Wellington and Waterloo: The Duke, the Battle and Posterity 1815-2015

Exploring the man behind Waterloo and the legacy that defined him

The Battle of Waterloo is a defining moment in European history that has been immortalized in literature and art for generations. This is the first book to trace how perceptions and commemorations of it have changed over two centuries. It also delves into the legacy of the man behind the victory. Depictions of Wellington, the victor of Waterloo, have varied over the years. Though in the battle’s immediate aftermath the most feted man in Europe, the Iron Duke’s life was lived in the shadows: that of his brother in India, of Napoleon on the battlefield, and of Lord Liverpool and Sir Robert Peel in the post-1815 Tory Party. And in later life, in opposing reform, the hero became reviled. Neither conventional military history nor a biography, this book traces the restoration of the Duke's reputation and argues that the man is as important to history today as the battle for which he is remembered.