The Wheatley Diary: A Journal and Sketch-Book Kept During the Peninsular War and the Waterloo Campaign

by Edmund Wheatley, Christopher Hibbert (Editor)

The journal and sketchbook of a young English officer in the King's German Legion. This work offers a firsthand account of the war against Napoleon in the form of a diary kept on active service in the field, from San Sebastien to Waterloo. The journal was for a young girl, Eliza Brookes.

97 pages, Paperback

First published August 1, 2000

Reviews

[Grim Tidings]

A nice little read for a lover of the Napoleonic wars and for whom Wheatley's name has attracted particular interest as a foot-soldier's perspective on Waterloo. Hibbert summarises the most noteworthy ancedotes at the beginning, then most of the journal is fairly procedural marching and hanging around waiting for the action. Wheatley's experience at Waterloo and being held prisoner by the retreating French army is the most interesting element of it all, and where I recognise his anecdotes from. His little comment in the French Grenadier Reviere's journal pleading that the British army may treat the French better than the French had him is a heart-warming moment in any account of the battle. For 100 pages or so it is worth the read. Hibbert contextualises everything well and is clearly a labour of love for him to bring Wheatley's journal to life for the modern reader.