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.

A master of the field of battle in his own words
Anyone who knows of the military genius of John Churchill, Duke of Marlborough, can't fail to have learnt also of the exploits his close personal ally, Prince Eugene of Savoy. Despite a physical frailty, Eugene had an incredible talent for waging war and became, indisputably, one of the most successful military commanders in modern European history. His career spanned six decades and he served three emperors of the Holy Roman Empire. His first battle was fought against the Turks at the Siege of Vienna in 1689 and he subsequently took part in the War of the Holy League, the Nine Years War, against the Turks at Zenta and, most notably, as an ally of Marlborough's during the War of Spanish Succession against the French at Blenheim, Oudenarde and Malplaquet. Eugene's later career included the Austro-Turkish War and the War of Polish Succession. This special Leonaur edition combines Eugene's own account of his career with an overview of the man and his achievements by Alexander Innes Shand.
Leonaur editions are newly typeset and are not facsimiles; each title is available in softcover and hardback with dustjacket; our hardbacks are cloth bound and feature gold foil lettering on their spines and fabric head and tail bands.

Napoleon's war for Spain and Portugal
The author of this book, Alexander Innes Shand, was a prolific writer of his day producing popular histories, biographies of renowned soldiers, novels and as a notable field sportsman numerous works on hunting, shooting and fishing. He was also a newspaper correspondent and covered the Franco-Prussian War for The Times followed by a book about his experiences during the conflict. His particular interest in the Peninsular War resulted in two books, the one you are now holding and the other about the careers of Wellington's Lieutenants (also published by Leonaur). As one might expect from a professional writer Shand guides his readers through the Peninsular War in a comprehensive but easy to read style. His narrative covers more of the operations of the Spanish Army in the field than British historians usually do, but in the main he offers an even handed overview of all of the participants. When first published this book contained few maps, Leonaur has added to these especially as regards battle plans and therefore should not be confused with other editions. For those interested in the war in the Iberian peninsula Shand's book is a good and accessible history that is useful for those new to the subject and for another perspective.
Leonaur editions are newly typeset and are not facsimiles; each title is available in softcover and hardback with dustjacket; our hardbacks are cloth bound and feature gold foil lettering on their spines and fabric head and tail bands.