The defeat of Napoleon’s French army by the combined forces of Wellington and Blücher at Waterloo on 18 June 1815 was a turning point in world history. This was the climax of the Napoleonic Wars, and the outcome had a major influence on the shape of Europe for the next century and beyond. The battle was a milestone, and it cannot be properly understood without a detailed, on-the-ground study of the landscape in which it was fought – and that is the purpose of David Buttery’s battlefield guide. This thoroughgoing, lucid, easy-to-follow guide is a fascinating introduction for anyone who seeks to understand what happened on that momentous day, and it will be an essential companion for visitors to the battlefield in Belgium.

The defeat of Napoleon’s French army by the combined forces of Wellington and Blücher at Waterloo on 18 June 1815 was a turning point in world history. This was the climax of the Napoleonic Wars, and the outcome had a major influence on the shape of Europe for the next century and beyond. The battle was a milestone, and it cannot be properly understood without a detailed, on-the-ground study of the landscape in which it was fought – and that is the purpose of David Buttery’s battlefield guide. This thoroughgoing, lucid, easy-to-follow guide is a fascinating introduction for anyone who seeks to understand what happened on that momentous day, and it will be an essential companion for visitors to the battlefield in Belgium.