavalryman were booed by their own side.
On the Allied side Wellington lost a lot of close friends that day, other officers had narrow escapes -- Lieutenant Colonel Frederick Ponsonby of the dragoons was "sabered from his horse, then speared by a passing lancer who indignantly declared, 'you are not dead knave'." He indeed was not and survived...though not before a French skirmisher had come and lain on top of him using him as a firing platform and "gaily chatted with him before moving on."
Kershaw also delves into fascinating detail and background on a whole range of things such as black soldiers serving in Wellington's army -- including escaped Jamaican slave George Rose -- women who followed their husbands on campaign, even knapsacks and the very basic medical care...amputations often the only answer to save someone's life...though one poor child survived after having all four limbs amputated.
Some who returned wounded but body intact fared little better such as the celebrated Private Thomas Plunkett of the 95th rifles, whose name was given to the 'Plunkett' firing position "sniping a French general beyond musket range in the Peninsula" . His serious head wound prompted his discharge but he married his girlfriend, who had been badly disfigured in an ammunition explosion.
Plunkett by 1851 was a pauper -- his pension halted due to "bad behaviour" -- but his wife stayed by his side and was still there "when he dropped dead in the streets of Colchester." However, the old camaraderie reared its head and surviving officers of the 95th Rifles clubbed together to pay for his funeral.
Bon best leave it there...this review has lasted almost as long as the battle -- which thanks to this book one gets a real sense of Wellington's 'close run thing' -- but leave it with the magic that Napoleon exerted over his men ...the corpse of Fusilier Verdurel was found north of Plancenoit..no great surprise you say as the village was covered in dead ...but wait this 24-year-old veteran -- taken prisoner at Leipzig before being freed and rallying to Napoleon -- belonged to the 47th Line Regiment which was not at Ligny/Quatre Bras nor Waterloo but he had come along anyway hoping to share in another memorable chapter of 'La Gloire'...all that remained of his presence was a prayer book...'the yellowed pages and faded ink made Verdurel's passing less anonymous.'
A truly wonderful book, extremely moving and as I said a masterpiece.
Chapeau Sir!!

[Frederic · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have read many books about the Napoleonic wars. This is one of the best, assembled from first hand accounts of soldiers from the Allied and French armies. One gets a real sense of the gruesome sacrifices of 19th century warfare. The strength of the book is in the descriptions of the battle and its immediate aftermath.

We would expect there to be a few gaps in a book that focuses tightly on a mere 24 hour period around the Battle of Waterloo.

Inevitably, with the short time focus, there's not a lot of historical context here about why the nations of Europe were uniting to fight Napoleon's France yet again, after almost 20 years of war. Robert Kershaw is pretty critical of the Duke of Wellington, who he clearly does not much like. He is mostly admiring of Napoleon.

While there's no doubt that the Prussians under Blücher played a decisive role in the Allied victory, that was the Allied plan all along. France had a larger, more coherent and better army than both Blücher and Wellington. Napoleon's logical plan was to drive them apart and defeat them separately. He almost succeeded, but even if he had somehow won at Waterloo, the Austrians and Russians would soon have sent thousands more troops to unseat him, supported by Prussia and Great Britain.

The reason why Napoleon was so hated by Britain and most of Europe was not, as some suggest, simply that he was a threat to the Kings of Europe's old monarchic order.

He was that, but after rising to lead the French army and to the leadership of France after the revolution, Napoleon crowned himself Emperor, emptied the treasuries of countries he had conquered, looted their art and put his incompetent siblings on their thrones. He was no democrat and constantly sought new conquests, killing hundreds of thousands with his wars in search of la gloire. He was the Hitler of his time, making outrageous demands, blocking trade and attacking countries who resisted him. Europe was not going to tolerate him returning to power if he'd won at Waterloo, any more than Hitler would have been allowed to reign in Germany after 1945.

As to why Napoleon didn't win at Waterloo, author Kershaw understates Napoleonic mistakes. As he set out for a confrontation with the Allies, Napoleon deliberately left his best field commander, Marshal Davout, in Paris. Some believe he did this so as to monopolize the credit if France had won. He alienated Marshal Berthier, his very talented Chief of Staff, who did not join him for his final campaign. These two brilliant marshals were sorely missed during the "Hundred Days" of Napoleon's final campaign that culminated with the Waterloo debacle.

Napoleon's massive ego made him underestimate Wellington and the British infantry, whom he had never faced. He relied too heavily on the shell- shocked, reckless Marshal Ney, over-promoted Marshal Grouchy and was insufficiently clear in his orders to Grouchy and d'Erlon, especially.

As for Wellington, unlike Napoleon, he wasn't also the dictator of his country. He rarely wasted his troops, worked well with allies, discouraged pillage and picked the Waterloo field masterfully a year before the conflict there. He fought defensively and almost never lost a battle. In his private life, Wellington was unfailingly generous in his post-war business dealings, so that nobody would see him as abusing his position.

Prussian Field Marshal Blücher was over two decades older than Napoleon and Wellington, (both 46 in 1815), was relentless, loyal to Wellington and hated the French for their occupation of German lands.

Despite the limitations of the book's scope, I highly recommend this book and will seek others by Kershaw.

For more on the Napoleonic era, see "Napoleon Bonaparte: A Life" by Alan Schom and "How Far from Austerlitz?" by Alistair Horne.

