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Wellington #1
Wellington: The Path to Victory 1769-1814
A landmark contribution to understanding the real man behind the heroic legend inspired by the triumph at Waterloo
The Duke of Wellington was not just Britain’s greatest soldier, although his seismic struggles as leader of the Allied forces against Napoleon in the Peninsular War deservedly became the stuff of British national legend. Wellington was much a man of vision beyond purely military matters, a politically astute thinker, and a canny diplomat as well as lover, husband, and friend. Rory Muir’s masterful new biography, the first of a two-volume set, is the fruit of a lifetime’s research and discovery into Wellington and his times. The author brings Wellington into much sharper focus than ever before, addressing his masterstrokes and mistakes in equal measure. Muir looks at all aspects of Wellington’s career, from his unpromising youth through his remarkable successes in India and his role as junior minister in charge of Ireland, to his controversial military campaigns. With dramatic descriptions of major battles and how they might have turned out differently, the author underscores the magnitude of Wellington’s achievements. The biography is the first to address the major significance of Wellington’s political connections and shrewdness, and to set his career within the wider history of British politics and the war against Napoleon. The volume also revises Wellington’s reputation for being cold and aloof, showing instead a man of far more complex and interesting character.
The Duke of Wellington was not just Britain’s greatest soldier, although his seismic struggles as leader of the Allied forces against Napoleon in the Peninsular War deservedly became the stuff of British national legend. Wellington was much a man of vision beyond purely military matters, a politically astute thinker, and a canny diplomat as well as lover, husband, and friend. Rory Muir’s masterful new biography, the first of a two-volume set, is the fruit of a lifetime’s research and discovery into Wellington and his times. The author brings Wellington into much sharper focus than ever before, addressing his masterstrokes and mistakes in equal measure. Muir looks at all aspects of Wellington’s career, from his unpromising youth through his remarkable successes in India and his role as junior minister in charge of Ireland, to his controversial military campaigns. With dramatic descriptions of major battles and how they might have turned out differently, the author underscores the magnitude of Wellington’s achievements. The biography is the first to address the major significance of Wellington’s political connections and shrewdness, and to set his career within the wider history of British politics and the war against Napoleon. The volume also revises Wellington’s reputation for being cold and aloof, showing instead a man of far more complex and interesting character.
744 pages, Paperback
First published October 1, 2013
49 people are currently reading
631 people want to read
About the author
Rory Muir
14 books32 followersRory Muir is a visiting research fellow at the University of Adelaide and a renowned expert on British history. His books include Britain and the Defeat of Napoleon and his two-part biography of Wellington, which won the SAHR Templer Medal.
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Displaying 1 - 25 of 25 reviews
April 3, 2024
I enjoyed this heavy read and felt I learned a great deal about the Arthur Wellesly, the 1st Duke of Wellington. I thought this was on par with Adam Zamoyski's Napoleon: detailed, good readability, and material that was neither dry nor excessive. This is the first volume of a two-set biography. This detailed his birth, his unhappy childhood, and gradual climb through the ranks as a young officer to battling Napoleon via the Peninsular War.
There was much information that detailed his childhood and upbringing that led him to his commissioning as ensign in the military. His first military experience in India was involved in the Maratha Wars. There he took up the office of Governor of Seringapatam and Mysore. The confidence, self-sufficiency, and discretion he learned in India would mold him into a decisive strategic leader that would lead to success in Iberia
The majority of the book discussed his action and leadership in the Iberian Peninsula against the French. There was a lot of information detailing simultaneous military battle and political maneuvering, similar to most important figures during the Napoleonic Wars era. The narrative concluded with Toulouse in 1814.
The author did a good job of incorporating the military, political, economic, and foreign policy aspects of at-the-time European politics into the narrative. Overall I enjoyed this and there was a lot to absorb while reading. I would recommend this to anyone interested in the military and political climate of the era as well as the Napoleonic Wars. Thanks!
There was much information that detailed his childhood and upbringing that led him to his commissioning as ensign in the military. His first military experience in India was involved in the Maratha Wars. There he took up the office of Governor of Seringapatam and Mysore. The confidence, self-sufficiency, and discretion he learned in India would mold him into a decisive strategic leader that would lead to success in Iberia
From the day he took command of the army in Portugal in April 1809 to the day that news of Napoleon's abdication reached him, Wellington took the weight of responsibility for success or failure squarely on his shoulders. A politically controversial figure at home, and with a weak government that would be unable to protect him in the event of failure, he would be held responsible for any defeat whether he was really to blame or not. pg 588Once he came back to England, he took up political experience as Chief Secretary of Ireland and member of the Irish House of Commons, and was involved in military action in the Netherlands and Denmark.
The majority of the book discussed his action and leadership in the Iberian Peninsula against the French. There was a lot of information detailing simultaneous military battle and political maneuvering, similar to most important figures during the Napoleonic Wars era. The narrative concluded with Toulouse in 1814.
The author did a good job of incorporating the military, political, economic, and foreign policy aspects of at-the-time European politics into the narrative. Overall I enjoyed this and there was a lot to absorb while reading. I would recommend this to anyone interested in the military and political climate of the era as well as the Napoleonic Wars. Thanks!
October 30, 2025
His Journey
Rory Muir is the modern day expert on Arthur Wellesley, 1st Duke of Wellington. He is a respected historian known for his work on the Napoleonic Wars, including his book on Wellington’s destruction of the French at Salamanca in 1812, the battle which proved Wellington was not just a defensive general. Wellington: The Path to Victory 1769-1814 is the first in a two part series and looks at the first half of Wellington’s life, showing how a younger son of an Anglo-Irish aristocrat little little potential grew into one of the most competent generals in world history. It ends with the invasion of France in 1814 and the first abdication of Napoleon Bonaparte. The book is meticulously researched and richly detailed. It offers a comprehensive examination of Arthur Wellesley, in his military, political and personal life before he became the Duke of Wellington.
Muir approaches Wellington with a blend of admiration and critical distance, providing a balanced portrait of a complex figure. He delves deep into Wellington’s early life, his family background, and his early military campaigns, particularly in India and the Iberian Peninsula. Muir’s narrative is both scholarly and accessible, avoiding hagiography while acknowledging Wellington's brilliance as a strategist and leader. One of the book’s strengths is Muir’s attention to detail. He draws extensively on primary sources, including letters, diaries, and military dispatches, to offer insights into Wellington’s character, motivations, and the challenges he faced. Muir is particularly effective in exploring Wellington's development as a commander, showing how his experiences in India shaped his tactical thinking and how his cautious yet decisive approach was crucial in the Peninsular War against Napoleon's forces.
