The Longest Afternoon: The 400 Men Who Decided The Battle Of Waterloo

by Brendan Simms

The true story, told minute by minute, of the soldiers who defeated Napoleon - from Brendan Simms, acclaimed author of Europe: The Struggle for Supremacy Europe had been at war for over twenty years. After a short respite in exile, Napoleon had returned to France and threatened another generation of fighting across the devastated and exhausted continent. At the small Belgian village of Waterloo two large, hastily mobilized armies faced each other to decide the future of Europe. Unknown either to Napoleon or Wellington the battle would be decided by a small, ordinary group of British and German troops given the task of defending the farmhouse of La Haye Sainte. This book tells their extraordinary story, brilliantly recapturing the fear, chaos and chanciness of battle and using previously untapped eye-witness reports. Through determination, cunning and fighting spirit, some four hundred soldiers held off many thousands of French and changed the course of history.

Genres: History, Nonfiction, Military History, War, Audiobook, Military Fiction, France

160 pages, Paperback

First published September 25, 2014

About the author

Brendan Peter Simms is Professor of the History of International Relations in the Department of Politics and International Studies at the University of Cambridge. Simms studied at Trinity College Dublin, where he was elected a scholar in history in 1986, before completing his doctoral dissertation, Anglo-Prussian relations, 1804-1806: The Napoleonic Threat, at Cambridge under the supervision of Professor Tim Blanning in 1993. A Fellow of Peterhouse, he lectures and leads seminars on international history since 1945

Reviews

[Jur · Rating 5 out of 5]

“In der Beschränkung zeigt sich den Meister.”

Brendan Simms has written a beautiful short book on the defence of the La Haye Sainte farm during the Battle of Waterloo. Its garrison throughout the day consisted mostly of Germans and Simms adds new life to their story by introducing a lot of new first hand accounts and academic literature.

The book focuses on the events during the battle, but also offers a good introduction to the King’s German Legion and its role in the long struggle against Napoleon, and a very interesting post-script on the legacy of Waterloo in Hannoverian military history.

My only and minor quibble is that it overemphasises the importance of the farm to the outcome of the battle, but I guess that to justify the writing of the book.

In the torrent of English language books published leading up to the 200th anniversary it stands out for fresh perspective and research. Probably the final account of the struggle for La Haye Sainte from the allied perspective for the foreseeable future.

Take away: given that all three farms across the allied front (La Haye Sainte, Hougoumont and Papelotte) fell or almost fell due to a lack of ammunition, you wonder why arrangements for supply hadn’t been made. Didn’t the British army encounter this problem in their battles in the Peninsula?

[James · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wellington famously described Waterloo as "the nearest run thing you ever saw in your life", and Brendan Simms illustrates this nicely with this concise account of the struggle for control of the Le Haye Sainte farmhouse which anchored the center of the British line.

400 men held the position for the longest time and the theory goes had they yielded earlier, the French would have time to pour through the center, smash through Wellington's army long before Blucher could have come to the rescue. It's always been an excellent way to spend an idle hour or day in thought on whether any individual or small group can truly influence history or if we are all hostage to broad streams of economic and climate change. It is worth noting that there were multiple armies advancing into France let alone the Prussian reinforcements, simply put I find it hard to see how Napoleon would not have just run out of men sooner rather than later.

The fighting was brutal - a walk into repeated salvos, then a bloodsoaked brawl periodically raked by grape shot. I found the stories around the fighting more interesting g than the fighting itself. For a start it was surprising to find out how many of Wellington's army were German, a fact that was not highlighted in my schools version of Waterloo. In the aftermath the author follows the lives of those who survived and the extent to which they suffered. In short there was a lot to interest the more general reader.

[Peter · Rating 3 out of 5]

A concise introduction into the situation in Europe in May 1815, a brief history of the German division of the British Army and its commanders, and then, a detailed description of one day of battle in June 1815, i.e., the battle of Waterloo. The heros of the German division of the British Army hold a key position against overwhelming odds. Echoes of Ukraine.I picked this up in the Waterloo Battlefield Museum last month. Great re-telling.

