Wellington’s Men

‘Wellington’s Men’ is a fascinating history of the Napoleonic Wars as told by the men who saw it. Wellington’s Peninsula Campaign of the 1810s is told by four soldiers who lived through it: John Kincaid in his Adventures in the Rifle Brigade; Benjamin Harris (Rifleman Harris); James Anton in his Military Life; and Cavalie Mercer in his book Waterloo. They are written by different ranks of soldier: two junior officers, a sergeant, and a private soldier. As a commentary on the texts, Fitchett inserts his own criticism and analysis of parts of four biographies. Each of these men were eyewitnesses to the major events of Wellington’s Peninsula Campaign, and write critically about their own experiences in vivid prose that takes us directly back to the battlefields of Europe.