British Sieges of the Peninsular War - Softcover

Myatt, Frederick

Softcover

ISBN 10: 1862274274 ISBN 13: 9781862274273

Publisher: Spellmount, 2008

Synopsis

This lavishly illustrated book details all ten of the sieges by Wellington’s army in the Penisular War 1811–13, providing a comprehensive explanation of all aspects of siege craft in the Napoleonic period.

About this title

Synopsis:

This book provides a comprehensive explanation of all aspects of siege craft, including weaponry, fortifications, engineering and tactics. It details all ten of the sieges by Wellington's army in the Penisular War 1811-13. It is lavishly illustrated throughout with large pictures, maps and plans.The Peninsular War continues to be of great interest to students of military history, but the various siege operations have tended to be overlooked. However, they are of no less interest than the battles in the open fields, particularly in Spain where the circumstances were so unusual.The British Army under Wellington was hopelessly outnumbered by the French and could only keep the field at all by virtue of the superior supply system which enabled them to remain concentrated, whereas the French, who lived off the country, were compelled to disperse widely in order to survive. They were nevertheless capable of rapid concentration for a particular object, so that any siege operation conducted by the British inevitably ran the risk of being overwhelmed by sheer weight of numbers of the relieving force.

As a result, Wellington's main preoccupation was not how long it would take to bring a siege to a successful conclusion by normal means but rather what chance he had of snatching success before the French overcame their supply problems and arrived in front of him.This accessible and highly illustrated volume is the essential guide to British siege craft in the Napoleonic period.

About the Author:

Frederick Myatt won the Military Cross in Burma in 1944 whilst in command of the Gold Coast Regiment. On leaving the army in 1968 he was appointed curator of The Weapons Museum at the School of Infantry at Warminster. He was the author of numerous works of military history, including The Soldier's Trade, Peninsular General and The British Infantry 1600-1945.

About this edition

• Publisher: Spellmount
• Publication date: 2008
• ISBN 10: 1862274274
• ISBN 13: 9781862274273
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 192