[Larry · Rating 4 out of 5]

The first day of Waterloo (Quattre Bras) was a tactical surprise for the Allies. Driven back by Napoleon's attack, Allied forces fell back in near disorder. This short book is a microhistory of the second day's key position—one that saved the Allies from losing the larger battle. The key position was the large farmstead called Le Haye Saint, adjacent to a vital crossroad (the Brussels-Chartreu Road intersection) and four hundred meters in front of the main Allied line. Theadvance line was held by a remarkable military unit called the King's German Legion, which was part of the British line of battle but which was largely made up of Germans who fought against Napoleon as a symbol of the tyranny that had driven them from their homeland. Le Haye Saint itself was held by the four-hundred strong 2nd Light BAttalion, flanked by the 1st BN, by other light infantry, and by the 95th Rifles. Like the 95th, the 1st and 2nd BNs were amred with Baker rifles (just like Sharpe's men in Cornwell's novels), and they made the French assaults on their positions very costly. Led well, the battalion at the farm "fought to the last bullet but not to the last man" (p. 126), and retired in order, having suffered thirty-some killed and nearly a hundred wounded. Simms' subtitle—"the 400 Men Who Saved the Battle of Waterloo"—seems well chosen, and he has made the most of the resources available.

[Myke Cole · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a fascinating and impeccably researched account of the valiant action at La Haye Sainte. The author is incredibly even-handed, and steers clear of the temptation to lionize the men who held on despite such incredible odds. He is likewise careful not to lionize the conflict overall, and shows real compassion and intellectual rigor in a field that so often lacks both.

Simms has a fiction-author's gift for finding story beats and providing a dramatic arc that makes the reading of a potentially dry monograph and absolute pleasure. He understands the focus in fiction, as in non-fiction, must be character, and he does his level best with the highly limited source material available for a conflict fought two centuries ago. This is the only reason I did not rate this work 5-stars, as I did Donovan's A Terrible Glory. This is through no fault of the author. As Simms is dealing with the Source material available in 1815, and Donovan, 1876.

Definitely worth your time. A slim volume you will tear through in a couple of days, which is a high compliment to Simms' narrative force.

[Sebastian Palmer · Rating 5 out of 5]

I wrote this review some while ago now, having not long before finished Andrew Roberts 800 page ‘Napoleon The Great’. After that I wanted something that would continue my Napoleonic jag, but wouldn't be quite such a demanding investment in time. Having read Napoleon's own early writing effort, Clisson & Eugénie, in about 10 mins, Brendan Simms' ‘The Longest Afternoon’ turned out to be just what I was after.

Subtitled 'The 400 Men Who Decided The Battle Of Waterloo', it sounds at first a little like it might be trying to re-tell this oft-covered story in the style of what is now termed 'revisionist' history: 'You thought you knew the story? Let me tell you what really happened!' That kind of deal. 2015 is bound to see many new books on the subject, as well as old books recycled or reissued, and in the effort to be noticed a dramatic title could help attract sales and interest. A potentially good example of this kind of attention-grabbing idea is a book I haven't read as yet, entitled ‘The Lie At The Heart Of Waterloo’!

Simms also references the works of Peter Hofschröer several times - Hofschröer is well known in Napoleonic circles, partly for his rather confrontational and controversial stance on one issue very relevant here, his position being succinctly summed up in one of his own titles, ‘Waterloo The German Victory’ - and his (Simms, that is) choice to call his last chapter 'Legacy: a 'German Victory'?' might appear to strengthen this apparent link.

I'm part way through reading the above-mentioned Hofschröer title, so my verdict isn't in on that just yet. But I have to say I really loved his book ‘Wellington's Smallest Victory’, which tells the fascinating story of Capt. Siborne's travails in the course of building his famous Waterloo diorama.

Actually, although Simms addresses a few areas that have been seen by some interested in Waterloo as difficult or contentious, if not necessarily controversies, I certainly don't think he's really intending to start any arguments, or even stoke the fires of such as already exist. But he does make the point, and very well, that perhaps the action at La Haye Sainte, and in particular the role of the King's German Legion in it, hasn't received the attention their part of the story deserves.

With the approaching bicentennial of Waterloo (it was December 2014 when I originally wrote this) the already gargantuan field that is Waterloo literature is only set to get more crowded, and finding interesting angles on the whole shebang becomes more important for both authors and readers. Simms has done a great job in this respect, focussing on the actions at and around La Haye Sainte, a key feature of the battle of Waterloo. The buildings that comprise La Haye Sainte are described thus on Wikipedia: 'a walled farmhouse compound at the foot of an escarpment on the Charleroi-Brussels road'.