Muir also addresses Wellington's political career and his relationships with contemporaries, such as his brothers Richard and William, Castlereigh, Canning, Bathurst and the Duke of York, painting a picture of a man who was as skilled in diplomacy and political maneuvering as he was on the battlefield. The author doesn’t shy away from discussing Wellington's flaws, including his aloofness, occasional arrogance, and his struggles with political life, which adds depth to the biography. He also addresses his relationship with his wife Kitty Pakenham, dispelling the myth that he married her for ‘honour’ after making a promise years before. Muir explains that when he returned from India he married her because he wanted to and it was only in later years they became estranged as is depicted by most biographers.
The narrative is thorough, sometimes overwhelmingly so, with Muir’s attention to military details occasionally bogging down the pace for readers less familiar with the intricacies of 18th and early 19th-century warfare. However, for those with a deep interest in military history, this level of detail will likely be appreciated. I fall into the latter category, so a thoroughly enjoyed this approach and as a result I cannot wait to tackle volume two. The book is more than just Wellington, it is a window into the age, the Napoleonic Wars and regency politics. Wellington was at the apex of this society, but did not have it all his own way. The Peace of Cintra being case in point where he was near done before he started. The book also highlights the difficulties of the Peninsula War and how this was a long and complex process to expel the French from Portugal and Spain over the course of five years. The allies suffered multiple setbacks including Sir John Moore’s ill fated retreat to Coruña in 1809. Wellington’s great victory at Salamanca was also at a time when their backs were against the wall and could have ended in disaster.
Overall, Wellington: The Path to Victory 1769-1814 is an authoritative and engrossing work that will appeal to both scholars and general readers interested in the Napoleonic Wars, military history, and the life of one of Britain’s greatest generals. Muir succeeds in providing a nuanced and comprehensive portrait of Wellington, making this book a significant contribution to our understanding of the man behind the myth. For me there is no apparent contender to the most comprehensive study of Wellington in recent years. Richard Holmes’ excellent but short biography is a great starting point, Christopher Hibbert’s focuses more on the personal as opposed to all aspects of his life and Elizabeth Longford’s offer still commands respect if a little dated. As such, this is clearly the go to.
Rory Muir is the modern day expert on Arthur Wellesley, 1st Duke of Wellington. He is a respected historian known for his work on the Napoleonic Wars, including his book on Wellington’s destruction of the French at Salamanca in 1812, the battle which proved Wellington was not just a defensive general. Wellington: The Path to Victory 1769-1814 is the first in a two part series and looks at the first half of Wellington’s life, showing how a younger son of an Anglo-Irish aristocrat little little potential grew into one of the most competent generals in world history. It ends with the invasion of France in 1814 and the first abdication of Napoleon Bonaparte. The book is meticulously researched and richly detailed. It offers a comprehensive examination of Arthur Wellesley, in his military, political and personal life before he became the Duke of Wellington.
Muir approaches Wellington with a blend of admiration and critical distance, providing a balanced portrait of a complex figure. He delves deep into Wellington’s early life, his family background, and his early military campaigns, particularly in India and the Iberian Peninsula. Muir’s narrative is both scholarly and accessible, avoiding hagiography while acknowledging Wellington's brilliance as a strategist and leader. One of the book’s strengths is Muir’s attention to detail. He draws extensively on primary sources, including letters, diaries, and military dispatches, to offer insights into Wellington’s character, motivations, and the challenges he faced. Muir is particularly effective in exploring Wellington's development as a commander, showing how his experiences in India shaped his tactical thinking and how his cautious yet decisive approach was crucial in the Peninsular War against Napoleon's forces.
Muir also addresses Wellington's political career and his relationships with contemporaries, such as his brothers Richard and William, Castlereigh, Canning, Bathurst and the Duke of York, painting a picture of a man who was as skilled in diplomacy and political maneuvering as he was on the battlefield. The author doesn’t shy away from discussing Wellington's flaws, including his aloofness, occasional arrogance, and his struggles with political life, which adds depth to the biography. He also addresses his relationship with his wife Kitty Pakenham, dispelling the myth that he married her for ‘honour’ after making a promise years before. Muir explains that when he returned from India he married her because he wanted to and it was only in later years they became estranged as is depicted by most biographers.
The narrative is thorough, sometimes overwhelmingly so, with Muir’s attention to military details occasionally bogging down the pace for readers less familiar with the intricacies of 18th and early 19th-century warfare. However, for those with a deep interest in military history, this level of detail will likely be appreciated. I fall into the latter category, so a thoroughly enjoyed this approach and as a result I cannot wait to tackle volume two. The book is more than just Wellington, it is a window into the age, the Napoleonic Wars and regency politics. Wellington was at the apex of this society, but did not have it all his own way. The Peace of Cintra being case in point where he was near done before he started. The book also highlights the difficulties of the Peninsula War and how this was a long and complex process to expel the French from Portugal and Spain over the course of five years. The allies suffered multiple setbacks including Sir John Moore’s ill fated retreat to Coruña in 1809. Wellington’s great victory at Salamanca was also at a time when their backs were against the wall and could have ended in disaster.
Overall, Wellington: The Path to Victory 1769-1814 is an authoritative and engrossing work that will appeal to both scholars and general readers interested in the Napoleonic Wars, military history, and the life of one of Britain’s greatest generals. Muir succeeds in providing a nuanced and comprehensive portrait of Wellington, making this book a significant contribution to our understanding of the man behind the myth. For me there is no apparent contender to the most comprehensive study of Wellington in recent years. Richard Holmes’ excellent but short biography is a great starting point, Christopher Hibbert’s focuses more on the personal as opposed to all aspects of his life and Elizabeth Longford’s offer still commands respect if a little dated. As such, this is clearly the go to.
February 11, 2018
I love novels about the Napoleonic Era. You can't read too many of those without encountering Arthur Wellesley. I have been intrigued by him for many years, and my in-laws bought this wonderful biography for a gift to me. Wellington:the Path to Victory 1769-1814 is fantastic. My understanding of the the Penisular war has expanded so much as a result of this book. I got deep insights into Wellington's character. I am fascinated by what I learned about Wellesley's time in India. I cannot wait for Muir to Publish the second volume. Maybe I will camp out at Barnes and Noble the night it is released and dress up like Wellington at Waterloo.
