'Aussie Rick'’s
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(group member since Jun 13, 2009)
'Aussie Rick'’s
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from the THE NAPOLEONIC WARS group.
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Like Betsy, I read them sometime ago and I've only read volume one (according to GR's - I thought I had read both volumes so I better go check). From what I can recall I enjoyed the book once you get into the style of writing. It was fairly detailed however my copy of the book had no maps. If you are a fan of Marshal Suchet I think you will enjoy the book. There isn't much else available to read on the man in English anyhow.
Memoirs of the War in Spain, from 1808 to 1814, Volume 1 by Louis-Gabriel Suchet
Fingers crossed it improves Betsy, maybe he will start to mature with his writing. Keep us all posted.
Aarrrh, those Frenchies, always so good at everything! :)I suppose it was just the times he wrote in, a good boys-own yarn for French subjects!
There are not too many books available on this battle. I know that I have one book on the Battle of Busaco that I haven't read yet; "The Battle of Bussaco: Masséna vs. Wellington" By Donald D. Horward. I quite enjoyed his other Napoleonic book; "Napoleon and Iberia: The Twin Sieges of Cuidad Rodrigo and Almeida, 1810". I found this old review online:
The American Historical Review, Volume 71, Issue 4, July 1966:
https://academic.oup.com/ahr/article-...
Battle of Bussaco: Massena vs. Wellington by Donald D. Howard
"Wellington: The Road to the Lion's Mound 1769 - 1815" - Some interesting information from the Portuguese who fought at the Battle of Busaco:"Together with Craufurd's Light Division, the 19th Infantry Regiment of Cascais especially distinguished itself in the merciless battle against Ney's soldiers that took place in the close surroundings of the Busaco convent. In addition to its own regimental colours, this regiment carried another noteworthy item into battle at Busaco: their traditional protector, Saint Anthony of Padua, in the form of a statue. Saint Anthony lived as a Franciscan monk at the turn of the 12th and 13th century and devoted a significant portion of his life to preaching in Italy. He was, however, originally Portuguese and hailed from Lisbon. The Cascais Regiment, which had possessed the sculpture as a sort of 'battle talisman' for over one hundred years, therefore believed that its men would be protected from defeat and thus came to name the sculpture Saint Anthony the Warrior (St. Antonio Militar). At a certain point in the battle, the 19th Regiment was stripped of its sculpture, which was then held 'captive' by the French. The enraged soldiers of the Cascais Regiment then charged forth alongside the British with renewed intensity against the French, attempting to wrestle back their sculpture of Saint Anthony at any cost. In the end, this quest proved successful."
Battle of Busaco:
https://www.britishbattles.com/penins...
http://www.peninsularwar.org/bucaco.htm
http://www.historyofwar.org/articles/...
Very true about a lack of a happy childhood for many in those years of turmoil. I will look forward to more accounts from your book.
Betsy wrote: "I think the Crossing of the Douro is one of the most exciting battles of the Peninsula Campaign. I'll bet Napoleon wasn't too thrilled when he found out.BTW, I am reading Captain Coignet's book, ..."
I thought I had read that book but its not marked by me as read in Goodreads. I better go back and check to make sure. I hope you are enjoying the book Betsy.
"Wellington: The Road to the Lion's Mound 1769 - 1815" - After Marshal Soult's retreat from Portugal back into Spain, French forces under Joseph Bonaparte, King of Spain, advanced to meet Wellington's army with the opposing forces clashing at Talavera.The Battle of Talavera:
https://www.britishbattles.com/penins...
http://www.historyofwar.org/articles/...
"Wellington: The Road to the Lion's Mound 1769 - 1815" - Wellington conducted a masterful operation in crossing the Douro River to attack the French encamped in Oporto. The French army under Marshal Soult were way too complacent and were caught with their pants down. As a result the French army was sent packing in a hasty retreat back to Spain.Battle of the Douro:
https://www.britishbattles.com/penins...
Another interesting bit of news I discovered when searching on the fighting for Oporto:13 skeletons of French soldiers found:
https://www.porto.pt/en/news/french-i...