One of several key forward positions in Wellington's defensive line, situated centrally between the other two exposed bastions of Hougoumont and Papelotte, it proved to be a small but crucial stronghold in this most famous of battles, absorbing Napoleon's troops in a manner he'd hoped and planned to avoid. Simms' sources are diverse, and woven well into his account, and his writing style is obviously erudite, but also fluent and easy. He certainly isn't stuffily over-academic; it's not often you see a book by a Cambridge academic on Waterloo quoting Abba under a chapter heading!

Another populist reference - and I'm not someone who needs or even wants my history leavened with such things, unless they're pertinent, as they are here - is to the Waterloo episode of the TV series Sharpe, which he notes because it features La Haye Sainte heavily, even portraying Major Baring, who comes as close to a hero as you'll find in Simms' account.

Sergei Bondarchuk's incredible Waterloo movie also depicts some of the action involving La Haye Sainte. In this epic film, although it isn't so central to the film's action as it is in Sharpe's Waterloo, it's certainly portrayed as central to the battle, a fact made abundantly clear when Rod Steiger as Napoleon says 'La Haye Sainte, the one who wins the farmhouse wins the battle'. One of the potentially contentious ideas attached to this subject is whether or not Wellington underestimated the strategic importance of this point of the battlefield, and in doing so risked losing the fight.

The Longest Afternoon is divided into eight chapters, with a short preface, appendices, bibliography and notes. The graphic elements of the edition I have, pictured at the very top of this review, include the cover, a near isometric view of the farm complex used as endpapers, and three maps (La Haye Sainte, the battlefield, and a strategic view of Frech and Allied deployments in Western Europe, in May, 1815). These are all done in a bold linear graphic style that very much resembles old-fashioned woodcuts.

Although this visual style is beautiful, adding to the attractiveness of this particular edition of the book, the maps aren't the greatest I've ever seen, in terms of conveying detail and information. And uniform buffs - and we all know the Napoleonic breed are particulalry tetchy - may find this cover (some editions feature a fantastic oil painting of a scene inside the farmhouse courtyard, as shown below) has some oddities about it. These graphics are by artist and anarchist Clifford Harper [2], a regular contributor of illustrations to the Guardian, amongst other things, who sounds most intriguing!

Chapters are, like the book as a whole, short and easy to read, and remain engaging and informative throughout. The action unfolds chronologically, after a bit of scene-setting concerning the role of Germanic elements in British armies of the era in general, and the Hanoverians in Wellington's force in particular. I found it a compelling read. A real page-turner that was very hard to put down.

Simms avoids giving too much in the way of time-specific details, and after the main body of the text discusses his reasons, which boil down more or less to the ol' 'fog of war' chestnut. He also notes, after citing numerous personal accounts, that we must be cautious in being too trusting of personal memoirs and the like. Perhaps rather like Wellington on the day of battle itself, Simms uses his materials very adroitly, weaving a very colourful, believable, and engaging portrayal of the events depicted.

I won't go into a blow by blow account of the action - buy and read the book for that, Simms does it very well! - but I will say that I thoroughly enjoyed it. Simms himself has high praise for Barbero's The Battle, and I agree with him, certainly that's the most compelling account of the whole battle of Waterloo I've read so far. Simms' short and masterfully executed work offers something refreshingly different, giving us a window onto a small but crucial aspect of this fascinating and horrifying battle. His contribution to this crowded field is terrific, and a real joy to read.

[Jim · Rating 3 out of 5]

A good short piece of military history focusing on the heroic stand of German light infantry in the face of superior forces and their fight to hold up French advances into the center at the Battle of Waterloo. I always enjoy reading about these types of stands. You wonder if you'd have the stuff to stand there if you were in their shoes. Not being a military historian, I couldn't say how accurate the account is, but it seemed pretty good to me and I enjoyed the story.

[Richard Sisson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Excellent account of the defence of the farm of La Haye Sainte at the battle of Waterloo by the King's German Legion reinforced by other allied troops during the day. Well-written and engaging. Gave me a different appreciation of some aspects of the battle. Could have done with a couple more maps, including one of the location of La Haye Sainte on the battlefield, illustrations and the order of battle of the KGL at Waterloo.

