In this compelling book, Richard Holmes tells the exhilarating story of the Duke of Wellington, Britain's greatest ever soldier.
Seeing Wellington as a remarkable figure, Holmes follows his career from the ruins of his family seat in Ireland to the plains of India where Wellesley first gained his reputation as a brilliant commander, to the horrors of the Peninsular War and Waterloo.
Combining his astute historical analysis with semi-biographical examination, Holmes artfully illustrates the rapid evolution in military and political thinking of the time.
‘Holmes has written the best life of Wellington there is.’ Sunday Telegraph
‘Richard Holmes is incapable of writing a bad book, and his biography of Wellington is efficient and judicious.’ Economist
‘After a lifetime studying Wellington, Professor Holmes has produced a really excellent summation of his military and personal qualities.’ The Times