"Wellington: The Road to the Lion's Mound 1769 - 1815" - I'm beginning to think that the author doesn't like the French too much. When writing about the French attack on Oporto in 1809 he states:"However, the French were still faring quite successfully on the Iberian Peninsula, as the French Marshal Nicolas Soult, who had in the meantime entered Portuguese territory with his army of twenty-three thousand men, brutally taking Oporto with the loss of only 80 men whilst the city's defenders and civilian population were forced to the quayside and slaughtered. Precise figures are hard to come by, but estimates vary from 4,000 to 20,000 - little wonder then that hatred of the French grew even more intense."
I cannot find any mention of a deliberate massacre of the defenders of Oporto but there is mention of a disaster when a pontoon bridge collapsed when the defenders where trying to retreat from the attacking French.
The Battle of Oporto:
http://www.historyofwar.org/articles/...
Betsy wrote: "I am now on a detailed look at Jena-Auerstadt which the author offers as an example of Napoleon's successful way of waging war: 'He was always ready and easy in his mind on days of action, days of ..."That's a very good point Betsy - just wishful thinking on Napoleon's behalf!
Yes indeed Betsy, no foresight of consequences there!
"Wellington: The Road to the Lion's Mound 1769 - 1815" - Wellington has landed and within a short time has accomplished his first major victory in the Peninsular War, the Battle of Vimeiro. However the subsequent capitulation of the French forces under Marshal Junot that led to the Convention of Cintra nearly ended his career.The Battle of Vimeiro:
https://www.britishbattles.com/penins...
The Convention of Cintra:
https://www.napoleon-series.org/resea...
"Wellington: The Road to the Lion's Mound 1769 - 1815" - Wellington is now on his way to Portugal to fight the French. The author made mention of this incident:"French barbarity to the Portuguese came to be embodied by the infamous massacre that took place in Evora following the French victory against a combined Portuguese-Spanish force at the Battle of Evora (29th July 1808). The brutal slaughter of innocent men, women and children authorized by the French General Louis Henry Loison, nicknamed 'Maneta' (One-Handed), continues to echo down the years in Portugal."
Battle of Evora:
https://wargamerabbit.wordpress.com/2...
"Wellington: The Road to the Lion's Mound 1769 - 1815" - Wellington is now in India and after a tough fight at Seringapatam his next major battle was at Assaye, considered a great victory against the Mahratta army but with heavy losses, especially on the right flank:"Out of all the British units, the 74th Regiment of Foot fighting on Orrok's right wing suffered the heaviest losses, as a mere 75 of its 498 men emerged from the battle without injury."
The Battle of Assaye:
https://www.britishbattles.com/second...
https://thewire.in/history/assaye-whe...
Betsy wrote: "His travelling luggage must have been extensive! Of course, he didn't have to worry about packing, etc. Just as Napoleon didn't have to worry about such things. 😉. Must have made life simpler when ..."Very good point Betsy 😁
"Wellington: The Road to the Lion's Mound 1769 - 1815" - A story about Wellington on being notified of his posting to India with his regiment and something a few of us can relate to:"In line with his nature, which was now beginning to show clear signs of the perfectionism that Wellington would be so famous for in the future, he began to duly prepare for his stay in the east. He resigned from both his post as Irish deputy and aide-de-camp to the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland, whereupon he withdrew a considerable sum of money, the amount of fifty pounds, which he planned to spend on books that would accompany him to India.
Because the receipt of this remarkable purchase has been preserved, the analysis of Wellington's library is a relatively straightforward affair. The receipt contains a total of forty one book titles and one sturdy sea chest intended to serve as a mobile library. Many of these titles consisted of multiple volumes ... All in all, he took approximately two hundred books with him to India."
And;
" ... Other titles in Wesley's Indian travel library that are certainly of interest include Caesar's Commentaries on the Gallic War, which Wellington - similar to Napoleon - saw to be a timeless work in terms of the history of war, Plutarch's Parallel Lives, and the famous treatise by Scottish economist and philosopher Adam Smith, The Wealth of Nations ... "
Wellington: The Road to the Lion's Mound 1769 - 1815 by Daniel Res
Betsy wrote: "Interesting, yes but not all that objective, but then I don't think Vachee intended it to be. He wants to praise Napoleon, but also be able to give some legitimate reasons for his ultmate failure."Its sometimes hard to be objective on such a topic as Napoleon :)
