Why write another book about Waterloo? is the famous question. Hibbert's answer would, perhaps, be that he hasn't. Instead, he has crafted a narrative from various first and second hand accounts of the campaign. It gains plenty in terms of colour from this approach, but loses some narrative coherence and puts the book at the mercy of other author's judgments; the penultimate chapter, which recycles the 'Perfidious Albion' charge as an explanation for the twenty years of warfare, is particularly misguided. ( )

While ostensibly devoted to the Waterloo campaign, a full appreciation of this book requires some knowledge of events and figures of the French Revolution in general, as well as Napoleon's initial years as emperor.

The author recounts the saga by detailing the central figures- Napoleon, Wellington and Von Blucher, as well as describing how and why Napoleon was able to regain power despite having such a limited force upon entering France from exile in Elba. The book continues with the main battles culminating at Waterloo. Accounts of the battle strategies, tactics and brutal combat are often interesting, but at other times mired in too much detail.

A good read about an interesting subject, however this is far from Hibbert's best work. ( )