The Peninsular War was the first of Britain's many foreign conflicts in which increasing literacy produced a bumper crop of memoirs, not only by Generals and senior officers, but by ordinary rankers and subalterns too. This book is one of the very best. It's author, Robert Blakeney, enlisted in 1804 in the 28th regiment of Infantry as an Irish boy at the tender age of fifteen. As such, he was in at the beginning of the long war in the Iberian peninsular, and stuck through to the end, witnessing at first hand the changing fortunes of war. He was with Sir John Moore in his advance - and in his fatal retreat to Corunna. When Wellington took command, Blakeney served under him at the battles of Arroyo Molinos and the siege of Badajoz; crossed the Pyrenees and took part in one of the war’s final battles at Nivelle. Apart from his own experiences and adventures, Blakeney gives unvarnished pen portraits of many of the Iron Duke’s great subordinates, including Generals Picton, Paget and Hill. For all Napoelonic fans this charming memoir is a must.

This work has been selected by scholars as being culturally important, and is part of the knowledge base of civilization as we know it. This work was reproduced from the original artifact, and remains as true to the original work as possible. Therefore, you will see the original copyright references, library stamps (as most of these works have been housed in our most important libraries around the world), and other notations in the work.This work is in the public domain in the United States of America, and possibly other nations. Within the United States, you may freely copy and distribute this work, as no entity (individual or corporate) has a copyright on the body of the work.As a reproduction of a historical artifact, this work may contain missing or blurred pages, poor pictures, errant marks, etc. Scholars believe, and we concur, that this work is important enough to be preserved, reproduced, and made generally available to the public. We appreciate your support of the preservation process, and thank you for being an important part of keeping this knowledge alive and relevant.

This work has been selected by scholars as being culturally important, and is part of the knowledge base of civilization as we know it. This work was reproduced from the original artifact, and remains as true to the original work as possible. Therefore, you will see the original copyright references, library stamps (as most of these works have been housed in our most important libraries around the world), and other notations in the work. This work is in the public domain in the United States of America, and possibly other nations. Within the United States, you may freely copy and distribute this work, as no entity (individual or corporate) has a copyright on the body of the work. As a reproduction of a historical artifact, this work may contain missing or blurred pages, poor pictures, errant marks, etc. Scholars believe, and we concur, that this work is important enough to be preserved, reproduced, and made generally available to the public. We appreciate your support of the preservation process, and thank you for being an important part of keeping this knowledge alive and relevant.

The Peninsular War was one of the most successful campaigns ever fought by the British Army. Between 1808, when British troops landed in Portugal, and 1814, when Wellington's Army advanced into the south of France, British soldiers were involved in countless battles and sieges against Napoleon's vaunted French veterans. Drawing on rare letters, diaries and memoirs, Ian Fletcher presents a superb insight into the daily lives of British soldiers in this momentous period and evokes such key battles and sieges as Vimiero, Talavera, Badajoz, Salamanca, Vittoria and San Sebastian. Ian Fletcher's skillful compilation of accounts, placed in context by important background detail, make this the story of the Peninsular War in the words of the men who marched, fought and triumphed with Wellington. Although there have been many accounts of soldiering in Wellington's army, Voices from the Peninsula throws new light on the experience of Napoleonic warfare and brings to life what Wellington called 'the finest military machine in existence'.

The Services, Adventures and Experiences of Robert Blakeney, Subaltern in the 28th Regiment. Blakeney (1789-1858) joined the army in 1804 aged 15 and this lively account of his fighting days during the Peninsula War and the friendships he made was edited by Julian Sturgis (1848-1904), a novelist, poet, librettist and lyricist married to Blakeney's granddaughter. Reprinted from the second impression of 1899.