Waterloo

The History of Four Days, Three Armies, and Three Battles

De: Bernard Cornwell

Narrado por: Bernard Cornwell, Dugald Bruce Lockhart

From the New York Times bestselling author comes the definitive, illustrated history of one of the greatest battles ever fought—a riveting nonfiction chronicle published to commemorate the two-hundreth anniversary of Napoleon's last stand.

On June 18, 1815, the armies of France, Britain, and Prussia descended upon a quiet valley south of Brussels. In the previous three days, the French army had beaten the Prussians at Ligny and fought the British to a standstill at Quatre-Bras. The Allies were in retreat. The little village north of where they turned to fight the French army was called Waterloo. The blood-soaked battle to which the town gave its name would become a landmark in European history.

In his first work of nonfiction, Bernard Cornwell combines his storytelling skills with a meticulously researched history to give a riveting chronicle of every dramatic moment—from Napoleon's daring escape from Elba to the smoke and gore of the three battlefields and their aftermath. Through quotes from the letters and diaries of Emperor Napoleon, the Duke of Wellington, and the ordinary officers and soldiers, Cornwell brings to life how it actually felt to fight those famous battles—as well as the moments of amazing bravery on both sides that left the outcome hanging in the balance until the bitter end.

Published to coincide with the battle's bicentennial in 2015, Waterloo is a tense and gripping story of heroism and tragedy—and of the final battle that determined the fate of nineteenth-century Europe.

Like All Good Stories, It Bears Repeating

On Sunday, June 18 1815, Napoleon’s French Army received a beating of biblical proportions near Waterloo, Belgium and this book covers the events of June 15 – June 18. The four days are discussed in rapid fire which leaves listeners little time to become bored.

Prior to this book, I knew little of the battle and always wondered why Napoleon and the French Army were defeated. In summary, just about everything went wrong for the French. The night before the battle, it rained like the days of Noah which reduced the effectiveness of Napoleon’s battle tactics. Next, French officers, including Napoleon, delayed actions at key points during the battle – a reminder to use it or lose it. Finally, the British and Prussians (Germans) joined forces to fight a common enemy which was just as unlikely then as now.

Excellent narration!!

A review of one of the most analyzed battle in history that appeals to both experts and novices, explaining Napoleonic Era tactics without dwelling and referring to famous portions of the battle in context. Very enthusiastic battle scene descriptions. An enjoyable listen.

A little hard to follow, but well worth the effort

Where does Waterloo rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?

Pretty near the top.

What did you like best about this story?

The book does a very good job of recounting a legendary battle - it clarifies or explains many of the myths that surround the telling of the battle.

What about Bernard Cornwell and Dugald Bruce Lockhart ’s performance did you like?

They bring clarity to the story in their measured intonations.

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

Oh, gods no. It's too long, and too detailed. But, I did very much want to understand it throughout.

Excellent

I like history but knew almost nothing about this battle. Excellent story and easy to follow, yet with great detail.

Excellent first read on Waterloo

It's a great book and a solid performance. This is one of the few instances where I wished I had the printed book. It would have been helpful to be able to glance at maps.