Wellington Against Soult: The Second Invasion of Portugal 1809

by David Buttery

At the heart of David Buttery’s third book on the Peninsular War lies the comparison between two great commanders of enormous experience and reputation – Arthur Wellesley, later Duke of Wellington, and Jean de Dieu Soult.

In Soult, Wellesley met one of his most formidable opponents and they confronted each other during one of the most remarkable, and neglected, of the Peninsular campaigns. Soult’s invasion of Portugal is rarely studied in great depth and, likewise, the offensive Wellesley launched, which defeated and expelled the French, has also received scant coverage. As well as giving a fresh insight into the contrasting characters of the two generals, the narrative offers a gripping and detailed, reconstruction of the organization and experience of a military campaign 200 years ago.

Genres: Military History

256 pages, Paperback

Published November 23, 2020

Reviews

[Betsy]

During the Peinsular War there were three invasions of Portugal by French troops before the allied armies finally triumphed. This book covers the second invasion under Marshal Soult. Soult is a controversial figure. He coveted the throne of Portugal supposedly, and found it difficult to cooperate with other marshals such as Ney. He also was avaricious, but could be a good soldier.

This book details the efforts of the British/Portuguese first to oust the French from Porto, Portugal and then to pursue them over the border into Spain. While not able to totally defeat the French, the allies were able to severely punish their enemies although there was one more invasion under Massena before final victory became possible.

I found this book informative and entertaining. If you are interested in the Peninsular War, it is a good start. 3.5 stars

[Mick Scrimshaw]

Very well written and exceptionally well researched history. I was hooked from the word go and obtained a much better insight into the history and character of Marshall Soult in particular, and even though I’ve read several books on the Peninsular War still came across events and particular daring exploits from courageous individuals I hadn’t heard of before. I should also comment on the extensive and informative footnotes which I found really very useful, not only to help explain detail, but also to help inform my future reading on the subject. This was David Buttery’s history of the second French invasion during the Peninsular War; I am now looking forward to his books on the more famous first and final invasions.

[Leo Barron]

Great book!

Easy to read and understand. A compelling summary of Wellington's 1809 campaign. I recommend it to anyone who is learning about the Peninsular Campaign.

[Steve Switzer]

a fine account

An excellent account of a crucial but forgotten campaign by wellington thatt free d up north Portugal AGood read and nicely done