Waterloo: Napoleon's Last Campaign

Through the skillful use of original source material, including Napoleon's own diaries, historian Christopher Hibbert re-creates the events and drama surrounding the famous battle. Waterloo begins with a sparkling overview of Napoleon, his rise to power, and his two decades wreaking havoc in Europe. It then provides wonderfully evocative descriptions of the combat (focusing on the elaborate strategies and brinkmanship employed by the French, British, and Prussian armies), its many colorful personalities, (such as the blindly courageous and nearly psychotic Prussian Field Marshal Gebhard von Blucher), and its aftermath. Hibbert's trenchant and well-researched conclusions - such as his intriguing reevaluation of Wellington's role in Napoleon's defeat - supplement a final section detailing the lasting impact of the battle on world history and modern-day mass warfare.