1815: The Road to Waterloo

by Gregor Dallas

The 17 months from April 1814 to August 1815 were an extraordinary period in European history—a period that saw two sieges of Paris, a complete revision of Europe’s political frontiers, an international Congress set up in Vienna, civil war in Italy, and international war in Belgium. Gregor Dallas tells the story of these days through the perspective of three very different European the great metropolis of London, post-revolutionary Paris, and baroque Vienna. The writing is almost cinematic in its power to evoke the Europe of Tolstoy—the ebb and flow of power, of armies, and of peoples across Europe’s northern plains.

Genres: History

562 pages, Paperback

First published November 1, 2001

About the author

Gregor Dallas attended Sherborne School in Dorset, received a BA at the University of California at Berkeley and a PhD at Rutgers University in New Jersey.

Reviews

[Robert Jenkins · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book is a history of the Congress of Vienna, which followed after Napoleon's first defeat and abdication, and then napoleon's return from exile, the Hundred Days, and Waterloo and Napoleon's final defeat. The book would have been excellent if it had been a little more focused on those events, but it has a tendency to bog down with descriptions of various parties, extramarital affairs, and other such distractions. Basically, the book is a little too detailed and, because of this, loses its focus and bogs down. Still, it's an interesting look at Europe in this critical period of history. Overall, recommended for those interested in the subject.

[Tjalling Snabilie · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read this work in the timespan of four days, and it gave me a wonderful insight into the politics of Europe in the Napoleonic Wars before, during and after Waterloo. I found the sheer amount of diplomacy behind the scenes in this book immensely intriguing. Highly recommended for anyone with an interest into the Napoleonic Wars, but with the necessary knowledge already present to be able to get into this book and understand it all proper

[Susannah Carleton · Rating 3 out of 5]

The title of this book is incorrect. In the 2002 edition, the title is The Final Act: The Roads to Waterloo.

It us a very informative book, well researched, and tells the events of the period from April 1814 to June 1815 from the perspective of the Allies in succession: England, France, and Austria, depending on the location. My only complaint was that there was a lot of quoted material in French and German, and unlike the author, I don't speak both languages. Less original text and more translations would benefit most readers.

[Jur · Rating 4 out of 5]

Excellent read, interesting approach (ie not so much battle history as political). But imperfections in terms of facts.
Made me think that it inspired Zamoyski's Fall of Napoleon