[Pete daPixie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Prior to reading Robert Kershaw's work I was more familiar with events at Peterloo than those of Waterloo. Perhaps because of the history lessons way back in my school days that droned on about events during the industrial revolution, I've since kept my distance from the nineteenth century.
Published in 2014 in time for the two hundredth anniversary of the battle, I became engaged with '24 Hours at Waterloo' from page one.
It is the memoirs and vivid accounts from the participants, English, Scots, Irish, French, Prussian, Dutch, Belgian, as well as the inhabitants of Brussels that make this a four star read. Accompanied by map drawings of the full field of conflict, providing the locations of those whose accounts are in the narrative, the full brutal realities of the 18th of June 1815 are clearly documented. It is the ten hour crescendo of death and destruction, carnage by cannon ball, musket shot, fire and sword, killing and maiming man, boy and horse that glued me to the horrific story. Kershaw goes beyond this day at Waterloo, into the future lives of survivors who clearly suffered the effects of post traumatic stress disorder...and no wonder.
At the end of the day in the fields across the Charleroi Brussels road lay thousands of dead, injured or dying soldiers. Also littering the fields lay over 40,000 slaughtered or wounded horses. From Captain Alexander Mercer's Journal 'One poor animal had lost, I believe, both his hind legs; and there he sat the long night through on his tail, looking about, as if in expectation of coming aid, sending forth from time to time, long and protracted melancholy neighing'.

[Maxwell Thornton · Rating 5 out of 5]

Well done, Robert Kershaw!

'24 Hours at Waterloo: 18 June 1815' by former Parachute Regiment veteran Robert Kershaw is an all-out guide on the Battle of Waterloo.

The book started with Napoleon's return from Elba in early 1815 and his ascent to power, followed by his victory against the Prussians at Ligny, the fighting at Quatrebras, and the muddy march to Waterloo. Further, the middle covered all parts of the battle, such as the fighting at Hougoumont, Mont St Jean ridge, and la Haye Sainte, then it is concluded with the arrival of the Prussians led by Blücher, von Bülow, and Gniesenau, the retreat to Genappe, and aftermath of soldiers, officers, and generals after the battle. What is incredible is that Kershaw included quotes, outlooks, thoughts, and experiences of all of this from many people, from the Duke of Wellington leading the allies to French soldiers of la Grande Armée, not to mention the countless German soldiers and civilians of Belgium.

If I had one criticism, it was that the maps of the battle—though well illustrated—were hard to understand. But, this was minor and I heavily appreciate Kershaw for this work. Before reading, I knew only somethings about the battle. After reading this, however, I feel like I know everything!

In conclusion, Kershaw knows his history and profession very well and this book is the bees knees if you know nothing about Waterloo. I recommend this book if you are interested in military history and the Napoleonic Wars.

[Stephen Colquhoun · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a page turner! It is so interesting with so much detail but without getting anywhere near boring. Facing cannon fire and required to take it,no seeking shelter allowed,the type of cannon shot you could expect and what it does to you-gruesome. Only one third of the army was British,the rest were allies but we don't seem to acknowledge their contribution these days. You are right in the midst of this battle,terrifying,individual stories of heroism,what happens next,just suberb-highly recommended.

[Jordan Maloney · Rating 3 out of 5]

A good book, but this is supplementary reading when it comes to the battle of Waterloo, rather than primary reading. If this is your first book on Waterloo or Napoleon--as it was mine--I think it'll leave a lot to be desired. That isn't the book's fault, though, and the firsthand accounts of how the battle unfolded really accentuate the brutality of war as a whole.

[Finlay Pike · Rating 5 out of 5]

The most gut wrenching book I’ve ever read. A fantastic history book that looks at war from below rather than above, which makes for an engaging narrative (he does sometimes explain the operational aspects for context, which can be dry, but still important and interesting). The way he describes the trials of all involved (man, woman, and horse ;) ) is well done, and unlike many narrative histories, there is actual analysis and challenges to others’ assumptions/arguments.

[Paganus Kiley · Rating 5 out of 5]

An excellent book.

[Lawrence Leong · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fantastically detailed account of the fateful 24 hours that changed Europe. Highly recomended read.

[Olly Pwengl · Rating 5 out of 5]

A brilliantly fresh and arresting account of a seminal event in European history. The course of the battle is charted with care and precision but it is the detail rather than the broad sweep that sets this book apart. First hand accounts from those who took part reveal the true horror of the 19th century battlefield. The reader can only wonder at the resilience that allowed those who participated to endure the physical pain and terror as the battle swayed first one way then the other. My personal favourite; the uncomplaining British dragoon who, having endured the amputation of his left arm in stoic silence, flayed a moaning French soldier who was having a musket ball removed with his severed limb in an effort to quieten him. My only minor criticism - would have appreciated more plans of the battlefield.

[Nick Pengelley · Rating 4 out of 5]

A great read - I loved the hour by hour accounting of what was happening throughout the battle, with observations from soldiers who'd actually taken part, from all three armies.

[Raunak · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interesting, man on the ground type review of the day, which hasn't really been done all that much. Very sympathetic to all major figures.

[Mark · Rating 2 out of 5]

Not bad, but there are other books on Waterloo. Time to move on to those versus this micro-history.