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Osprey Campaign #277
Waterloo 1815 (2): Ligny
Waterloo 1815 is a captivating study of the battle of Waterloo, one of the defining campaigns in European history. In particular it focuses on the desperate struggle for Ligny, which saw the Prussians pushed back after heavy fighting by the French Army in what was to be Napoleon's last battlefield victory. With Wellington unable to assist his Prussian allies in time, the Prussian centre was overwhelmed as night began to fall, although the flanks were able to retreat in some semblance of order.
Stunning illustrations augment the drama of the fighting in this area while considerable new research drawn from unpublished first-hand accounts provide a detailed and engaging resource for all aspects of the battle.
Stunning illustrations augment the drama of the fighting in this area while considerable new research drawn from unpublished first-hand accounts provide a detailed and engaging resource for all aspects of the battle.
96 pages, Paperback
First published February 17, 2015
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Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews
July 23, 2018
Like it's previously reviewed sister title on Quatre Bras, here John Franklin spends quality time analysing the often underplayed (in British or English language studies at least) fighting around the villages and hamlets at St Amand la Haie, Brye, St Amand le hannau and of course the eponymous Ligny.
Having been given an entire volume to deal with the fighting, the detail is greater than one usually sees in this battle, so frequently dismissed as a precursor to Waterloo with it's decisive Prussian involvement. As with Quatre Bras any officer on either side who plays a role gets a full name check and occasionally a potted biography. This is on top of the usual Campaign series format with it's opposing commanders biographies. One minor drawback that I encountered is that I read it almost immediately after the volume on Quatre Bras so where he doubles up on information, both in the biographies of the main commanders and where he links the fighting to the situation at Quatre Bras seemed a minor flaw to me, however if you are reading this alone then it is not an issue and certainly is not worth knocking a star off the review over.
Franklin excels at describing every stage of the conflict and does well to emphasis the sheer horror of the often extremely close quarter fighting in the streets of the various settlements. The work in unfailingly well written and authoritative. Another excellent addition to the superlative campaign series from Osprey
Having been given an entire volume to deal with the fighting, the detail is greater than one usually sees in this battle, so frequently dismissed as a precursor to Waterloo with it's decisive Prussian involvement. As with Quatre Bras any officer on either side who plays a role gets a full name check and occasionally a potted biography. This is on top of the usual Campaign series format with it's opposing commanders biographies. One minor drawback that I encountered is that I read it almost immediately after the volume on Quatre Bras so where he doubles up on information, both in the biographies of the main commanders and where he links the fighting to the situation at Quatre Bras seemed a minor flaw to me, however if you are reading this alone then it is not an issue and certainly is not worth knocking a star off the review over.
Franklin excels at describing every stage of the conflict and does well to emphasis the sheer horror of the often extremely close quarter fighting in the streets of the various settlements. The work in unfailingly well written and authoritative. Another excellent addition to the superlative campaign series from Osprey
May 16, 2024
Dealing with the other battle on the 16th of June 1815, Osprey's second Campaign book on Waterloo is more of a companion to Quatre Bras than a sequel.
Interestingly, while having to cover some of the same ground, the introductory sections are quite different from the first book, dealing more with Napoleon's escape from Elba, retaking power in France, and the general military structure set up. We then get the Prussian maneuvers as the French cross the frontier, and a full description of the battle of Ligny.
Like with the first volume, we have six full-color maps, three isometric view maps, and three of Gary Embleton's two page spread illustrations. (This is probably their standard art budget.) "The Battlefield Today" section has current photos of La Haie, part of the Ligne brook, and d'en Ligny.
I haven't read any other books purely on Ligny, and I think this does go into slightly more detail than Hussey's two-volume book on the campaign. The only other current book on Ligny (and Wavre) I know of is Grouchy's Waterloo, which came out two years after this. I haven't read that, but I can say that this book does a good job detailing much of the action, and the full-color presentation helps a lot.
Interestingly, while having to cover some of the same ground, the introductory sections are quite different from the first book, dealing more with Napoleon's escape from Elba, retaking power in France, and the general military structure set up. We then get the Prussian maneuvers as the French cross the frontier, and a full description of the battle of Ligny.
Like with the first volume, we have six full-color maps, three isometric view maps, and three of Gary Embleton's two page spread illustrations. (This is probably their standard art budget.) "The Battlefield Today" section has current photos of La Haie, part of the Ligne brook, and d'en Ligny.
I haven't read any other books purely on Ligny, and I think this does go into slightly more detail than Hussey's two-volume book on the campaign. The only other current book on Ligny (and Wavre) I know of is Grouchy's Waterloo, which came out two years after this. I haven't read that, but I can say that this book does a good job detailing much of the action, and the full-color presentation helps a lot.
December 12, 2020
AMAZIN'
March 16, 2016
Waterloo (2) Ligny is the second in a three-part volume set written by author John Franklin to mark the 200th anniversary of the 1815 campaign, with volume-one focusing on the Battle of Quatre-Bras and volume-three considering the Battle of Waterloo itself. Since there are some common elements to the series, the potential reader is encouraged to read my reviews of the other volumes in conjunction with this one.
Of the four major actions fought during the Waterloo campaign of June 1815, Ligny is perhaps the second least studied, and therefore one of the least written about. However, the author of this title has gone some way in addressing this void present in the current literature. Indeed, any proper understanding of the Waterloo campaign cannot be gained without considering this important clash of the French and Prussian armies on 16 June 1815.
Similar to his first volume, the author examines the main opposing commanders, as well as the opposing armies and strategies. This is done in-depth and forms about the first third of the book. Following on is an equally in-depth examination of the opening stages of the campaign and the battle itself, which consists of the greater part of the title. The author finishes the volume by considering the aftermath of the fighting and including information about the battlefield of Ligny as it appears today. Finally there is a suggested further reading section aimed at assisting those who wish to learn more.
As with volume-one, the book is extremely well written in an easy to follow format and is extremely well illustrated throughout in full colour. The title sits within Osprey’s current campaign series and so follows a strict structure within a prescribed ninety-six pages. However, the reader should not be fooled by the relative shortness of the work, since it is packed heavily with detail and useful analysis. Overall the book deserves a five out of five star rating and deserves a space in the library of both the general reader and the military history enthusiast alike.
Of the four major actions fought during the Waterloo campaign of June 1815, Ligny is perhaps the second least studied, and therefore one of the least written about. However, the author of this title has gone some way in addressing this void present in the current literature. Indeed, any proper understanding of the Waterloo campaign cannot be gained without considering this important clash of the French and Prussian armies on 16 June 1815.
Similar to his first volume, the author examines the main opposing commanders, as well as the opposing armies and strategies. This is done in-depth and forms about the first third of the book. Following on is an equally in-depth examination of the opening stages of the campaign and the battle itself, which consists of the greater part of the title. The author finishes the volume by considering the aftermath of the fighting and including information about the battlefield of Ligny as it appears today. Finally there is a suggested further reading section aimed at assisting those who wish to learn more.
As with volume-one, the book is extremely well written in an easy to follow format and is extremely well illustrated throughout in full colour. The title sits within Osprey’s current campaign series and so follows a strict structure within a prescribed ninety-six pages. However, the reader should not be fooled by the relative shortness of the work, since it is packed heavily with detail and useful analysis. Overall the book deserves a five out of five star rating and deserves a space in the library of both the general reader and the military history enthusiast alike.
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews