Waterloo: The Deafeat of Napoleon's Imperial Guard

by Gareth Glover

This is the most detailed account of the 2nd Division at Waterloo ever published. It is based on the papers of its commander Sir Henry Clinton and it reveals for the first time the previously unrecognised vital role this division made in the defeat of Napoleon. They Swept the Field Clear explains how the division was placed ahead of the main allied squares thus impeding the charges of the French cavalry, and how the 2nd Division supported the defence of Hougoumont, considered by the Duke of Wellington as the key to his victory on 18 June 1815. Perhaps the most significant aspect of this book is the description of the defeat of Napoleon s Imperial Guard. Just who and how the incomparable Guard was stopped and the driven from the battlefield is explained in detail. Once and for all, this 200-year controversy is finally resolved.

256 pages, Hardcover

First published May 30, 2015

Reviews

[Peter · Rating 4 out of 5]

Detailed and scholarly review of the conduct of 2nd division at Waterloo. Found it quite hard going because Sir Henry Clinton, on whose diaries much of the book is based, was rather negative about the troops under his commend - whether their knapsacks were the right colour seems more important to him than whether they’re any good at fighting battles - but full of interesting primary source references.