The men who stood beside the Great Duke
The Duke of Wellington was indisputably one of the most able
military commanders in British history. He was not only a powerful
intellect, but also a man of substantial character. In a time of
aristocrats, Wellington was an autocrat able to manage powerful men
by force of his still greater will and presence; with success came
their inevitable respect. To Wellington, delegation failed to come
easily and he clearly doubted the wisdom of it as a policy. He
insisted on a knowledge of all things that might concern him and
was prepared to issue directives on all matters. It is then,
unsurprising that he eclipsed his immediate subordinates, senior
figures and highly respected commanders in their own right, who
were often given little latitude, and were regularly not fully
briefed as to Wellington's strategy and grand tactics; for example,
at Waterloo, amid flying shot, the duke terrified his staff by
appearing to be the only person in possession of the plan of
battle. All this, however, does nothing to diminish the clear
contribution many of those closest to the Great Duke made towards
the success of his campaigns. While having lessons to learn from
Wellington they were more than capable military men-if not actually
possessed of quite the same degree of military 'genius' as their
commander in chief. This book chronicles eight of Wellington's
lieutenants as they fought for him in the Peninsula and at
Waterloo. Lord 'Daddy' Hill earned his nickname because of his
extraordinary concern for the wellbeing of his soldiers; he was
Wellington's most trusted general and was, unusually, given
independent command by Wellington. The fiery Craufurd, leader of
the Light Division, could always be depended upon to take the fight
to the enemy-sometimes whether it was prudent to do so or not.
Picton, the hard swearing Welshman was never easy to company but
was an essential commander on the field of conflict. Accounts of
the campaigns and actions of these notable soldiers are joined in
this riveting book by those of Beresford, Lynedoch, Hopetoun,
Anglesey and Combermere. Available in softcover and hardcover with
dustjacket.
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