Book Review: Waterloo 1815 (3) Mont St Jean and Wavre by John Franklin

Detail, depth and clarity have been the hallmarks of John Franklin’s Waterloo series so far. The Campaign branch of the Osprey Publishing catalogue, proving to be a excellent vessel to carry concise and modern appreciations of the battle. The 3rd Volume met all my expectations, with the same level of quality seen in the previous the other two. And indeed vindicates many of the judgements made about them, I was personally very gratified to see, as I expected, the loose ends tied up.
The visual element in my opinion is also carried through, with many little known images appearing, and superb full colour artwork from Gerry Embleton, the highlight of which is the gripping third painting of the Prussian artillery coming into action.
Many fuzzy elements of Waterloo are handled in a logical and systematic manner, timings are important in the telling of the engagement and this lays out the action excellently, taking into account often overlooked facets, such as how long it takes a large body of troops to march to a point and deploy.
The tired controversy of who won or why the French lost is happily omitted here. This book and the others are concerned primarily with the military conduct of the campaign, rather than the motives behind different events. The language Franklin uses to describe the armies of Wellington and Blücher, is coalition, and that is how it should be done. What ifs are mercifully ignored, therefore this account of the battle, is clear and as usual when reading Franklin, even handed, showing us the when and the where. Due to clever management of space, the Battle of Wavre is squeezed in at the end without having to compensate in detail, shedding a spotlight on this much overlooked engagement which had such a decided affect on the rest of the campaign in Belgium.

All in all it offers the final word to the previous volumes & is an excellent and informative read, which I have personally found an invaluable and handy resource.

Heroes of Mont St Jean.

The 200th anniversary of Waterloo is about commemoration. Therefore we should remember that to the French the battle is called Mont St Jean, which is a more accurate but less catchy title. More importantly we should bear in mind that between 27,000 and 40,000 French soldiers became casualties during the battle and in its aftermath, this after over 16,000 had already fallen in the three days previously.

Sometimes derided as a rush job army, the Armée du Nord was in fact a highly professional fighting force, which had a high proportion of veterans serving in it’s ranks, led by capeable commanders. There is no doubt in my mind that man for man the French army outperformed both allied armies in the days leading up to the Battle at Mont St Jean and in the days after it. Therefore I felt it fitting to commemorate their sacrifice and valour here by creating a companion peace to “Waterloo Men” with the “Heroes of Mont St Jean.” Continue reading “Heroes of Mont St Jean.”

A Waterloo Pocket Square.

The Bicentenary of Waterloo is a very special commemoration and it is very touching to see that people still care about it 200 years later. It is better still to see the wealth of academic material pouring forth from the pens of skilled and talented historians and writers, which will make up the bulk of the scholarship on the battle for years to come. Make no mistake this anniversary is vital for ensuring Waterloo remains in people’s minds. For Europe, and indirectly, those influenced by the European experience, it was the defining moment of the 19th century, and because so much effort has been spent on the bicentennial this year, it’s heroes will live on, I hope, another 100 years.

There is no doubt in my mind that the Battle of Waterloo would have turned out very differently had Wellington not been there. Luckily for those who wish to express their admiration for the Duke and the events of 200 years ago, the bicentennial of Waterloo has caused a resurgence of quality souvenirs, honouring him and his men, which can be displayed in pride of place as a testament to this defining moment in European history.

As soon as news of the Battle of Waterloo was broadcast, the souvenirs began to appear to commemorate the victory, and it was helped that the industry that had sprang up around the cult of the British hero was already well established by the time the news of the victory arrived. Now a tide of Waterloo themed special edition items are on offer once more.

One of the best I’ve seen is a very unique celebration of the anniversary. Rampley and Co is a pocket square company from London and have created a beautiful men’s accessory, for those of us who still wear jackets or waistcoats. It’s emblazoned with Sir Thomas Lawrence’s superb portrait of the Duke of Wellington, which now hangs in Apsley House, showing the Duke in 1814, just before his most famous battle. This is a particularly fitting piece of memorabilia and a very striking accessory, given that the Napoleonic Wars were such a well dressed affair.

Rampley's splendid tribute to Wellington and Waterloo.
Rampley’s splendid tribute to Wellington and Waterloo.

You can check out Rampley’s products, and see their excellent Waterloo blog by following this link.

http://www.rampleyandco.com/collections/waterloo-200th/products/the-200th-anniversary-of-the-battle-of-waterloo-duke-of-wellington-pocket-square