December 11, 2015
With only three chapters left to go, I feel I can write something worthwhile. I have been studying Wellington's role as a strategist for some years and have come to a few conclusions myself. One of the main ones is that Wellington learned a lot from his first real battle, Seringapatam in India. This battle was fought at night and was a fiasco. As far as I can tell, Wellington took away from this battle the conviction that communication is everything - knowing where your troops are, where the enemy is, and being able to get that information to the commanding officer, in this case, himself. I feel that this conviction led directly to his success in later battles where he used young officers to ride to different points of the battlefield and bring back information. He himself also rode all over at the front to see what was happening in his own vicinity. That was his strength at defensive tactics. He also NEVER fought another night battle. I was disappointed that Muir only reports the facts of the battle without drawing any conclusions from it, so I wasn't expecting much from the rest of the book. As I read further, I found, however, that Muir does have a lot to offer. The effects of disease, the difficulties of getting food and ordinance across country to the soldiers, the everyday difficulties the common soldier faced during the Peninsular Wars are all here and very well done. He has done a superb job of gathering information from letters and dispatches and many other sources and pulling it together. I have just finished his chapter on the siege of Burgos, where Muir does draw a conclusion about Wellington. It is the third or fourth time that he has relied on his engineers to get a job done without the proper equipment. Muir says it is one of the biggest mistakes of his career that he did not call for the siege equipment to be brought up from Almeida, although Burgos was not part of his original plan of campaign and there is some question about whether there was time for it to be brought up. My take on this mistake is that Wellington repeatedly took the assurance of his engineers that they could get the job done, which tells me that he knew little to nothing about engineering, since in all other matters he took a direct involvement, whether it was movement of food and equipment or pay for the men, for which other officers had the responsibility. He was indefatigable in his efforts to keep his army on its feet, clothed and fed and armed and disciplined over difficult terrain and weather conditions. 12-11-2015: Just finished the book and don't think I would change anything I have written previously, but I will add that the final six pages of chapter 34 are a recap by Muir of the Peninsular campaign which is thoroughly and even perhaps brilliantly done, pulling everything together in summary that he had written in detail before, allowing the reader to get a good overall picture now that each battle is under his/her belt, so to speak. I'm definitely going on to the next volume.
August 18, 2015
Arthur Wellesley, 1st duke of Wellington, stands as one of the most iconic figures in British history, Innumerable books have been written about him, mainly if not exclusively focusing on his military career. One of the great strengths of Rory Muir's excellent biography -- the first of a projected two volumes -- is that in recounting his military service he does not neglect the less glamorous political side of his early career, one that was intertwined with his years in uniform.
This alone makes Muir's book an improvement over its predecessor Elizabeth Longford's Wellington: The Years of the Sword. Yet there is much more to recommend it. Muir takes advantage of previously unutilized sources to give a more well-rounded portrait of Wellington's life and career, one that puts to flight the traditional image of the aloof figure of old. Instead the reader is introduced to a more compassionate figure, one whose interest in the welfare and discipline of his troops serve as keys to his later success in his campaigns. Such attention helped to preserve his army in its grueling effort to drive out the French, first from Portugal, then Spain. By keeping them together, Wellington and his men triumphed over their numerically superior forces, and they were steadily advancing in southern France when the war ended and Muir closes out this book
Extensively researched and clearly written, Muir's Wellington offers an excellent account of his life and campaigns. Hopefully soon Muir will complete the second volume; when he does, readers will have the best biography available of his extensive and varied career as a soldier and statesman. For me it cannot come out soon enough.
This alone makes Muir's book an improvement over its predecessor Elizabeth Longford's Wellington: The Years of the Sword. Yet there is much more to recommend it. Muir takes advantage of previously unutilized sources to give a more well-rounded portrait of Wellington's life and career, one that puts to flight the traditional image of the aloof figure of old. Instead the reader is introduced to a more compassionate figure, one whose interest in the welfare and discipline of his troops serve as keys to his later success in his campaigns. Such attention helped to preserve his army in its grueling effort to drive out the French, first from Portugal, then Spain. By keeping them together, Wellington and his men triumphed over their numerically superior forces, and they were steadily advancing in southern France when the war ended and Muir closes out this book
Extensively researched and clearly written, Muir's Wellington offers an excellent account of his life and campaigns. Hopefully soon Muir will complete the second volume; when he does, readers will have the best biography available of his extensive and varied career as a soldier and statesman. For me it cannot come out soon enough.
October 3, 2016
The first installment of the excellent and new biography of the Duke of Wellington by Rory Muir. The enormous amount of information and historical overview doesn't overwhelm the beautiful prose. This would seem to now be the go-to book on the Duke for all you Napoleonic era fans out there.
December 6, 2019
Rory Muir would really really like you to know that his 30 years researching one guy was a productive use of his time. Worth two volumes even.
The Duke of Wellington is one of, if not the, most famous British Generals of all time. Successful first in India, Wellington made his reputation over nearly 5 years of fighting in Spain before his date with destiny (and Napoleon) at Waterloo. Later serving as a prime minister, he’s a pretty reasonable subject for a multi-volume biography, albeit one of this size tends to suggest it will serve as a source for later and more general works on the period.
This book is Volume 1 of a life where the biggest event happens in Volume 2. It is also primarily about military campaigning. For a breather, it switches to the intricacies of Cabinet politics and the patronage system. Finally, everyone’s long dead so we have to scrabble through baptismal records, letters, memorandums and newspapers to construct three dimensional figures.
Muir dashes from source to source, carefully considering every judgement he renders on Wellington and his contemporaries. Any psychological assessments are limited to the evidence. It’s history at its safest and I have to credit the author for generally keeping the narrative flow. Muir also did a good job shining a light on Wellington's brothers, Lord Wellesley being a key figure throughout this period.
In terms of the battles, of which there are many, there’s a limit to how much “Monday morning quarterbacking” we can do today on Napoleonic era military maneuvers. The restrained comments on the battles here is probably the most suitable approach. Muir shows awareness of the condition and morale of the men making up the armies and what drove the decisions that various commanders made.
It’s not a 5 stars universal must read. The subject matter is pretty narrow and a general history of the period will serve you just fine. The prose is good but not transcendent, and you miss the sniff of gunpowder at times. Muir has spent his 30 years well though, and I am sure it will be a benefit to later authors.
The Duke of Wellington is one of, if not the, most famous British Generals of all time. Successful first in India, Wellington made his reputation over nearly 5 years of fighting in Spain before his date with destiny (and Napoleon) at Waterloo. Later serving as a prime minister, he’s a pretty reasonable subject for a multi-volume biography, albeit one of this size tends to suggest it will serve as a source for later and more general works on the period.
