First published 2015
Bernard Cornwell examines the four days that transformed European history when Napoleon's forces clashed with Wellington's coalition at Waterloo in 1815. The author reconstructs the campaign through the experiences of soldiers on all sides, from British and Prussian officers to French privates. Cornwell draws on firsthand accounts and memories of combatants to show what it felt like to fight in this brutal engagement. The battle carried extra weight because Europe's two most celebrated generals had never faced each other directly. Both Napoleon and Wellington understood that history would measure them by this outcome. The fighting proved ghastly, with heroism and tragedy marking all three armies involved. When Wellington finally prevailed, the casualty reports moved him to tears. He declared his hope never to fight again, a wish that came true. Cornwell combines vivid storytelling with meticulous historical research to recreate this pivotal moment. His first nonfiction work captures the human cost of a battle that changed the trajectory of nations.
Genres: historical, 20th-century, adventure, action, military-history, 19th-century
Vibes: emotional, fast-paced, thought-provoking
Tropes: enemies-to-lovers, historical-figures
Setting: Waterloo, Europe
Period: 1815
352 pages · Hardcover · Harper
Content warnings: graphic-violence, war