The Battle of Barrosa 1811 ─ Forgotten Battle of the Peninsular War

By the winter of 1810?11, the armies of Napoleon had overrun most of Spain, and Joseph Bonaparte sat on the throne in Madrid. But the Spanish government had found refuge in the fortress-port of Cadiz, and the Spaniards refused to admit that they had been conquered. With a British army under Sir Thomas Graham helping to defend Cadiz, the Spanish cause seemed certain to prevail.

But then the Spaniards wanted to throw Graham’s force into a reckless battle against the French. If the battle was won, the siege of Cadiz would be lifted; if the battle was lost, Cadiz would be rendered defenseless and the Spanish government left at the mercy of the invaders.

The opposing forces met on the heights of Barrosa in one of the most savage encounters of the Peninsular War. At stake were the very survival of the Spanish nation and the future course of the war against Napoleon.

The Battle of Barrosa is the first book to examine this crucial campaign in detail and to reveal its true historical importance.

John Grehan has written or contributed to more than sixty books, magazines, and journals covering a large span of military history from the Iron Age to the present war in Afghanistan. He lives in the United Kingdom.

Martin Mace has been involved in writing and publishing military history for more than twenty years. He established Historic Military Press, which has published a wide range of titles. In 2006 he began working on the idea for Britain at War magazine, the first issue of which went on sale in May 2007. This publication has grown rapidly to become the bestselling military history periodical on the high street, and also sells in countries around the world. He lives in West Sussex, England.