This book is Volume 1 of a life where the biggest event happens in Volume 2. It is also primarily about military campaigning. For a breather, it switches to the intricacies of Cabinet politics and the patronage system. Finally, everyone’s long dead so we have to scrabble through baptismal records, letters, memorandums and newspapers to construct three dimensional figures.
Muir dashes from source to source, carefully considering every judgement he renders on Wellington and his contemporaries. Any psychological assessments are limited to the evidence. It’s history at its safest and I have to credit the author for generally keeping the narrative flow. Muir also did a good job shining a light on Wellington's brothers, Lord Wellesley being a key figure throughout this period.
In terms of the battles, of which there are many, there’s a limit to how much “Monday morning quarterbacking” we can do today on Napoleonic era military maneuvers. The restrained comments on the battles here is probably the most suitable approach. Muir shows awareness of the condition and morale of the men making up the armies and what drove the decisions that various commanders made.
It’s not a 5 stars universal must read. The subject matter is pretty narrow and a general history of the period will serve you just fine. The prose is good but not transcendent, and you miss the sniff of gunpowder at times. Muir has spent his 30 years well though, and I am sure it will be a benefit to later authors.
March 25, 2019
Note to self: a book about a great military hero will go into nauseating detail about every battle plan the hero made and describe every battle, where it was fought, who assisted him, and who were his opponents. I encountered this recently in U.S. Grant's memoirs. Or, as Maxwell Smart would say: "The Old Military-Genius-Boring-Battle-Book" trick. Second time I fell for it this month." Not that this was totally boring. I am very interested in the British era after the American Revolution up to the present day. Wellington's career was just beginning the late 1700s and his military exploits were overshadowed by the events of the day and by characters like George III, William Pitt the Younger, and Lords Grenville and Liverpool. England had lost most its empire in North America but didn't have time to lick its wounds due to the Napoleon menace. With such a far flung empire England was having difficulty holding the empire together and countering Napoleon on the continent. England was in need of a hero. Wellington's renown didn't emerge immediately. He served with great success in lesser positions in India where most English military victories there could be attributed to his generalship. As his abilities became more widely noticed he was put in charge of the English army during the Peninsular Wars defending Portugal from the French and then pushing them out of Spain. This phase of his career, and this book, ends with his army pushing into France and the surrender of Napoleon in 1814. Part Two of Muir's study of Wellington encompasses the remainder of his career from Waterloo to Prime Minister to advisor to Queen Victoria. I like forward to reading it. But not yet.
July 29, 2019
1. The educational value
I know nothing about Wellington. Well, apart from what I've learned from reading Sharpe books, but that doesn't count. So I cannot judge the quality of information, but it looked well-researched. I liked that the author tried to give us context.
2. It wasn't fun to read, but what did I expect
Sometimes I couldn't quite follow what was going on – not that I tried that hard. The book could be dry and boring at times, not gonna lie.
3. Fucking biographies, man
I don't like them. Spending a book focused on one historical figure is too much for me, even when it's Arthur Wellesley. I don't believe in Great People history, either, I'd prefer a more systemic approach. That being said, as I have already mentioned, I appreciated that the author at least tried to put Wellington's campaigns into a larger context.
Conclusion: I don't feel like I've wasted my time or anything, and I'm glad I've learned something about one of my favorite historical figures. But my dislike of biographies was reinforced – I guess it's just not a format for me.
I know nothing about Wellington. Well, apart from what I've learned from reading Sharpe books, but that doesn't count. So I cannot judge the quality of information, but it looked well-researched. I liked that the author tried to give us context.
2. It wasn't fun to read, but what did I expect
Sometimes I couldn't quite follow what was going on – not that I tried that hard. The book could be dry and boring at times, not gonna lie.
3. Fucking biographies, man
I don't like them. Spending a book focused on one historical figure is too much for me, even when it's Arthur Wellesley. I don't believe in Great People history, either, I'd prefer a more systemic approach. That being said, as I have already mentioned, I appreciated that the author at least tried to put Wellington's campaigns into a larger context.
Conclusion: I don't feel like I've wasted my time or anything, and I'm glad I've learned something about one of my favorite historical figures. But my dislike of biographies was reinforced – I guess it's just not a format for me.
November 4, 2016
This is a wonderfully detailed book describing the Duke of Wellington's early life from birth up to but not including Waterloo. Here in America we know about the battle of Waterloo but most people know little if anything about the Peninsular War preceding it. The book comes to life with many portraits of day to day activities as well as battle scenes and political controversies. It is almost impossible to put this book down once you start reading it. The descriptions are so vivid that you feel that you are campaigning in Spain and Portugal with the British army and that you know its general intimately. It's a must-read for history buffs.
June 17, 2018
The majority of people, if they have ever heard of the Duke of Wellington are most likely to associate him with the battle of Waterloo, in which Napoleon was finally defeated. For most people they are content with that snippet of history and don’t feel the need to dig any deeper. For others, they may be more aware of the change wrought to Europe by the Napoleonic wars and the key part played by the small British army in the Peninsular between the years of 1808 to 1814.
One of the earliest books I can recall reading about Wellington and his army was the fine book by renowned military historian , Anthony Brett-James ‘ Life in Wellington’s Army’ which was quite the opposite of a standard military history, being concerned primarily by what the soldiers were doing for the other 99% of the time that they were not actively involved in battle. This detailed with the reminisces of the soldiers themselves about life on the march, in camps, during times of boredom during the long years of campaigning in Spain and Portugal. After reading the book I was left with the feeling that Wellington took a great deal of care over the welfare of his troops, particularly in the area of supply and this created a great contrast with the methods of the French.
The great unknown, up until the reading of this latest Wellington Biography by Rory Muir, was how Wellington had arrived in the Peninsular in 1808 seemingly fully formed as a general and immediately set up a very competent series of battles and campaigns. Muir covers in great detail the life of Wellington from his birth in 1769 up until the end of the long campaign in the Peninsular and Southern France in April 1814 when the abdication of Napoleon finally ended almost 20 years of continuous warfare between the French and various coalitions of Allies. While it is not a detailed military history with minute analysis of the battles and campaigns it is nevertheless a comprehensive and well written book that both the casual reader wanting to know more and the more knowledgeable reader with an in depth understanding of history will both enjoy.
The details of Wellingtons early career in India and how he learned his trade, along with a narrative on his political career upon his return from India and his appearance in Portugal provide the framework to understand how Wellington become the foremost British general of his age. Despite its length, I found the book well written and divided into logical chapters than covered pivotal actions in a logical way, and while the maps were not extensive they were clear and provided sufficient detail to understand the narrative and the flow of action.
