Military Dispatches

Accounts from the front lines of the Napoleonic Wars from Britain’s greatest military commander

The Duke of Wellington was not only an incomparable commander in battle but also a remarkably powerful writer. His dispatches have long been viewed as classics of military literature and have influenced all military accounts after his. This new selection follows the epic campaign of the British against Napoleon in Wellington’s own words, telling the story of the conflict from its desperate beginnings in Portugal to the final triumph at Waterloo.

Arthur Wellesley, Duke of Wellington (1769?1852), fought in some fifty encounters across India and Europe, with almost all battles ending in victory. He was twice British prime minister.

Charles Esdaile is a professor of history at the University of Liverpool.