Napoleon traveled from Elba to Paris in the spring of 1815, gathering support and returning as Emperor to the acclaim of his people and the dismay of the again-deposed Bourbons. Knowing he was outnumbered, he headed north with 125,000 men to face Blucher with 120,000 and Wellington with 92,000. He had to act decisively before Russsia and Austria could mobilize. On the 16th, Napoleon attacked the Prussians, who constituted the left of the Allied armies, at Ligny. He defeated but did not destroy them. Five miles west, Marshal Ney attacked the British-Dutch at Quatre-Bras, but the Allies prevailed and held the junction road. Saturday the 17th was a day of lost opportunities for the French, who could have trapped Wellington at Quatre-Bras had they attacked. They let him slip away a few miles to the north. Dawn on the 18th saw the British-Dutch at Mont St Jean astride the road to Brussels and the Prussians waiting in support 12 miles to the east.
The author makes a comparison to Agincourt as the favored French (at Waterloo they had much more experienced and reliable soldiers), also had to attack over a muddy field. That challenged their artillery, as it limited their maneuverability, and they couldn't bounce their shells, which was a common early 19th century practice. He also emphasizes that Wellington took advantage of the reverse side of the hill on the battlefield. The French were on a crest overlooking a small valley and the British were on the 'reverse side' across the way. Napoleon delayed until late morning, waiting for the ground to dry, and began his attack on his left. The chateau at Hougoumont, a virtually impregnable set of buildings surrounded by wall and hedges, held fast as the French hurled thousands of men at it. The Emperor then turned to the Allied center. Although his artillery made a lot of noise and smoke, it did not inflict significant casualties. By 1PM, he could see the Prussians about six miles away and approaching. He sent 18,000 infantrymen into Wellington's middle. d'Erlons corps reached the crest of the hill when heavy cavalry counter-attacked and sent them back across the valley. Later in the afternoon, 9,000 cavalrymen attacked 20,000 infantrymen aligned in squares which were impervious to attack. Horses would swerve away from the bayonets of the first and second line and were slaughtered by the muskets of the back lines. The French attacked perhaps as many as a dozen times over two afternoon hours. Throughout the entire day, Wellington rode all along the lines, exposed to fire that killed many of his aides, yet managing, leading, observing and further embellishing his already legendary career.
"Sometime during the massacre of the French horsemen guns sounded far off to the East." The Prussians were coming. By now, it was after six, although there were still hours of sunshine left. The French finally moved up their artillery and began to take a fearful toll on the Allies. "All along the ridge there was death and mutilation." As the Prussians entered the fray, Napoleon played his last card. He ordered his undefeated Immortals, the Imperial Guard, forward. They crested the ridge, began to deploy in a line and were met with blistering fire by the British. "And when they broke, so did the hopes of France."
Many have written about Waterloo, including noted novelists of the 19th century, Stendahl and Hugo. This is the author's first book of non-fiction and I suspect it is his skill as a novelist that brings this book to life. The weekend before the 200th anniversary, a reviewer in the Financial Times praised it as the best book ever on the battle.
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