One of the earliest books I can recall reading about Wellington and his army was the fine book by renowned military historian , Anthony Brett-James ‘ Life in Wellington’s Army’ which was quite the opposite of a standard military history, being concerned primarily by what the soldiers were doing for the other 99% of the time that they were not actively involved in battle. This detailed with the reminisces of the soldiers themselves about life on the march, in camps, during times of boredom during the long years of campaigning in Spain and Portugal. After reading the book I was left with the feeling that Wellington took a great deal of care over the welfare of his troops, particularly in the area of supply and this created a great contrast with the methods of the French.
The great unknown, up until the reading of this latest Wellington Biography by Rory Muir, was how Wellington had arrived in the Peninsular in 1808 seemingly fully formed as a general and immediately set up a very competent series of battles and campaigns. Muir covers in great detail the life of Wellington from his birth in 1769 up until the end of the long campaign in the Peninsular and Southern France in April 1814 when the abdication of Napoleon finally ended almost 20 years of continuous warfare between the French and various coalitions of Allies. While it is not a detailed military history with minute analysis of the battles and campaigns it is nevertheless a comprehensive and well written book that both the casual reader wanting to know more and the more knowledgeable reader with an in depth understanding of history will both enjoy.
The details of Wellingtons early career in India and how he learned his trade, along with a narrative on his political career upon his return from India and his appearance in Portugal provide the framework to understand how Wellington become the foremost British general of his age. Despite its length, I found the book well written and divided into logical chapters than covered pivotal actions in a logical way, and while the maps were not extensive they were clear and provided sufficient detail to understand the narrative and the flow of action.
August 9, 2022
In Napoleon's Wars, historian Charles Esdaile asked whether Napoleon was proof of the 'great man' view of history. Rather frustratingly, he seemed to answer both yes and no. There was no such equivocal fudging in Wellington's own estimate of himself: 'It's a fine thing to be a great man, is it not?' is how he put it to Lady Shelley, as the crowds lionised him in 1814.
Nor is Rory Muir stinting in his praise, in ‘Wellington, The Path To Victory’, when he observes that 'When every other allowance has been made for the contributions of others, Wellington remains the central, indispensable, animating figure in explaining the allied success in the Peninsula.'
Or, to state it even more strongly, whilst even many of Wellington's most capable subordinates 'could have been replaced without any great change in the course of affairs. Wellington, by contrast, was quite simply irreplaceable – the essential ingredient of victory.'
Rory Muir's ‘Wellington, The Path To Victory’ is only the first part of a two-volume biography. Three decades in the making, and with an online commentary (www.lifeofwellington.co.uk) that the author says is almost as big as the two-volume work itself, Muir displays a passionate interest in his subject which his book successfully communicates.
I already have a much shorter and as yet unread Wellington biog, by Elizabeth Longford (apparently this is itself a much-reduced version of another two-volume biography of the 'Iron Duke'!). But, for a number of reasons, I've always kind of avoided Wellington, and, even more self-consciously, the Peninsular Campaign, the war that really made him, and the campaign which, in many respects, forms the backbone of this volume.
Despite this self-imposed prohibition on things British and Wellingtonian I've always allowed myself the latitude to indulge a Waterloo fixation, as that was the battle that begat my interest in the Napoleonic era. But even when I read what I believe was my first piece of writing on that subject - a feature in an Eagle annual on Ensign Ewart's capture of the Eagle of the 45th - it was the French that had the real mystique for me. And my subsequent reading in things Napoleonic has focussed mainly on Napoleon and his major campaigns, from Egypt and Italy to his continual scraps with Austria, Prussia and Russia.
Britain's part in the Napoleonic Wars, outside of Trafalgar and Waterloo, had always seemed to me, like our physical position in Europe, peripheral. Certainly for the most part Napoleon, to his cost, treated Wellington's activities in the Peninsula as a sideshow. And then there's something about the anti-Enlightenment stance that runs through the British anti-Jacobin and then Boney-phobic stance of the era - so beautifully illustrated in the prints of Gillray et al - that always rankled. As did a nagging image of the English elite as paymaster war-pimps of Ancien Regime Europe, continually bankrolling never-ending coalitions that sought to reverse the effects of the French Revolution, and restore a supposedly 'legitimate' Bourbon to the French throne.
As part of this general position, my sceptical views about Wellington were largely confirmed, and perhaps even strengthened, by such brushes with him as hearing the Wellington vs Napoleon episode of BBC Radio 4’s ‘In Our Time’, or reading Peter Hofschröer's fascinating book, ‘Wellington's Smallest Victory’. But there's really no getting away from it: love him, loathe him, or whatever you may feel, Britain's role in Napoleon's downfall, and Wellington's crucial part in that, as the most potent military instrument of British diplomatic will, is, as Muir so adroitly confirms in this book, inescapable.
But I didn't yet know, or rather fully appreciate this, as I stood in the wonderful military history section of Ely's Topping Books a couple of weeks ago, deliberating on what little literary treat a recent and unexpected utility-bill refund windfall might allow me. After long deliberation I settled on this rather fat tome, and I've been glued to it ever since.
Wellington was in his lifetime sometimes controversial, and not always greatly loved, and Muir's portrait, whilst backlit by a clear and understandable admiration for the man and his achievements, is no hagiography. One key insight for me is that Muir attributes Wellington's key motivation not to egomania, although he did suffer from this to some degree, but vocation: in India he discovered he had military and diplomatic talents, and he moved back to Europe to further pursue and enlarge upon these.
Muir also paints Wellington as a pragmatist, not a theorist, and in both judgements I'd agree, and observe that these qualities give him a different but still very powerful charisma: he knew what he excelled in, and he pursued it. This is not the same as the romantic hero/adventurer charisma - although Wellington was undoubtedly both these things in many ways - of Napoleon. But as Muir drily observes, one Napoleon is enough for any generation!
As well as Wellington's impressive track record as a master of strategy and tactics, I share Muir's admiration for his interest in logistics, and, in connection with that, his concern, both humane and eminently pragmatic (far more sustainable than Napoleon's 'war must pay for war' idea) that the costs of war shouldn't be borne unduly by the civil population in theatres of conflict. As cold a fish as many may have found him on a personal level, these things speak for an underlying humanity that subsequent military theorists and practitioners have very largely abandoned.
