Since its publication in 1894, Tomkinson's unique view of the Peninsular War has influenced every serious account of the conflict. A serious soldier and gifted writer, he records every detail of the campaigns and difficulties of camp life, including Lord Wellington's working day from six a.m. until midnight and his infamous mood swings. He pulls no punches about the atrocities committed by all sides, or in his vivid descriptions of the wounded left on the fields of Waterloo.