Hougoumont

by Julian Paget, Derek Saunders

The desperate defence of the hamlet of Hougoumont by the Guards was the key to Wellington's victory over Napoleon at Waterloo. It was 'a battle within a battle' and Wellington himself later declared that the outcome 'rested upon the closing of the gates at Hougoumont'.To call this a close run affair was indeed something of an understatement. This book bring to life the events of 18th June 1815 to both the visitor and reader at home.

120 pages, Paperback

First published May 1, 1992

Reviews

[Bernd Velling · Rating 3 out of 5]

Hmmmm

Where to start well I read the 2015 publication but the original was published in 1992. So maybe at that time certain things we know today about Waterloo were not known to the author.

Overall I like the book because it's a good account with good details.
What I don't like are a couple of obvious mistakes like naming an artillery battery that wasn't there or having an artillery battery "heavily" involved that was over a thousand meters away.
Details like this make a book lose points.
I do like the details about the actual farm good material and the good time scheme set
Auf jeden Fall eine Bereicherung fuer den Waterloo Spezialisten

[Betsy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Short but terrific accounting of the struggle for Hougoumont on June 18, 1815. This part of the Battle of Waterloo was not supposed to turn into a titanic struggle on Napoleon's left, but it did and therein lies Paget' s story.