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Waterloo
This book was converted from its physical edition to the digital format by a community of volunteers. You may find it for free on the web. Purchase of the Kindle edition includes wireless delivery.
- GenresHistory
55 pages, Kindle Edition
First published December 31, 2010
15 people are currently reading
37 people want to read
About the author
Hilaire Belloc
726 books401 followersPeople considered Joseph Hilaire Pierre René Belloc, French-born British writer, as a master of light English prose and also knew widely his droll verse, especially
The Bad Child's Book of Beasts
in 1896.
Sharp wit of Hilaire Belloc, an historian, poet, and orator, extended across literary output and strong political and religious convictions. Oxford educated this distinguished debater and scholar. Throughout his career, he prolifically across a range of genres and produced histories, essays, travelogues, poetry, and satirical works.
Cautionary Tales for Children collects best humorous yet dark morals, and historical works of Hilaire Belloc often reflected his staunch Catholicism and critique of Protestant interpretations. He led advocates of an economic theory that promotes and championed distribution of small-scale property ownership as a middle ground between capitalism and socialism alongside Gilbert Keith Chesterton, his close friend.
In politics, Hilaire Belloc served as a member of Parliament for the Liberal party, but the establishment disillusioned him. His polemical style and strong opinions made a controversial figure, who particularly viewed modernism, secularism, and financial capitalism as threats to traditional Christian society in his critiques.
Influence and vast literary legacy of Hilaire Belloc extends into historical circles. Erudition, humor, and a forceful rhetorical style characterized intellectual vigor and unique perspective, which people continue to study and to appreciate, on history, society, and human nature.
Sharp wit of Hilaire Belloc, an historian, poet, and orator, extended across literary output and strong political and religious convictions. Oxford educated this distinguished debater and scholar. Throughout his career, he prolifically across a range of genres and produced histories, essays, travelogues, poetry, and satirical works.
Cautionary Tales for Children collects best humorous yet dark morals, and historical works of Hilaire Belloc often reflected his staunch Catholicism and critique of Protestant interpretations. He led advocates of an economic theory that promotes and championed distribution of small-scale property ownership as a middle ground between capitalism and socialism alongside Gilbert Keith Chesterton, his close friend.
In politics, Hilaire Belloc served as a member of Parliament for the Liberal party, but the establishment disillusioned him. His polemical style and strong opinions made a controversial figure, who particularly viewed modernism, secularism, and financial capitalism as threats to traditional Christian society in his critiques.
Influence and vast literary legacy of Hilaire Belloc extends into historical circles. Erudition, humor, and a forceful rhetorical style characterized intellectual vigor and unique perspective, which people continue to study and to appreciate, on history, society, and human nature.
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Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews
August 14, 2025
I love Hilaire Belloc as a historian, but I don't recommend this free version unless you are very good at visualization, have access to maps of the battle scenes, have actually been to Waterloo and/or can't afford to read the book any other way. Belloc repeatedly references maps and diagrams which are not included in this free version. Frustrating to say the least. Fortunately, Dh and I visited the battleground sites of Waterloo (Friday-Sunday, 16-18 June 1815, then in the United Kingdom of the Netherlands, now in Belgium) many years ago when we were stationed in Germany, so I have memories of what the area looked like. Even so, I still want to go back and find the book(let)s and/or maps we purchased while there if possible. I can see the whole thing in my minds' eye but not so clearly as formerly; we were there in the late 1980s.
It's an interesting battle, which actually was a series of battles fought over three days and, in that respect, reminded me of Gettysburg. Each day's battles depended on so many little flukes, assumptions, misinformation, time it took for messages to get from one general to another as well as to get the troops into position to fight. The various companies had to be strung out over the narrow roads in order to travel and then quickly brought into formation when they arrived at their destination and/or encountered the enemy. Also, the success of, or mistakes made, during each day's fighting then enhanced the position or compounded the difficulty for the next day. Belloc avers, along with most historians, that Napolean actually lost Sunday's battle two days earlier when he was unable to completely finish off the Prussian army at Ligny. Largely due to miscommunications, the emperor did not get the reinforcements he so desperately needed, so the Prussians went free to flank him on the left on the final day while he was fully engaged with Wellington's forces on the right.
I was reminded again that Waterloo wasn't Napolean's actual "Waterloo", a term usually applied to someone's irrecoverable demise. His actual "Waterloo" was his misguided march into Russia, thinking he could subdue the vast stretch of Russian territory. He sealed his own doom when he did that. While he did lose the Battle of Waterloo and that ultimately sealed his fate, it was near the end for him going into the battle, regardless of its outcome.
5 stars for the book; 3 for this version. For a visual see: Strategic Situation at time of Waterloo Campaign.
It's an interesting battle, which actually was a series of battles fought over three days and, in that respect, reminded me of Gettysburg. Each day's battles depended on so many little flukes, assumptions, misinformation, time it took for messages to get from one general to another as well as to get the troops into position to fight. The various companies had to be strung out over the narrow roads in order to travel and then quickly brought into formation when they arrived at their destination and/or encountered the enemy. Also, the success of, or mistakes made, during each day's fighting then enhanced the position or compounded the difficulty for the next day. Belloc avers, along with most historians, that Napolean actually lost Sunday's battle two days earlier when he was unable to completely finish off the Prussian army at Ligny. Largely due to miscommunications, the emperor did not get the reinforcements he so desperately needed, so the Prussians went free to flank him on the left on the final day while he was fully engaged with Wellington's forces on the right.
I was reminded again that Waterloo wasn't Napolean's actual "Waterloo", a term usually applied to someone's irrecoverable demise. His actual "Waterloo" was his misguided march into Russia, thinking he could subdue the vast stretch of Russian territory. He sealed his own doom when he did that. While he did lose the Battle of Waterloo and that ultimately sealed his fate, it was near the end for him going into the battle, regardless of its outcome.
5 stars for the book; 3 for this version. For a visual see: Strategic Situation at time of Waterloo Campaign.
April 12, 2021
An older account, but Belloc’s clear prose ably describes the battle. Even though you’re not there, the author can almost make you see the struggle. Which is a good thing, because the maps that are mentioned in the text are not in the Kindle edition. Can’t argue with the price: it’s free.
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews