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Currents Of German Nationalism In Recent Historical Plays. ... Read more

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With Wellington's Light Cavalry - Campaigning with the 16th Light Dragoons in the Peninsular and Waterloo Campaigns of the Napoleonic Wars.A cavalryman's story that could have ended before it began. In the first chapter Tomkinson and his 16th Light Dragoons rashly charge into the rearguard of the French Army and he is shot and bayoneted. But in 1810 Tomkinson is once again in Spain fighting the French. This book is a fine example of a personal account filled with personal and unit detail combined with a clear and informative narrative of the campaigns in which the writer was engaged. A substantial read by any standards, the final 55 pages are devoted to Tomkinson's first hand experience of the 1815 campaign culminating in Napoleon's downfall at Waterloo. ... Read more

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First-rate Primary Source
It behooves every Historian (armchair..or academic)to seek out primary source material in their study of a topic.Everything else is ultimately just interpretation.This war diary by a young cavalryman in the Peninsula is unrelieved by second-hand editorializing and offers a view rarely found into daily military life.

Tomkinson was a very young man at the commencement of his service.There is a clear improvement in his ability to capture his experiences in the written word over the years covered by his diary.But even the sometimes rather sparse descriptions of his early days at war offer interesting detail of light cavalry duty.In addition to his own text, Tomkinson has included several high-level order-of-battle tables for various points in the campaigns.There are also excerpts of letters from his commanding officers, and other correspondents of note.These all add additional interest to any already highly useful narrative.

Anyone seeking a stylized treatment, or a text "improved" for the modern reader should be forewarned however.This is mainly an original war time chronicle, written in early nineteenth century style by an educated young officer.Due to the constraints of campaign writing, some of Tomkinson's entries are brief and the flow of events is not always clear or strictly linear.The book reads as a diary, without real chapters, and sometimes without conventional grammatical niceties (paragraphs, proper sentence structure, etc.).There is thus little evidence of retrospective editing by the author.The publisher has chosen (wisely in this case) to present the diary as written.

It is not often a historic document of this scope (Tomkinson covers nearly 8 years of service) and immediacy is readily available.Highly reccommended for any serious student of the period, the horse cavalry, or the British military. ... Read more

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French invasion of Russia. Russian culture, Napoleonic Wars, List of Russian commanders in the Patriotic War of 1812, Fire of Moscow (1812), Great Patriotic War (term), List of battles by casualties ... Read more

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The adventures of a soldier of the 95th (rifles) in the Peninsular & Waterloo campaigns of the Napoleonic wars ... Read more

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The adventure of a soldier of the 95th riflesin the Peninsular & Waterloo Campaigns of the Napoleonic Wars
This was the best book of all the books I have read by soldiers of the 95th Rifles. ... Read more

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Peninsular Surgeon
Whether or not this volume is what you are looking for depends on the type of information desired. As a story of what it was like to be with Wellington's forces in the Peninsula, it is quite good. It also does a finejob of demonstrating the prejudices of the day -- the author clearly doesnot like Portugeuese nor Roman Catholics.As an information source onwhat the practice of medicine was like during this campaign, it is useless.The author rarely mentions anything about his work except to say that theylost X officers and Y men. The introduction, by Ticehurst, is 7 pages ofinteresting information about the practice of medicine in this period. Veryuseful, but having a volume by this gentleman could be more interesting. As a period piece, to give the flavor of the times, it is veryworthwhile. As an information source, it is not. ... Read more

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Originally published in 1894. PREFACE: The following memoirs of Christian von Ompteda have been edited by his grandnephew, Baron Louis von Ompteda, who has made use, for that purpose, primarily of the letters and diaries of his great uncle, and the personal literary remains of the late Baron Louis, Christian's brother. It is thought that the publication of this work in English will be found to be justified by its contents, both as regards the wider historic interest of the momentous period of Ompteda's life and death, and the narrower personal interest of the forms of human character, incident, and vicissitude set forth. The hero who now lies at the gate of La Haye Sainte deserves to be remembered by English people certainly not less than by other people for whom he died..... This fascinating work is thoroughly recommended for inclusion on the bookshelf of all historians. Many of the earliest books, particularly those dating back to the 1900's and before, are now extremely scarce and i ... Read more

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This is a Leonaur original-never before in print. Cooke wrote three volumes of his military memoirs which originally embraced his service in America and the War of 1812 and which also included contributions from other authors. This book brings together Cooke's writings detailing his service with the 43rd Light Infantry as it fought Napoleon's French Army as a part of the famous Light Division. The author's narrative now cohesively records his experiences in a linear form for the first time, beginning with his enrolment in the army, to the Walcheren Expedition and onwards to his campaigns in Iberia. Here we join him in every engagement from the assault on Cuidad Rodrigo to the fall of Toulouse and the occupation of France leading to the First Restoration of the Bourbon monarchy. Leonaur's editors have created an exceptional first hand account of the experience of warfare from the perspective of a Light Division officer in the Peninsular War. Cooke is an able author with a fine eye for description and his attention to detail will particularly interest those who study the military dress of this period. This is an indispensable book which will be a new and invaluable addition to the library of every student of Napoleonic history. ... Read more