[Kyle · Rating 3 out of 5]

A well-deserved exploration of the King’s German Legion’s contribution to the battle of Waterloo at La Haye Sainte. However, like most books detailing specific military action, it lacks decent maps that would provide great help in keeping track of who was where, and when, in this very specific location on the battlefield. It’s also very short, and I feel a more detailed, lengthy, minute-by-minute chronology (accompanied by detailed maps) of the action at La Haye Sainte could have been fashioned from the source material cited. It is, of course, easy to armchair-quarterback such an endeavor. Nonetheless, I’m left wanting more from this topic.

[Andrew Ingham · Rating 3 out of 5]

Bought for me as a present a while
ago and I needed a quick read to hit my target for 2021! A very short account of the fighting at as farmhouse in the middle of the Battle of Waterloo. Nice information on the battle with excellent use of evidence. Interesting thoughts on how Waterloo is remembered as a British victory despite only a third of the soldiers being British.

[Vanewimsey · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book has lots of fascinating details, but not enough of them, and it never really pulls them together into a coherent whole.

The idea is pretty cool: Out of the roughly 140,000 troops involved, focus on the 400 or so (mostly German) who held one critical central position, despite horrific casualties, until they literally ran out of bullets.

But let's face it, prose description of battles can be hard to follow. It helps to have lots of maps and diagrams. (Actually, animation is ideal.) This book, however, has just three maps; only one is of the battlefield, and it doesn't even include the whole battlefield. So as you're reading all about "Hal" and "Hougoumont," you have no way of knowing where they are.

Similarly, it packs in too many named persons without introducing them in any memorable way. Pretty soon, they all blur together as either "Frenchie-named-guy" or "German-named-guy."

To say nothing of the unit numbers ("1st Light Batallion") and troop types (are hussars German and chasseurs French? Or can they be both?).

The book is at its best with the hellish other world of battle. I'll never forget the cavalryman trapped under his shot horse who has only his arms and his sword to defend himself against enemy soldiers trying to steal his stuff.

This would have been better as a scholarly study of one particular aspect of the battle. Instead, it's trying to join the flood of mass-market books about Waterloo flooding the market in 2015, and I think that's a mistake.

[Doug · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a nicely done account of the heroic defense by the Second Light Battalion of the King's German Legion of a critical farmstead and road junction during the final day of the Battle of Waterloo. The book's cover claims that it is the story of, "The 400 men who decided the Battle of Waterloo." Such claims are almost never true and are not in this case. Sounds to me like an overzealous editor trying to sell books since the author clearly states that as important as this action was, it was by no means the sole deciding factor in the battle. What Simms does here is provide a stirring account of the determination and valor of a group of men who withstood horrific artillery barrages and numerous attacks by French infantry and cavalry who outnumbered them not less than ten to one that went on for over six hours. It is interesting that the Kings German Legion is largely ignored in accounts of the battle even though they were largely responsible for maintaining Wellington's center until the arrival of the Prussians. As is so often the case, those who get the credit are decided by the politicians and generals, and the guys who actually did the fighting and dying are forgotten.

[Trish · Rating 4 out of 5]

I felt I ought to read something about Waterloo in the week leading up to the 200th Anniversary of the battle, so I've put a couple of books into the reading rotation. The Longest Afternoon is a history of the KGL defence of La Haye Sainte, one of the key actions of the Battle. Mind you, the account of the battle does read like an adventure story!

[Jake Hahn · Rating 1 out of 5]

As boring as it is short.

[Colin Prendergast · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fabulous monograph on the neglected contribution of the King's German Legion. I'm proud that my 5 times great grandfather, Otto Ricks was one of the survivors from La Haye Sainte!

[Martin Koenigsberg · Rating 4 out of 5]

Quick and Fun read about Waterloo. Reads a little like a novel... Really enjoyed this...

[Geoff Habiger · Rating 4 out of 5]

Probably like many Americans my understanding of the importance of the Battle of Waterloo probably came from a passing tidbit about the Duke of Wellington, the 1970 movie starring Rod Steiger and Christopher Plummer, and of course the ABBA song. We all know that Napoleon’s fate, and attempt to rise again to power in Europe was determined by the battle. But unless you have a deep interest in the battle, or the Napoleonic era, most people’s understanding of the battle is limited to what I mentioned above. In The Longest Afternoon: The 400 Men Who Decided the Battle of Waterloo by Brendan Simms we are given a detailed look at the battle from the perspective of a single group of soldiers, the men of the Kings German Legion (KGL), who held the critical part of the battlefield in the very center of Wellington’s line. The 400 men of this regiment managed to check the mighty French army for most of the day, blunting Napoleon’s attack and allowing the Prussians to enter the battle and “save the day” for Wellington.

