The archetype of the stern, silent Englishman dedicated to his duty, the Duke of Wellington had all the subtlety and variety of genius. WELLINGTON uncovers the sensitive child of Irish aristocrats pushed into the army, making his name in India before returning to lead the Allied Armies to victory against Napoleon in the Peninsular War and at Waterloo. Swapping battlegrounds for political minefields, Wellington emerges as a conservative Tory Prime Minister of a country demanding every variety of reform. Many strands ...
Read More
The archetype of the stern, silent Englishman dedicated to his duty, the Duke of Wellington had all the subtlety and variety of genius. WELLINGTON uncovers the sensitive child of Irish aristocrats pushed into the army, making his name in India before returning to lead the Allied Armies to victory against Napoleon in the Peninsular War and at Waterloo. Swapping battlegrounds for political minefields, Wellington emerges as a conservative Tory Prime Minister of a country demanding every variety of reform. Many strands gradually come together in his character, to make at last the ideal he had always held out for himself; 'the retained servant of king and people'. WELLINGTON triumphantly succeeds in revealing an unforgettable, appealing and very human character. Magisterial, vivid, exhaustively researched, sympathetic yet balanced, rich in personal details but scholarly too. Elizabeth Longford's classic biography was greeted with a storm of acclaim.
Read Less
Add this copy of Wellington to cart. $24.99, new condition, Sold by Mom's Resale rated 5.0 out of 5 stars, ships from River Hills, WI, UNITED STATES, published 2001 by Time Warner Books Uk.
Add this copy of Wellington to cart. $99.97, new condition, Sold by GridFreed rated 4.0 out of 5 stars, ships from North Las Vegas, NV, UNITED STATES, published 2012 by Abacus Software.
The Duke of Wellington is a legend in British history, as one of the two British field commanders that never suffered a defeat in a pitched battle, the other is the Duke of Marlborugh. Elizabeth Pakenham, Lady Longford, has in her two volume monumental biography (1969, 1972) of Wellington managed to show us the boy, the youth, the man, and the old statesman, and create a full size life of one of the most remarkable men in history. Others have tried, and made good attempts, but no one - in my opinion - have succeeded in the way that Elizabeth Longford did.
The abridged one volume is of necessity not as comprehensive, but gives a good overview of Wellington's life, from the cradle to the grave. I would though, recommend anyone who reads the one volume edition, to read the original two volume edition too.