The books in this section are usually hardcover and in decent condition, though we'll sometimes offer hard-to-find books in lesser condition at a reduced price. Though we often put images of the book with their original dust jackets, the copies here won't always (or even often) have them. If that is important to you, please call ahead or say so in the order comments!
The story of Napoleon's escape from Elba, his perilous journey through France and final bid for European domination at Waterloo, is one of the most dramatic of all time. Arriving from Elba with a mere handful of soldiers, Napoleon landed in a country that had apparently forgotten him, a country whose people had recently driven him into exile with cries of hatred. Yet by a strange mixture of authentic genius, courage, bombast, lies and personal magnetism, he was able to rally almost the entire country to his cause.
Wellington and Blücher, his opponents at Waterloo, were slow to believe in the danger represented by his return to Paris and, as Wellington was to admit later, the battle itself was "the nearest run thing you ever saw in your life".
Patrick Pringle tells the story with fairness to both sides, showing how both took great risks and at times made appalling blunders. He also stresses the difficulty of arriving at a true account of exactly how Waterloo was fought owing to the endless, conflicting stories put out by Napoleon and others who took part in the battle.
Illustrated by Sheila Bewley
—from the dust jacket
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