I still don't find Wellington as charismatic, intriguing or, speaking frankly, romantically appealing as Napoleon. But then neither, according to Muir, did many of Wellington's own staff. That he was admired, respected and followed with great devotion is certain, but it seems not many found him easy to love; not even his wife (although to be fair to her she certainly tried [1]). But the story of his rise to prominence, via Irish politics, as an MP in England, a 'Sepoy General' in India, and culminating in his expert handling of the British Army and it's allies in the long Peninsular campaign, is a fascinating one, which Muir tells very well.
Longford's two volumes were entitled The Years Of The Sword, and Pillar Of State. I haven't read either, nor yet even the much truncated single volume edition I have. But Muir has chosen to end his first Wellington volume, not in 1815, with the perhaps more obvious military marker of Waterloo, but in 1814, with the end of the campaign that saw Napoleon finally abdicating.
The cynic in me wonders if Muir has done this (either on his own cognisance, or at a crafty editors bidding), so as to ensure that military buff types - us fellows - buy the second volume, to get our Waterloo fix. If the divide was post-Warerloo, I must confess that, as interested as I am in history generally, volume one may have been all I felt I needed!
Writing for The New Statesman, Simon Heffer enthuses 'The second volume - to judge by his first - cannot come soon enough.' Well, I have to say I thoroughly enjoyed this, and fairly breezed through the near-600 pages. Waterloo is tempting, to an addict like me. But will I need the remaining 500 pages of volume two? Hmm!? A difficult call!
Nor is Rory Muir stinting in his praise, in ‘Wellington, The Path To Victory’, when he observes that 'When every other allowance has been made for the contributions of others, Wellington remains the central, indispensable, animating figure in explaining the allied success in the Peninsula.'
Or, to state it even more strongly, whilst even many of Wellington's most capable subordinates 'could have been replaced without any great change in the course of affairs. Wellington, by contrast, was quite simply irreplaceable – the essential ingredient of victory.'
Rory Muir's ‘Wellington, The Path To Victory’ is only the first part of a two-volume biography. Three decades in the making, and with an online commentary (www.lifeofwellington.co.uk) that the author says is almost as big as the two-volume work itself, Muir displays a passionate interest in his subject which his book successfully communicates.
I already have a much shorter and as yet unread Wellington biog, by Elizabeth Longford (apparently this is itself a much-reduced version of another two-volume biography of the 'Iron Duke'!). But, for a number of reasons, I've always kind of avoided Wellington, and, even more self-consciously, the Peninsular Campaign, the war that really made him, and the campaign which, in many respects, forms the backbone of this volume.
Despite this self-imposed prohibition on things British and Wellingtonian I've always allowed myself the latitude to indulge a Waterloo fixation, as that was the battle that begat my interest in the Napoleonic era. But even when I read what I believe was my first piece of writing on that subject - a feature in an Eagle annual on Ensign Ewart's capture of the Eagle of the 45th - it was the French that had the real mystique for me. And my subsequent reading in things Napoleonic has focussed mainly on Napoleon and his major campaigns, from Egypt and Italy to his continual scraps with Austria, Prussia and Russia.
Britain's part in the Napoleonic Wars, outside of Trafalgar and Waterloo, had always seemed to me, like our physical position in Europe, peripheral. Certainly for the most part Napoleon, to his cost, treated Wellington's activities in the Peninsula as a sideshow. And then there's something about the anti-Enlightenment stance that runs through the British anti-Jacobin and then Boney-phobic stance of the era - so beautifully illustrated in the prints of Gillray et al - that always rankled. As did a nagging image of the English elite as paymaster war-pimps of Ancien Regime Europe, continually bankrolling never-ending coalitions that sought to reverse the effects of the French Revolution, and restore a supposedly 'legitimate' Bourbon to the French throne.
As part of this general position, my sceptical views about Wellington were largely confirmed, and perhaps even strengthened, by such brushes with him as hearing the Wellington vs Napoleon episode of BBC Radio 4’s ‘In Our Time’, or reading Peter Hofschröer's fascinating book, ‘Wellington's Smallest Victory’. But there's really no getting away from it: love him, loathe him, or whatever you may feel, Britain's role in Napoleon's downfall, and Wellington's crucial part in that, as the most potent military instrument of British diplomatic will, is, as Muir so adroitly confirms in this book, inescapable.
But I didn't yet know, or rather fully appreciate this, as I stood in the wonderful military history section of Ely's Topping Books a couple of weeks ago, deliberating on what little literary treat a recent and unexpected utility-bill refund windfall might allow me. After long deliberation I settled on this rather fat tome, and I've been glued to it ever since.
Wellington was in his lifetime sometimes controversial, and not always greatly loved, and Muir's portrait, whilst backlit by a clear and understandable admiration for the man and his achievements, is no hagiography. One key insight for me is that Muir attributes Wellington's key motivation not to egomania, although he did suffer from this to some degree, but vocation: in India he discovered he had military and diplomatic talents, and he moved back to Europe to further pursue and enlarge upon these.
Muir also paints Wellington as a pragmatist, not a theorist, and in both judgements I'd agree, and observe that these qualities give him a different but still very powerful charisma: he knew what he excelled in, and he pursued it. This is not the same as the romantic hero/adventurer charisma - although Wellington was undoubtedly both these things in many ways - of Napoleon. But as Muir drily observes, one Napoleon is enough for any generation!
As well as Wellington's impressive track record as a master of strategy and tactics, I share Muir's admiration for his interest in logistics, and, in connection with that, his concern, both humane and eminently pragmatic (far more sustainable than Napoleon's 'war must pay for war' idea) that the costs of war shouldn't be borne unduly by the civil population in theatres of conflict. As cold a fish as many may have found him on a personal level, these things speak for an underlying humanity that subsequent military theorists and practitioners have very largely abandoned.
I still don't find Wellington as charismatic, intriguing or, speaking frankly, romantically appealing as Napoleon. But then neither, according to Muir, did many of Wellington's own staff. That he was admired, respected and followed with great devotion is certain, but it seems not many found him easy to love; not even his wife (although to be fair to her she certainly tried [1]). But the story of his rise to prominence, via Irish politics, as an MP in England, a 'Sepoy General' in India, and culminating in his expert handling of the British Army and it's allies in the long Peninsular campaign, is a fascinating one, which Muir tells very well.
Longford's two volumes were entitled The Years Of The Sword, and Pillar Of State. I haven't read either, nor yet even the much truncated single volume edition I have. But Muir has chosen to end his first Wellington volume, not in 1815, with the perhaps more obvious military marker of Waterloo, but in 1814, with the end of the campaign that saw Napoleon finally abdicating.
