John Vandeleur's letters home to his parents are a lively and engaging account of active service during the Napoleonic Wars, recounting everything from day-to-day life on campaign to the experience of pitched battle at Vitoria and Waterloo. As first a light infantryman and then a light cavalryman, Vandeleur was frequently on the outposts of Wellington's forces, in frequent contact with the French and often obliged to live a rough-and-ready lifestyle as a result. The conditions that he endured, and the camaraderie that sustained him, are vividly recounted in this fascinating collection - previously only available in an extremely rare private publication over a century ago. Enhanced with contemporary documents, and with expert editing and commentary by Andrew Bamford, this is an outstanding contribution to our understanding of the Peninsular War and the Waterloo campaign. AUTHOR: Andrew Bamford was born in Yorkshire and now lives in Derby, where he works as a freelance historian and author after obtaining a PhD in Military History from the University of Leeds. He is the author of several books, including Gallantry and Discipline: The 12th Light Dragoons at War with Wellington to which this volume is in part intended as a companion. He is currently working on a selection of eyewitness accounts from the Netherlands campaign of 1813 1814. REVIEWS: 'The author has done a quite outstanding job of editing and footnoting this rare memoir ...this will be of genuine interest to the Peninsular War historian or enthusiast.' -Philip Haythornthwaite 16 pages of b/w plates
