Wellington's Men: The Peninsula campaign told by 4 men who lived through it

by W.H. Fitchett

Published in 1900, Wellington’s Men is best summarized by the words of the author “This volume is an attempt to rescue from undeserved oblivion a cluster of soldierly autobiographies, and to give to the general reader some pictures of famous battles, not as described by the historian or analysed by the philosopher, but as seen by the eyes of men who fought in them.” Wellington’s Peninsula Campaign of the 1810s is told by four soldiers who lived through John Kincaid in his Adventures in the Rifle Brigade; Benjamin Harris (Rifleman Harris); James Anton in his Military Life; and Cavalie Mercer in his book Waterloo. They are written by different ranks of two junior officers, a sergeant, and a private soldier. As a commentary on the texts, Fitchett inserts his own criticism and analysis of parts of four biographies. Each of these men were eyewitnesses to the major events of Wellington’s Peninsula Campaign, and write critically about their own experiences in vivid prose that takes us directly back to the battlefields of Europe. They are the “actual human documents, with the salt of truth, of sincerity, and of reality in every syllable,” as Fitchett writes. ‘Wellington’s Men’ is a fascinating history of the Napoleonic Wars as told by the men who saw it. W.H. Fitchett (1841-1928) was a minister, educator and writer, who wrote a column for the Spectator magazine. He published works of fiction and non-fiction, including a four-volume collection How England Saved Europe in 1909.

Genres: Military Fiction, Nonfiction, History

318 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 1, 1900

About the author

William Henry Fitchett

Reviews

[MR. S. BEATTIE · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the story from the soldier in the field.

Much is written about the battle of Waterloo that glorifies the victory by the victors. What is missing is the true horrors of being in this war.

[Hugh Millward · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great book

Very well written and researched, real page turner. A lot of background information about life in the 19th century woven into the narrative which helps to put acts and behaviours into contex at times.

[Ana · Rating 5 out of 5]

“History treats the men who do the actual fighting in war very ill. It commonly forgets all about them…”

This collection of excerpts written by four soldiers in Wellington’s army during the Peninsular Campaign tries to keep the voices of those men and their experiences on the battlefield alive.

[George Polansky · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interesting review of Wellington.

[Henry E. Grimball · Rating 5 out of 5]

War from the grunt’ perspective. Powerful.