Simms does an excellent job of presenting not only the importance of the battle, but detailing the lives of the ordinary German soldiers who fought on the side of England to defeat Napoleon. We get a very personal and intimate understanding of the ordinary soldiers and officers who fought in the KGL, pulled from many memoirs and recollections recorded well after the battle. Simms explains why these Germans chose to fight for England, and how their experience in England, and fighting in the British army against France, helped to shape a Anglophile culture in the area around Hanover (where most of the KGL was from) for years after Napoleon was defeated. The Longest Afternoon shows us the battle told from the individual soldier’s perspective, giving us a better understanding of how honor and duty can overcome the horrors of battle. I was amazed at the personal heroism described in the book, and how the battle ebbed and flowed around the stone farmhouse where the KGL made its defense. Simms also discusses the importance of the arrival of the Prussians, and takes a hard look at the many histories and analysis written in the past 200 years about the battle, showing how mistakes on both sides affected the battle and how the men of the Kings German Legion held out under overwhelming odds, and under conditions that would cause ordinary people to flee in panic.

I recommend The Longest Afternoon for anybody with an interest in military history, European history, or wanting a detailed examination of one of the most critical battles in history. Simms makes the actions of the soldiers relatable for the reader, giving you a personal perspective for the battle.

I listened to the audio edition of the book read by Michael Page. Page does a great job of conveying information in a clear and understandable manner. His style made listening to Simms narrative quite enjoyable.

[Toby · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Longest Afternoon weighs in at a mere 79 pages of text, which compared to the 1000+ pages of David Chandler's epic The Campaigns of Napoleon, makes it one of the more easily digestible books on Napoleonic military history. This in itself has much to commend it. Military history is not the most straightforward to follow, not, that is, unless you have a convenient table full of terrain and mini soldiers with which to enact the various assaults, retreats and outflankings. I have seen the famous Waterloo table terrain which is now at Leeds Royal Armouries, but have no such aid to hand.

Brendan Simms cuts through all this by focusing on just one element of the famous battle, the defence of the farm house at La Haye Sainte, a structure which remarkably still stands today. The farmhouse was defended by almost 400 men of the Kings German Legion (Hanoverians) at considerable cost. Insignificant in itself, it proved to be the main obstacle to Napoleon's full frontal assault on Wellington's centre. By the time that overwhelming attack and lack of ammunition forced the defenders to retreat, the battle had been lost. Blücher had famously arrived with his Prussians in the nick of time.

What makes The Longest Afternoon compelling is that enough of the defenders lived to tell the tale in memoirs and despatches that Simms can put names and faces to what otherwise would simply be statistics and roll calls. We know something of the commander Baring, with his scarred face and checkered past; of the three Ompteda brothers and most impressively of Rifleman Friedrich Lindau who despite being shot in the back of the head, patches it up and alongside John Drummond Graeme continues to fight until eventual capture (just here does Simms let us down, apparently suggesting, inaccurately, that Lindau is killed after capture - although obviously he couldn't have been since we rely so much on his memoirs).

Simms manages to place the reader in the farmhouse hour by hour as French bombardment, cuirassier attacks and hand-to-hand fight fail to overcome the defenders. He also does not skimp on the terrible cost of war, the bayonets to the stomach, knives to the face and musket ball shattering muscle and limb. This is no sanitised account of the battle. In a short but thoughtful conclusion he also rejects the obvious comparisons with the 300 at Thermopylae. The defenders, as far as they were able, did withdraw in an orderly fashion when further fighting proved impossible. They fought to the last musket ball, not the last man.

[Dropbear123 · Rating 4 out of 5]

4/5

Solid military history about the defense of the farmhouse of La Haye Sainte which was right in the centre at the battle of Waterloo. The book is mainly focused on the defenders, the 2nd Light Battalion King's German Legion (Hanoverians and a mix of other Germans who fought for the British) and covers their backgrounds, experiences and post-battle lives pretty well. The descriptions of the battle are good and really capture the brutality of the fighting, both for the defenders as well as the attacking French.

The only issue is length. Just focusing on the main text the book is only 80 or so pages, up to 127 with appendices, sources and index (in the Penguin paperback). These pages are used well with a lot of information and little waste but depending on cost the short length might put some people off. I got the book very cheap 2nd hand though and overall I'm satisfied with it.