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Little known Napoleonic Wars memoir well produced
I have a soft spot for this publisher and this book is a good example as to why that is.Cooke's experiences during the Peninsular War and War of 1812 resulted in his writing three substantial volumes.Originally they were ambiguously titled 'Memoirs of the Late War ' Volume One and Two and 'Narrative of Events in the South of France and of the attack on New Orleans'.Bizarrely,the second volume had a large section within it by two authors on subjects unconnected to Cooke's narrative.In any event these books are not ( I believe) currently in print and on the antiquarian market -if they could be found-would cost a small fortune and put them beyond the reach of all but institutions and the 'well heeled' enthusiast.Cook's wartime recollections make superb reading and must rank-notwithstanding their obscurity- among the best memoirs of the period.Leonaur have made a single volume of the Peninsular War material by excising the oddities in volume two and by publishing the third volume under the title 'The Light Infantry Officer' have created another work specifically for those interested in the War of 1812.So here we have two source works rescued from oblivion available in paperback at a very reasonable price.There are hard back editions for those who collect them.These books are not the often found facsimiles, but nicely produced modern editions.I cannot remember a time when a publisher of this kind of material did all of these kinds of things at such a modest cost to its customers.They publish a huge volume of military history adding to their catalogue regularly.So everyone from students to enthusiasts can have this great material in their libraries.May they prosper and may I recommend this book particularly.
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With one of Wellington's heavy cavalry regiments during the war in Iberia

Samuel Broughton was an assistant surgeon for a regiment of militia before transferring to the 2nd Life Guards. He served with this elite cavalry regiment throughout the campaigns in Portugal, Spain and into the South of France and in the concluding battle for Toulouse. Broughton's take on the campaign as it appears in this collection of his letters-originally published in 1815-reveals a man with a keen eye for the details of the countryside through which he travelled and the habits and cultures of the people he met. This a very personal account of war from an observant and thoughtful medical man who clearly wanted to share his experiences of a journey through wartime. It is rich in period colour making it ideal background reference material of this fascinating episode of the Napoleonic War. ... Read more

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An ordinary young soldier's view of both sides of a great conflict

This a companion book the Leonaur title 'A conscript for Empire'. Like young Philippe Schwein the author of that book, Johan Christian Maempel was a Rhinelander who found himself in the service of Napoleon's French Empire. Maempel joined the Light Infantry and began a tough life of campaigning that took him to Spain where he fought and suffered at Cuidad Rodrigo, before the lines at Torres Vedras and ultimately as one of those besieged behind the walls of Almeida before it finally succumbed to attacking British forces. Good fortune spared his life and where many of his comrades fell he was taken prisoner. As a German he was offered freedom upon joining the King's German Legion and carrying its rifle. He accepted and found himself once more despatched to the Iberian Peninsula to oppose Suchet and his former comrades in the campaign for the eastern flank. This is a highly entertaining and readable account of army life on both sides of the same conflict and will be certain to please all those interested in the Napoleonic Wars. ... Read more

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The Battle of Trafalgar, 21st October 1805, is a now legendary day in the great age of fighting sail. It proved one of the most strategically significant victories of all time and set the seal on British supremacy at sea which lasted until the age of air power.

At Trafalgar, England’s hero, Admiral Horatio Nelson, vanquished the combined naval might of France and Spain, and destroyed Napoleon’s fleet so decisively that there was no question of continuing the war at sea. Bloody and confused, 60 great line-of-battle warships, carrying English, American, Irish, Spanish and French seamen fought for many hours amidst choking fumes, fire and shot, cannon balls and flying splinters, below and above decks. Around 8,500 men died or were severely wounded. Towards its end, Nelson famously met his death on the quarterdeck of the Victory. ... Read more

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Excellent...well written
In the book Mosse provides the reader with a great account of German history.He discussses the power of political symbolism, the arts, public festivals, and sports and as means of promoting nationalism.I found the final few chapter especially interesting. It is here that he talks about the Third Reich.He explains how religion and politics can closely resemble one another.This is a "must read" for anyone interested in WWII.This book is well written from cover to cover.Mosse reminds us that history is "always contemporary". ... Read more

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Translated from the Russian of A. Mikhailofsky-Danilefsky, a Russian officer who was an aide-de-camp to Tsar Alexander I. Illustrated by plans and maps of the operations of the army. ... Read more

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A History of England in Six Volumes written and published for educational institutions and schools. Contains many historical maps, genealogical charts, and illustrations. Volume VI contains information from 1732 (The Peace Ministry of Pitt to the Western Front and the end of WWI. Excellent reference text. ... Read more