Salamanca, 18122001

"This book examines in detail the celebrated battle of Salamanca, the critical British victory that proved crushing to French pride and morale during the Peninsular War (1808-1814). Focusing on the day of the battle, Rory Muir skilfully conveys the experience of ordinary soldiers on both sides, dissects each phase of the fighting and explores the crucial decisions made by each commander. He employs wide-ranging British and French sources - many unpublished or obscure - to reconstruct every aspect of the battle. Having walked the battlefield itself, a site which remains today much as it was in 1812, Muir relates the ebb and flow of the battle with particular vividness. In separate commentary sections he evaluates the sources and indicates the inevitable contradictions and gaps in evidence that have emerged during his research. Complete with maps, battleground plans, line drawings and photographs, this compelling book provides acute analysis of a single day in Salamanca that changed European history."--BOOK JACKET.