The cynic in me wonders if Muir has done this (either on his own cognisance, or at a crafty editors bidding), so as to ensure that military buff types - us fellows - buy the second volume, to get our Waterloo fix. If the divide was post-Warerloo, I must confess that, as interested as I am in history generally, volume one may have been all I felt I needed!
Writing for The New Statesman, Simon Heffer enthuses 'The second volume - to judge by his first - cannot come soon enough.' Well, I have to say I thoroughly enjoyed this, and fairly breezed through the near-600 pages. Waterloo is tempting, to an addict like me. But will I need the remaining 500 pages of volume two? Hmm!? A difficult call!
April 6, 2019
Very solid effort and just the first 'half' of Wellington's (Wellesley's ) life by this author. In the afterword he said he spent some three decades in the writing or research for this effort which is pretty impressive and there seems be everything covered here. Of course I knew little about Wellington beforehand other than he won at Waterloo. His career in India and the Peninsular War is covered in admirable yet digestible detail. The maps are uniformly excellent, no small thing in a book of this sort and the plates are beautiful. Altogether a first-rate production. I'd almost go for 5-stars but for some reason not quite there. Perhaps it is Wellington himself. He impresses thoroughly, but does not particularly inspire. His military competence, and perhaps brilliance is clear as he had an undefeated career in significant battles, at least in India and Spain--something like 15-0 which is fairly incredible. To be in that many dicey situations where innumerable things can go awry and never lose (unless you counted the failed sieges) is impressive on many levels. But he remains somewhat opaque as a person and not someone you would be dying to meet unlike the incandescent Bonaparte who was at least a fascinating character. Rory Muir does his best to infuse Wellington with enough charisma and humanity to make him truly memorable but not there yet. Perhaps book two, which awaits?
March 3, 2015
Rory Muir's _Wellington_ is deeply reserached in primary and secondary sources. Muir is an excellent writer, and his prose flows. He is at great pains to demonstrate Wellington's relations with the British political establishment as well as his more purely military role as a commander of British forces in both India and the Peninsula. This is the definitive biography of Wellington for our generation.
April 2, 2014
A very informative and surprisingly readable book, especially for those of us who only associate Wellington with the Battle of Waterloo. The author has done his homework and presents a complete picture of his subject.
June 15, 2020
Richly detailed, not a hagiography, it feels free to discuss Wellington's personal flaws and takes a realistic view of his contributions. Full of wonderful humanizing anecdotes. A must read for any serious military history fan.
August 1, 2021
Wellington: The Path to Victory by Rory Muir is a fascinating and in depth book looking at the first part of Arthur Wellesley's, the Duke of Wellington, life. This book, unlike many other's that have been written over the years does not split his life between his career in the military and his political life, but looks at his life in whole and how both sides interacted with each other.
We get the full story of his life from his youth (which there is not much known about) to being sent into the army (as an officer) by his mother as he did not show much aptitude for anything, His early years in the army were served as one of the aide de camp for the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland, where the future Iron Duke, spent a lot of time drinking and having various liaisons with women, which may have resulted in the birth of an illegitimate child. During this time he also served as a member of the Irish Parliament where he served as a quiet supported of the government Wellesley first saw action in the 1794 expedition against the French in the Netherlands, which ended in disaster for the British. Wellesely next ended up in India, having a need to leave Britain to try and improve his fortune, having been unable to secure any lucrative posts in the Irish government (Wellesely was getting deeper in debt, living a lifestyle beyond his means) and having been rejected by the Family of Kitty Pakenham, for lacking good future prospects.
In India, Wellesley managed to achieve a degree of success and fame, helped partial by the fact that his eldest brother was soon to become the Lord Governor of India. Wellesley took part in several successful campaigns and served as governor of the newly conquered province of Mysore. Having had his fill of India and seeing his career stalling, Wellesley returned to England where he made friends with influential members of the government, and ended up serving as a member of the British Parliament and as Chief Secretary of Ireland. Back in England, Wellesley continued to rise through the ranks and served in the Danish campaign where he performed admirable, until he ended up in the Pennisula war where he would become the chief commander of forces there, which threw the French out of Portugal and Spain.
This is a very interesting and well written book about the first (and more famous) part of Wellesley/Wellington’s life. It was insightful, as I had no idea just how closely tied the Political and Military aspects of his career were. It also showed me another point, that Wellington had a habit of playing on his connections (by no means something unique to him, most officers of the British army played upon any connection they might have to those in a position of power), if he did not like where he was, or how his commanders were performing, he would complain and where possible, leave, something which I had no idea about before reading this. Rory Muir did an excellent job of trying to remain unbiased towards the man to give a warts and all picture of Wellington, which on the whole he mostly succeeded at. This book is readable for both the general reader and also those with a greater passion for the subject. Definitely worth a read
We get the full story of his life from his youth (which there is not much known about) to being sent into the army (as an officer) by his mother as he did not show much aptitude for anything, His early years in the army were served as one of the aide de camp for the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland, where the future Iron Duke, spent a lot of time drinking and having various liaisons with women, which may have resulted in the birth of an illegitimate child. During this time he also served as a member of the Irish Parliament where he served as a quiet supported of the government Wellesley first saw action in the 1794 expedition against the French in the Netherlands, which ended in disaster for the British. Wellesely next ended up in India, having a need to leave Britain to try and improve his fortune, having been unable to secure any lucrative posts in the Irish government (Wellesely was getting deeper in debt, living a lifestyle beyond his means) and having been rejected by the Family of Kitty Pakenham, for lacking good future prospects.
In India, Wellesley managed to achieve a degree of success and fame, helped partial by the fact that his eldest brother was soon to become the Lord Governor of India. Wellesley took part in several successful campaigns and served as governor of the newly conquered province of Mysore. Having had his fill of India and seeing his career stalling, Wellesley returned to England where he made friends with influential members of the government, and ended up serving as a member of the British Parliament and as Chief Secretary of Ireland. Back in England, Wellesley continued to rise through the ranks and served in the Danish campaign where he performed admirable, until he ended up in the Pennisula war where he would become the chief commander of forces there, which threw the French out of Portugal and Spain.
This is a very interesting and well written book about the first (and more famous) part of Wellesley/Wellington’s life. It was insightful, as I had no idea just how closely tied the Political and Military aspects of his career were. It also showed me another point, that Wellington had a habit of playing on his connections (by no means something unique to him, most officers of the British army played upon any connection they might have to those in a position of power), if he did not like where he was, or how his commanders were performing, he would complain and where possible, leave, something which I had no idea about before reading this. Rory Muir did an excellent job of trying to remain unbiased towards the man to give a warts and all picture of Wellington, which on the whole he mostly succeeded at. This book is readable for both the general reader and also those with a greater passion for the subject. Definitely worth a read
September 19, 2023
Truly an excellent book. Muir's book deserves great acclaim and a much greater audience for the love and devotion that his work exudes.
