In 1815; the deposed emperor Napoleon returned to France and threatened the already devastated and exhausted continent with yet another war. Near the small Belgian municipality of Waterloo; two large; hastily mobilized armies faced each other to decide the future of Europe—Napoleon's forces on one side; and the Duke of Wellington on the other.With so much at stake; neither commander could have predicted that the battle would be decided by the Second Light Battalion; King's German Legion; which was given the deceptively simple task of defending the Haye Sainte farmhouse; a crucial crossroads on the way to Brussels. In The Longest Afternoon; Brendan Simms recounts how these 400-odd riflemen beat back wave after wave of French infantry until finally forced to withdraw; but only after holding up Napoleon for so long that he lost the overall contest. Their actions alone decided the most influential battle in European history. Drawing on previously untapped eye-witness reports for accurate and vivid details of the course of the battle; Simms captures the grand choreography and pervasive chaos of Waterloo: the advances and retreats; the death and the maiming; the heroism and the cowardice. He describes the gallant fighting spirit of the French infantrymen; who clambered over the bodies of their fallen comrades as they assaulted the heavily fortified farmhouse—and whose bravery was only surpassed by that of their opponents in the Second Light Battalion. Motivated by opposition to Napoleonic tyranny; dynastic loyalty to the King of England; German patriotism; regimental camaraderie; personal bonds of friendship; and professional ethos; the battalion suffered terrible casualties and fought tirelessly for many long hours; but refused to capitulate or retreat until the evening; by which time the Prussians had arrived on the battlefield in large numbers.In reorienting Waterloo around the Haye Sainte farmhouse; Simms gives us a riveting new account of the famous battle—an account that reveals; among other things; that Napoleon came much closer than is commonly thought to winning it. A heroic tale of 400 soldiers who changed the course of history; The Longest Afternoon will become an instant classic of military history.
#2335207 in Books Hurst; Jack 2008-09-23 2008-09-23Original language:EnglishPDF # 1 9.00 x 1.00 x 5.75l; 1.30 #File Name: 0465031854464 pages
Review
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful. How Grant emergesBy JAtheyThis is a great book on the first Union victories of consequence in the Civil War; a detailed description of the battles to win Forts Henry and Donelson and the emergence of General Grant as the first and best "fighting general" the North produced. What it excels at is showing how valid the axiom is that Lincoln and the North were saddled with incompetent military leaders who kept us from winning -- almost losing the war. We all know about General McClellan "parade-grounds perfect" but never willing to actually engage the enemy in battle; and then the axiom drifts off into a generic "the rest were bad too." Here you get a detailed picture of Halleck and Buell; Grant's superiors; whose only goals were ego-inflating self-promotion and were utter failures at winning actual battles. The book probably overstates the case that these victories won the war for the North -- scholarly reviewers indicate this; citing Vicksburg; Gettysburg Antietam; etc.; but readers can take that into account: Without Grant at Henry/Donelson; we might not have gotten to those later battles. Forrest is given far less discussion than Grant (as the subtitle seems to indicate) because his involvement was not prolific here; but we get damning insight into his unsavory; sociopathic mindset and actions later (he butchered black Union soldiers who surrendered and founded the KKK). The book's weakness for me was minor; why McClernand; Grant's subordinate commander; was so bad; i.e.; incompetent -- that part isn't explained. Congressman McClernand was a political appointee-officer (as many were on both sides) with personal contacts from home-state Illinois all the way to Lincoln; so he was a vile snake in Grant's camp looking to strike at the opportune moment for self-promotion; that part is clear; but his leadership in the confusing part of the early assault on Donelson didn't seem ill-founded. Finally; I repeat this is a detailed account (nearly 400 pages) on this military campaign with all the political trappings: I was ready for it and enjoyed it immensely.2 of 2 people found the following review helpful. Good primer on American Civil WarBy Dave SchanMy school life of history was largely memorization of key dates in history; so my knowledge of the Civil War was essentially the main battles fought in each year from 1861-1865. Men of Fire gives good behind the scenes knowledge of how the armies of North and South were formed and operated during civil war. From political appointees as battle leaders to a style of fighting where everyone stood in a line to fire at one another; the book is an eye opener on how different military life was then from now. I gained an appreciation for U S Grant; who is one of the 'men of fire.' He comes across as competent; caring for his men; and has ego in check. Nathan Bedford Forrest; the other 'man of fire;' was a Confederate lieutenant colonel. Had his military sense been followed; the South may well have been victorious in the battles of Forts Henry and Donelson. Book is well written and well researched.2 of 2 people found the following review helpful. Good read on a crushing Civil War defeat from which the South never recovered!By Nick NorwoodThe successful early war campaign to take Forts Henry and Donelson is an often overlooked key to victory for the Union military during the Civil War. "Men of Fire" is a smooth read in which the author easily melds the stories of the campaign and the principle military leaders involved. Giving a good deal of background on the leaders; their roles; and setting the stage for the battles that were fought allows the reader a good understanding and insight as to the "why" and "how" things played out as they did. Having read many things on this campaign this book is one of the easier to read and understand. As the reader you come away with a clear understanding of the battles without being bogged down by too much detail yet will undoubtedly see the importance of this early war conquest as it opened the way to the heartland of the South at an early stage of the Civil War.