[Robin Braysher · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a cracking little book. Back in the 1970s, Waterloo was my favourite battle and in the intervening years I have read quite a lot on the subject. The defence of La Haye Sainte always comes up, but it is good to have a book that gives this defence and the men of the King's German Legion the prominence and attention they deserve. It helps that the author knows the owners of the farm (which is in private hands and not open to the public) and has had access to a wide range of German memoirs and other sources. That the defenders of the farm were 'The 400 men who decided the Battle of Waterloo' is a bold claim which, I am sure, will be much debated. Whatever the case, this is a vivid and spirited account of that part of the momentous battle.

[Sarah Bodaly · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a fairly short, light read, which succinctly gave many of the causal factors leading up to the Battle of Waterloo, its pivotal hours at Hougoumont, and the lasting effects of the battle. It gave both small details, and the overall battle description.
I did find it to be more interesting, having been to Waterloo, seen the monuments to the Prince of Orange, and walked through Hougoumont. I knew what the author was talking about as he described the different locations where there was fighting, or where the soldiers hid. By its writing style, it might not be as interesting to someone who didn’t have that experience, but, overall, good read.

[Simeon Pickup · Rating 3 out of 5]

A well written, detailed account that does a good job of balancing the bigger picture, other information (around conditions, fighting styles etc) and personal accounts. It does get bogged down in detail a fair amount though and it could really do with more illustrations to contextualise the geography of the battle - ideally placed throughout the book, but even a more comprehensive one at the start would be beneficial. The book ends really strongly with some very interesting analysis of the battle overall and its legacy, which I found to be the most engaging bits of the book. Overall, certainly recommended.

[M B · Rating 3 out of 5]

A good account of the fateful defense of Le Haye Sainte. The author gets a bit bogged down in the narrative early on showing connection of the individuals to other prominent and tertiary figures of the larger war effort, but does an adequate job detailing the scene. Breaking down some early oversights by both sides sets the stage for a delivery of circumstantial events to take place. Relying on literature from the actors through their letters and diaries a great picture is provided of this important altercation.

[Sam Dyer · Rating 5 out of 5]

(4.5) A fantastic and concise retelling of the defence of the farmhouse of La-Haye-Sainte at the Battle of Waterloo.

Such rich detail is given, with so many vivid and fascinating accounts taken straight from eyewitness sources and painstakingly laid out in their likely chronological order in the chaos of the day. This is a brutal depiction of the afternoon of 18th June 1815, bringing the people and the events to life in heartbreaking and horrifying detail.

The King’s German Legion were bosses.

[T.B. · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a rousing history of the King's German Legion at Waterloo, especially the 400 or so men who defended the farm of La Haye Sainte, which was located at the center of the battlefield. These riflemen held the farm most of the day and hindered the French from setting up artillery and rifle positions close to the Allied main line of battle. A lot of the story is told in the journals and diaries of the men involved. Everyone should remember the name of Major George Baring (Anglicized name of the Hanoverian who commanded the men at the farm).

[David Lubin · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a great find this book is. Waterloo was such an important event in the history of the European continent and yet so many facts are lost in the praise of Wellington and the British. But it was not the British that won this battle, it was the Prussians. At great cost. Simms has done incredibly good research of the individuals who were involved and the courage that that they showed. I learned a great deal from this book and will be happy to recommend it for those interested in this topic.

[Fraser Kinnear · Rating 2 out of 5]

Surprising that one can devote a whole book to just a single location within an entire battle. Even more interesting how holding a farmhouse for a few hours until Prussian reinforcements arrived was arguably the critical moment in Wellington's defeat of Napoleon, and therefore Napoleon's second failure at conquering Europe.

[Book Grocer · Rating 5 out of 5]

Purchase The Longest Afternoon here for just $12!

An excellent and gripping account in such a short book of a specific part of the battle of Waterloo. A good read.

Alicia, The Book Grocer

[Greg Jablonski · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book could have used some diagrams to show details of what was happening when. It was primarily a stream of consciousness narrative based on participants recollections and gave a great ‘feel’ for the events. The details obscured some of the overall flow of events. Good but not great book on the battle.

[Sarah Shaw · Rating 5 out of 5]

So readable and gives a very clear and engaging view of the battle for the farm at La Haye Sainte as well as an idea of what was going on elsewhere. A very effective mix of reported comments from eye witnesses as well as historical background which adds to the reader’s understanding without becoming too heavy/academic.