Die Hard!: Dramatic Actions from the Napolenic Wars

by Philip J. Haythornthwaite

New Hardcover with dust jacket

Genres: History, Military Fiction, Military History

256 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1996

About the author

Philip J. Haythornthwaite (born 1951) is an internationally respected and prolific author and historical consultant specializing in military history, uniforms and equipment. Whilst his main area of research is the Napoleonic Wars, his impressive list of publications covers a much wider range of periods from the English Civil War until WWI.

Reviews

[Bill Harper · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a very interesting book about a number of extraordinary actions during the Napoleonic Wars. Actions at Villers-En Cauchies (Netherlands 1794), Marengo (Italy 1800), Eylau (Poland 1807), Sieges of Saragossa (Spain 1808, 1809), Aspern-Essling (Austria 1809), Cerro Del Puerco, Barrosa (Spain 1811), Albuera (Spain 1811), The Breaches at Badajoz (Spain 1812), The Berezina (Russia 1812) and Hougomont (Belgium 1815). Mr. Haythornthwaite only overviews the battles but concentrates on one action specific to the battle which showed incredible courage. The title of the book comes from the Battle of Albruera (May 16,1811), it's from a quote from Lt. Col. William Inglis a battalion commander of the 57th Regiment of the British Army fighting in Spain and Portugal. As they were going into the fight he yelled, "Die Hard, 57th, die hard" because he knew they were probably not coming out, in fact the battalion's casualties were 66% of the officers and soldiers. I really liked the book and I think many others will as well.

[Owen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Although inclined to be repetitive and somewhat reliant on statistics, this is a reasonably well written series of capsules recounting various battles or parts of battles during the Napoleonic era. A certain amount of detail is provided to give insights into the experiences of the ordinary infantryman, however, by necessity, most of the actual quotations used are by the officer class. This leads to the curious anomaly, if one can call it that, of individuals who have gone through some of the worst carnage that modern (sic) warfare has been able to provide, lamenting the fate of their "dear friends and brother officers" who may have been, at the time of writing, lying in a bloody bedlam that was the typical aftermath of many of these events. In fact, although the scale of the killing was obviously less, one cannot help thinking that these types of battles were a sort of prelude to the trench warfare of a century later. One is left with a feeling that, even two hundred years ago, the world had already gone quite mad!

A worthwhile read if interested in the period. I picked it up because I have an ancestor who was present in France during some of this period. It seems self-evident to say that a great many others would also have had ancestors present at that time, had they not been cut down in such swathes prior to founding a family.

[Dave · Rating 4 out of 5]

An interesting look at 10 battles from the Napoleonic Wars that saw outstanding displays of courage and dedication to duty. The battles described range from the famous (Hougoumont, Marengo) to lesser-known engagements, and each is illustrated with copious firsthand accounts. I found the book hard to get into at first, as Haythornwaite's prose can be long-winded at times. However, once you reach the battle accounts themselves, the author does a fine job of making each one engaging and informative. A worthwhile read for both those new to the Napoleonic era and more seasoned readers of the period.