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What book are you reading ...

Stuffy

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About ten years ago I was part of a coach party set to do a tour of Waterloo Stuffy but there was an accident pileup and diversion in the area so all we got was half an hour in the place ,
Never did get back there again sadly.
You must go back. I visited Wellington's and Napoleon's headquarters plus various museums showing weapons and uniforms. I also stood on the spot where General Picton was shot dead. The lane that leads to Chateau Hougoumont runs left to right across the very top of the battlefield with the reverse slope behind it that enabled the British troops to lie down and shelter from the the French cannonade coming up the slope towards them. The large mound with the lion on top was erected by the Dutch much to Wellington's annoyance when he visited many years later.
 

Banksy

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You must go back. I visited Wellington's and Napoleon's headquarters plus various museums showing weapons and uniforms. I also stood on the spot where General Picton was shot dead. The lane that leads to Chateau Hougoumont runs left to right across the very top of the battlefield with the reverse slope behind it that enabled the British troops to lie down and shelter from the the French cannonade coming up the slope towards them. The large mound with the lion on top was erected by the Dutch much to Wellington's annoyance when he visited many years later.
Seems to be the story of my life , missed a crusader fort in Acre for the same reason.Did manage to walk down the Snake Path on Masada where the Roman and Zealot generals met to parlay before the Israelis closed it down for safety reasons.
I do love my history and visiting these sort of places and just imagining.
 

IndoMike

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Waterloo ~ Napoleon's Last Gamble. by Andrew Roberts

Having done the battlefield tour some years ago and have my musket ball/canister shot safely in my glass cabinet, I picket this latest book (I think), from a Swindon charity shop for the princely some of 30pence.

Leading up to the battle the author mentions Bonaparte's disastrous invasion of Russia and the somewhat pyrrhic victory at Borodino (Borisdino?) where both armies suffered severe casualties - the retreating French suffered further from the weather and Cossack attacks as they headed homewards.

Interestingly, one of the main reasons Napoleon attacked Russia was his "Continental Blockade" whereby he hoped to boost the French economy and bring Britain to its knees by a trade embargo that prevented Britain from trading with mainland Europe. Russia was having non of this and British ships continued to unload at St Petersburg which caused Bonaparte to lose his rag.

I guess that Marshal Barnier must be checking history books for pointers ;)
So Hitler didn't learn the lesson: never invade Russia : too bloody cold!
 

Banksy

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So Hitler didn't learn the lesson: never invade Russia : too bloody cold!
Big break for us he didn’t learn from history. But then history does seem to repeat itself.
 

IndoMike

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Big break for us he didn’t learn from history. But then history does seem to repeat itself.
You're right with that.
 

Stuffy

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Seems to be the story of my life , missed a crusader fort in Acre for the same reason.Did manage to walk down the Snake Path on Masada where the Roman and Zealot generals met to parlay before the Israelis closed it down for safety reasons.
I do love my history and visiting these sort of places and just imagining.
You're an unlucky man Mr B. Sometime in the past there was a tv prog on Masada and the ramp the Roman army built to get at them.

You climbed the Snake Path! You're nuts sir ;)
 

Avening Posse

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Leviathan - John Birmingham. A book about the birth of Sydney up until the millennium. The history of Sydney they don't want you to see. The book has a focus on the underbelly, atrocities, political skullduggery, crime and so on. A fantastic historical read about how Sydney evolved from frankly shocking treatment of the indigenous population, to the role of convicts, political shenanigans and through some very tough times up to 2000. Historically accurate and may just make you look at Australia a bit differently
 

Banksy

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You're an unlucky man Mr B. Sometime in the past there was a tv prog on Masada and the ramp the Roman army built to get at them.

You climbed the Snake Path! You're nuts sir ;)
The second time I could only get there by cable car. Lot younger the first time.Yes , it was interesting looking down from Masada at the markings where the Roman legions were camped out.Read some very good books on the place before I went , the ramp was quite a building achievement!
 

Stuffy

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So Hitler didn't learn the lesson: never invade Russia : too bloody cold!
S'right Mike.
So Hitler didn't learn the lesson: never invade Russia : too bloody cold!
He certainly didn't Mike. We had a Frenchman (near as dammit) and a German (near as dammit) invading Russia and coming mightily unstuck. I imagine next time they will be better prepared when Generalfeldmarscall Von der Leyen and Le petit emporeur's sidekick Christine Lagarde take charge.

When I visited the battlefield there were about 20 blokes (one in a grey greatcoat) staggering around the sunken lane trying to look fierce. Should there be further re-enactments I wonder if it might appeal to Elgy and chums to get involved. ;);)

 

iscalad

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I see there is a new Last Kingdom book out in October. Sword of Kings.
 
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