Perfect Waterloo Book

Forum dedicated to the Scourge of War Game set during the Napoleonic Wars. Scourge of War: Waterloo follows in the footsteps of its American Civil War predecessors and takes the action to one of the most famous battles in history. It is by far the most detailed game about the final battle of the War of the Seventh Coalition.

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warspite1
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Perfect Waterloo Book

Post by warspite1 »

Just thought I would mention this book to those who are interested in the battle.

The Waterloo Companion - Mark Adkin (Aurum)

There are loads of excellent books on this subject out there - but if you are looking for something big, colourful, glossy, packed with more charts, pictures and diagrams than you can shake a stick at then this is for you; brief history of the build up to the campaign, incredibly detailed Orders of Battle, maps depicting the scene at key stages of the battle, uniforms, summaries of the key officers (Corps and Divisional), tactics employed (the subsidiary battles are also included) etc etc etc

This book contains over 400 pages of essential information - and all presented in a way that begs to be read!

One of my favourite books in my entire military history library and thoroughly recommended [&o]

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Duke of Wellington to 1st Guards Brigade - Waterloo 18 June 1815
benpark
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RE: Perfect Waterloo Book

Post by benpark »

Good recommendation. I think that has been out of print for a while, though. It may be hard to find a copy. Like most great history books.

I'd also suggest "Armies at Waterloo" Scott Bowden for OOB nitty gritty (out of print as I well, I expect), and for the best narrative account of Waterloo "The Battle" by Alessandro Barbero(Author), John Cullen(Translator) is really, really fantastic.
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Tim1966
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RE: Perfect Waterloo Book

Post by Tim1966 »

The Waterloo Companion is excellent - there is also a Gettysburg one too and I think a lot of the team own copies.
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Aurelian
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RE: Perfect Waterloo Book

Post by Aurelian »

Building a new PC.
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warspite1
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RE: Perfect Waterloo Book

Post by warspite1 »

ORIGINAL: Tim1966

The Waterloo Companion is excellent - there is also a Gettysburg one too and I think a lot of the team own copies.
warspite1

...and a Trafalgar and a Western Front version.
Now Maitland, now's your time!

Duke of Wellington to 1st Guards Brigade - Waterloo 18 June 1815
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pjsynnott
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RE: Perfect Waterloo Book

Post by pjsynnott »

This one is an oldie but a goodie. With chapters by British, French and German writers, excellent illustrations and probably the best battle maps outside Adkins' work.

"WATERLOO, Battle of the Three Armies."

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http://www.amazon.com/Waterloo-Battle-A ... 0283982357

Long out of print, I think, but worth snapping up if a second-hand copy is ever in reach.
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RE: Perfect Waterloo Book

Post by mitra76 »

If you can read french Les Carnets de la Campagne are invaluables (12 volumes), lot of primary sources reported of all the side and they cover also the day of 15 Junes, the 17 and the 19.
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Rosseau
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RE: Perfect Waterloo Book

Post by Rosseau »

Warspite's selection does appear to be the book on the topic.

However, for those who don't want to pay more than the game for a book:

Waterloo: June 18, 1815: The Battle for Modern Europe (Making History)
Roberts, Andrew
Sold by: Books Squared
$0.01

$3.99 for shipping, of course [;)]
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Volunteer
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RE: Perfect Waterloo Book

Post by Volunteer »

ORIGINAL: warspite1

Just thought I would mention this book to those who are interested in the battle.

The Waterloo Companion - Mark Adkin (Aurum)

There are loads of excellent books on this subject out there - but if you are looking for something big, colourful, glossy, packed with more charts, pictures and diagrams than you can shake a stick at then this is for you; brief history of the build up to the campaign, incredibly detailed Orders of Battle, maps depicting the scene at key stages of the battle, uniforms, summaries of the key officers (Corps and Divisional), tactics employed (the subsidiary battles are also included) etc etc etc

This book contains over 400 pages of essential information - and all presented in a way that begs to be read!

One of my favourite books in my entire military history library and thoroughly recommended [&o]

Image

This book looks excellent. I wonder if the devs used it as a reliable source? When I tried to snag a copy on Amazon the cheapest one available was £94 and the most expensive £418.00 (yes,
hundreds!). [X(] A publisher could well cash in on a reprinting methinks.
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Jim_NSD
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RE: Perfect Waterloo Book

Post by Jim_NSD »

We did use the Waterloo Companion as one of a number of sources. You can see the complete list on pages 102-103 of the game manual.

-Jim
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"My God, if we've not got a cool brain and a big one too, to manage this affair, the nation is ruined forever." Unknown private, 14th Vermont Infantry, 2 July 1863
aaatoysandmore
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RE: Perfect Waterloo Book

Post by aaatoysandmore »

There's some excellent docs on YouTube as well.
Enigma6584
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RE: Perfect Waterloo Book

Post by Enigma6584 »

ORIGINAL: benpark

Good recommendation. I think that has been out of print for a while, though. It may be hard to find a copy. Like most great history books.

I'd also suggest "Armies at Waterloo" Scott Bowden for OOB nitty gritty (out of print as I well, I expect), and for the best narrative account of Waterloo "The Battle" by Alessandro Barbero(Author), John Cullen(Translator) is really, really fantastic.

I'm new to the scourge of war series and am thoroughly enjoying it. I wanted to get some good historical background on the battle and ordered it via amazon.com and it is temporarily out of stock. I also bought the Gettysburg Companion and it just arrived the other day. It is simply amazing and if Waterloo Companion is anything like the Gettysburg Companion, it is money very much well spent.
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Rasputitsa
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RE: Perfect Waterloo Book

Post by Rasputitsa »

I found this title as very illuminating;

Waterloo: The French Perspective : Andrew Field

There has been little from the French side, who seemed to want to forget the whole thing. Personal recollections, including Napoleon much further forward than I had imagined, talking with the gunners close to La Haye Sainte and with the Old Guard at Plancenoit. The attack of the Guard, advancing in square formation, as with most of the Guard committed to Plancenoit, or held as a final reserve, the celebrated attack is made by just 6 battalions of the Middle Guard.



The companion title covers the build up to the battle and some of the material is a repetition of the other book, but does help to complete the picture of the campaign.

Prelude to Waterloo: Quatre Bras: The French Perspective
"In politics stupidity is not a handicap" - Napoleon

“A people which is able to say everything becomes able to do everything” - Napoleon

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witheford
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RE: Perfect Waterloo Book

Post by witheford »

I strongly recommend Waterloo: Four Days that Changed Europe’s Destiny by Tim Clayton.
It is a recently published overview of the battle that manages to be both a comprehensive synthesis of recent research and a
thrilling narrative, making clear just how much of 'close run thing' it was.
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