Wellington's Guns: The Untold Story of Wellington and his Artillery in the Peninsula and at Waterloo

by Nick Lipscombe

Dismissive, conservative and aloof, Wellington treated his artillery with disdain during the Napoleonic Wars - despite their growing influence on the field of battle. Wellington's Guns exposes, for the very first time, the often stormy relationship between Wellington and his artillery, how the reluctance to modernize the British artillery corps threatened to derail the British push for victory and how Wellington's views on the command and appointment structure within the artillery opened up damaging rifts between him and his men. At a time when artillery was undergoing revolutionary changes - from the use of mountain guns during the Pyrenees campaign in the Peninsular, the innovative execution of 'danger-close' missions to clear the woods of Hougomont at Waterloo, to the introduction of creeping barrages and Congreve's rockets - Wellington seemed to remain distrustful of a force that played a significant role in shaping tactics and changing the course of the war. Using extensive research and first-hand accounts, Colonel Nick Lipscombe reveals that despite Wellington's brilliance as a field commander, his abrupt and uncompromising leadership style, particularly towards his artillery commanders, shaped the Napoleonic Wars, and how despite this, the ever-evolving technology and tactics ensured that the extensive use of artillery became one of the hallmarks of a modern army.

Genres: History, Nonfiction

788 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 1, 2013

Reviews

[Greg Schroeder]

Lipscombe tells a detailed and well researched and documented history of the British artillery of the Peninsular and Waterloo campaigns of the Napoleonic Wars. He details the tension between Wellington and his artillery leaders brought about in no small part by the dual nature of the command structure from London where the artillery technically was not part of Wellington's line of command.

To me the most interesting was Lipscombe's discussions about the effectiveness of the new spherical case, or "shrapnel" ammunition first introduced in the Peninsula and in the gradual "bulking up" or the artillery arm, starting with light 6-pounders and ending, at Waterloo, with most batteries fielding 9-pounders. As well as the discussions he brings forward about the effectiveness of mountain guns in Spain and the Pyrenees and the differences between French and British deployments.

As one would expect from the title he spends only a little time on the Portuguese artillery that accompanied Wellington's armies and even less on the Spanish guns. However, I found it an excellent read. Recommended for any student of Wellington, or the Napoleonic Wars.

[Chuck]

"Wellington’s Guns: The Untold Story of Wellington and his Artillery in the Peninsula and at Waterloo" by Nick Lipscombe tells the story of the Artillery in Wellington's Army during the Peninsular Campaigns of 1808-1814 and Waterloo.

"Wellington’s Guns" an organizational and tactical history of the artillery in that army. The book is organized chronologically. The reader follows the evolution of the English and Allied artillery in theater and in general. The book is a fusion topic in that it deals with intersection of
- the history of Wellington's Army and its campaigns,
- the history, organizational, technical and tactical aspects of the artillery in that army, and
- how the artillery did and did not fit into wellington's Army and organization

Lipscombe shows an excellent organizational, technical and tactical understanding of the Napoleonic Wars in general, and of Wellington's Artillery in particular. He impresses me as a highly disciplined writer and only strays out when the additional material is needed to understand the topic at hand. Finally I found his writing clear, understandable, and to the point.

I was a bit torn on whether this book was a 4 or 5 star rated book. It fit the 5 star rating for the excellence of writing, great understanding of the material, and clear presentation of a complex topic. However, the book seemed limited in scope. However, after some thought, I realized that the limitations and boundaries were thoughtfully selected and observed by the author. That they were a major factor in its success. And that few writers, in my experience. could have as successfully managed those boundaries. After that realization, I was even more highly impressed. So I decided that it deserved 5 stars.

I would highly recommend this book or those interested in the the tactical components of Wellington's Army during his Napoleonic Campaigns. Additionally, those interested in the history of artillery, of military history, and of history in general will find this book rewarding. Beyond the topic itself, seeing how the author handles, with grace and style, a complex topic at the intersection of several different areas, should appeal to anyone interested in writing about history.

[Steve Switzer]

Superb
Only reason I cant give it 5 is I have read so much good military history recently I will only awared 5 stars to the VERY best.
Good battle accounts with personal detail and a wonderful insight into wellingtons fractious relationship with his gunners