Many books have been written about the British struggle against Napoleon in the Peninsular. A few recent studies have given a broader view of the ebb and flow of a long war that had a shattering impact on Spain and Portugal and marked the history of all the nations involved. But none of these books has concentrated on how these momentous events were perceived and understood by the people who experienced them. Charles Esdaile has brought together a vivid selection of contemporary accounts of every aspect of the war to create a panoramic yet minutely detailed picture of those years of turmoil. the story is told through memoirs, letters and eyewitness testimony from all sides. AUTHOR Professor in history at the University of Liverpool, Charles Esdaile works at the interface of military, political and social history. He is a specialist on Spain in the Revolutionary and Napoleonic era, and, more specifically the Peninsular War of 1808-14. His work has also ranged over the history of Spain in the whole period from 1788 to 1939, as well as the general history of Napoleon and his empire. SELLING POINTS: Tells the story of the Peninsular War in words of participants from all sides. A panoramic yet minutely detailed record of an epic struggle. Graphic insights into the realities of warfare in the Napoleonic era. 30 illustrations