As the first volume of two, I cannot comment on its fulfilment of the future volume. As a standalone biography of Wellington, it is all-encompassing up until his triumphant return to England in 1814.
From his relatively inauspicious beginnings as a child and young man, Arthur Wellesley was nothing special. It was his connections to his gifted and popular brother, Lord Mornington, that propelled Wellesley into the spotlight. It was Mornington's patronage which allowed Wellesley to thrive in India. This was at a time when more senior officers were being spurned their deserving opportunities for service, earning the brothers the enmity of some top generals, as well as politicians back home. Even with his successes in India, Wellesley needed luck and diligence to reach prominence. Consistent angling, agitating, and connections, allowed Wellesley to be at the top of the list of generals to be sent to Spain. It was his unstinting hard work that allowed him to weather the storm in the aftermath of the convention of Cintra.
His reputation was not unduly damaged after the affair. His career did not falter at this pivotal stage and he went on to have his independent command in the Iberian peninsula. Here is where he literally made his name and eventually was elevated to the peerage and became Wellington.
One poignant observation Muir finds is that Wellington, whilst in command of an efficient military machine, felt for good reason that it could all end in failure with one major setback. There were multiple examples of considerable breakdowns in morale and discipline. His army would be absolutely gunning for the French prior to a pitched battle but then in a subsequent phase where supplies ran low, or a protracted siege would not bear fruit, or the French had rallied and were maneouvering to the British rear, or the weather was just too shit for too long they would almost fall apart. It was quite startling to see that the typically sterling British troops (I am English myself) would crumble after incredibly professional conduct. By contrast, the French had a miserable existence during the war but after several defeats, they would rally incredibly quickly and give numerous headaches to Wellington. It was only in the later stages of the Peninsular War did the French troops really lost their determination in the face of defeat.
This is such a great book with incredible research and ought to be used as a reference and guide for anything Wellington. It does not stint on the details and really captures the Iron Duke's life and personality.
I am absolutely excited for the second volume.
As the first volume of two, I cannot comment on its fulfilment of the future volume. As a standalone biography of Wellington, it is all-encompassing up until his triumphant return to England in 1814.
From his relatively inauspicious beginnings as a child and young man, Arthur Wellesley was nothing special. It was his connections to his gifted and popular brother, Lord Mornington, that propelled Wellesley into the spotlight. It was Mornington's patronage which allowed Wellesley to thrive in India. This was at a time when more senior officers were being spurned their deserving opportunities for service, earning the brothers the enmity of some top generals, as well as politicians back home. Even with his successes in India, Wellesley needed luck and diligence to reach prominence. Consistent angling, agitating, and connections, allowed Wellesley to be at the top of the list of generals to be sent to Spain. It was his unstinting hard work that allowed him to weather the storm in the aftermath of the convention of Cintra.
His reputation was not unduly damaged after the affair. His career did not falter at this pivotal stage and he went on to have his independent command in the Iberian peninsula. Here is where he literally made his name and eventually was elevated to the peerage and became Wellington.
One poignant observation Muir finds is that Wellington, whilst in command of an efficient military machine, felt for good reason that it could all end in failure with one major setback. There were multiple examples of considerable breakdowns in morale and discipline. His army would be absolutely gunning for the French prior to a pitched battle but then in a subsequent phase where supplies ran low, or a protracted siege would not bear fruit, or the French had rallied and were maneouvering to the British rear, or the weather was just too shit for too long they would almost fall apart. It was quite startling to see that the typically sterling British troops (I am English myself) would crumble after incredibly professional conduct. By contrast, the French had a miserable existence during the war but after several defeats, they would rally incredibly quickly and give numerous headaches to Wellington. It was only in the later stages of the Peninsular War did the French troops really lost their determination in the face of defeat.
This is such a great book with incredible research and ought to be used as a reference and guide for anything Wellington. It does not stint on the details and really captures the Iron Duke's life and personality.
I am absolutely excited for the second volume.
August 2, 2025
This is a thorough accounting of the life and times of the Duke of Wellington through 1814. It covers his formative years, schooling and early political appointments. It shows his growth and leadership in India, Ireland and Denmark-Norway. The details of the battles in India given here are simply amazing. The formations, the first hand accounts and the details of the political fallouts and decisions paint the full picture.
The tale continues with a return to England and then shipping off to the Peninsular war. Here he grows over five years as a commander. He fulfills his leadership, character and influence here pushing the French out of the Iberian peninsula. There are triumphs and defeats, but the growth here and how it's told is important. The author here gives a full account, not holding back on any accounts from sources that are available. Success begets status regardless of any shortcomings real or perceived. I'm looking forward to the second half.
The tale continues with a return to England and then shipping off to the Peninsular war. Here he grows over five years as a commander. He fulfills his leadership, character and influence here pushing the French out of the Iberian peninsula. There are triumphs and defeats, but the growth here and how it's told is important. The author here gives a full account, not holding back on any accounts from sources that are available. Success begets status regardless of any shortcomings real or perceived. I'm looking forward to the second half.
June 20, 2024
An informative and well-balanced chronicle of Wellington's early life and pre-Waterloo career. It certainly shed new light on his character for me, for example showing off a more kindly side to him that doesn't often make it through the various well known anecdotes that paint him as an acerbic and aloof figure (which he also clearly was at times). The book certainly doesn't feel as long as it actually is, which is undoubtedly a good thing given there is also a second installment covering the remainder of his life. Overall an excellent biography of a supremely talented leader.
September 12, 2017
There have been a lot of Wellington biographies but this is the best by a long way. Does a good job of revealing the man and debunking many prejudices, however I still didn't quite get the sense of knowing Arthur Wellesley as a person as only the very, very best biographies can do.
February 24, 2021
Great page turner biography. Rony Muir writes well. Only the first part of his life yet highly detailed. Would definitely recommend as a reference if trying to write some paper on him or on his Portugal/Spain campaign.
March 20, 2022
A very good and detailed biography of the subject. He is critical of the subject where warranted and he mostly avoids overlooking mistakes and bad behaviour, as many biographers do.
May 26, 2014
A thorough review of Wellington's service from India through Napoleon's first abdication. The notes are complete and easy to read.
August 21, 2015
A scholarly, comprehensive, and very readable account of Wellington's life and career up to 1814. I look forward to reading the second volume.
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