Writing
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Many of my podcast appearances, online talks, debates & links in one place. This is in no way a complete list, but I will attempt to update it as best I can. As always, I am very grateful to the hosts who allow me to...
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The Battle of Waterloo Waterloo occurred on Sunday 18th June 1815. Exactly 208 years later on Sunday 18th June 2023 we have the opportunity to retell the story of one of the most important events in European history,...
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I am really excited to announce that in September Dan Hill and I will be joining together to guide a group around fascinating Peninsular War sites. We have selected wonderful locations which means that we can see many...
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I am delighted to have been invited to speak at the Gibraltar Garrison Library by kind hosts in MOD Gibraltar in Her Majesty's Naval Base Gibraltar (HMNB Gibraltar) on Wednesday 27th April at 13:30. There will be time...
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To watch the free lecture click here (and register for crowdcast for free): https://www.crowdcast.io/e/salamanca In July 2021, Zack White and myself were honoured to be invited to the National Army Museum, Chelsea to...
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Not as famous as many battles of the Peninsula War, The Battle of Grijo was fought on the evening of 10th May and the morning of the 11th May 1809, in Portugal. It was a series of smaller engagements, as the British...
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Thomas Plunkett is one of the most famous Private soldiers of the 95th Rifles, along with Rifleman Harris, who had his story memorialised (the real Harris was illiterate, not the TV favourite from Bernard Cornwell’s...
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Written for: MilitaryHistoryNow.com • September, 2020 • Many remember Waterloo as Wellington’s most greatest victory. Yet by the time of his famous showdown with Napoleon in 1815, he’d already fought and won 32 battles....
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I was kindly asked back onto History Hack, a online Podcast run by historians, to discuss, why does the Cult of Napoleon worship persist to this day and what is the truth behind the myth? Thank you to Alexandra...
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The Duke died on 14 September 1852, in Walmer Castle on the South coast of Kent, this had been his official residence as Lord Warden of the Cinque Ports. This post was the last of The Duke’s military and government...
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The first British troops landed at Mondego Bay on 1 August 1808 and 4 days later Sir Arthur Wellesley had 13,000 troops ashore. On the 17 August, Wellesley beat a French force under General Delaborde at Roliça. (see my...
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In 1808 The British sent an expeditionary force to Portugal to help free the country from a recent swift invasion. The reasoning and the course of the invasion will be the topic of another post, but in brief: Napoleon...
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The Battle of Vitoria marked the start of the final, though long campaign of the Peninsular War, since 1808 a British Army under the commanded by Arthur Wellesley, later the Duke of Wellington and fought, back and forth...
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I have been proudly teaming up with Joshua Provan, author and founder of the Adventures in Historyland website/blog to produce these talks on 'All Things Wellington' Also join us on Twitter with #AllThingsWellington...
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One of the most daring raids of the Peninsula War was the destruction of the French pontoon bridge across the Tagus River by the Anglo-Portuguese force under General Hill on the 19th May, 1812. This raid showed a...
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After Wellington’s Victory at Fuentes de Onoro on the 5th May 1811, Marshal Massena was forced to retreat, though it was not possible to press the advantage. Some 130 miles to the South, Anglo-Spanish army under Marshal...
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The 2nd Battle of Porto (sometimes spelt Oporto), also known as the Battle of the Douro or the Crossing of the Douro was fought on 12th May 1809. NOTE: Since publishing this short article in 2020, I have been...
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HMS Victory was launched on this day, 7th May 1765, 255 years ago at Chatham Dockyard. On the day of launch, shipwright Hartly Larkin realised the ship was too wide to pass safely through the dock gates. The gates were...
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The Battle of Fuentes de Oñoro took place over 3 days, from the 3rd - 5th May 1811. Arthur Wellesley (Lord Wellington) had 37,600 men in 6 Divisions and a independent Portuguese & 3 Cavalry brigades. Marshal André...
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In the warfare that had developed out of many year’s conflict in Europe and its colonies, were 3 broad area of the combat system, most numerous were the infantry, supported by the artillery, guns, both large and small,...
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I am writing this to tie into what would have been the 251st Birthday of Arthur Wellesley, the 1st Duke of Wellington, on 1st May 1769. [The earliest know image of Arthur Wesley (Wellesley) silhouette aged around 7...
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Josh Provan, from Adventures in Historyland and I, both enthusiastic, decided to start a series of video calls, to tell the story of Wellington and Waterloo. Here is a "teaser trailer" from our first call. In it's...
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A difficult topic, but one that is often 'dismissed' by Francophile historians as too common, was the French Army's behaviour towards the civilian population when it invaded a country. Here the focus is on Spain &...
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In June 1808 Wellington was back in Britain, having returned from 9 years exemplary service in India (1796 - 1805), having won famous victories such as the Battle of Assaye and Siege of Seringapatam, , which taught...
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In 1793, the French revolutionary government declared war on Great Britain, adding fear of foreign invasion to that of domestic insurrection and leading to real panic in London. In place there was a complicated system...
