"The Battle of Waterloo is one of the most important moments in military history. This book seeks to not only tell the story of this great battle, but also to challenge conventional thinking about the opposing forces and the British victory. At noon on June 18, 1815, the might of the Imperial French Army under Napoleon faced the Anglo-Allied Army, commanded by the Duke of Wellington and bolstered by the Prussian Army. It has recently been argued that the British Army alone would never have been able to withstand Napoleon's troops and that the glory for the victory should be laid at the feet of the Prussians, who swept into battle in the evening. Leading Napoleonic expert Gregory Fremont-Barnes is one of the first authors to challenge this stance, proving that the British Army alone was more than equal to the French, and that victory would ultimately have been theirs with or without the arrival of the Prussians..."--Publisher description.

Originally published: 2012.

Historical background -- British troops at Waterloo -- Opposing strategies -- Opening moves -- Defence of Hougoumont -- D'Erlon's attack -- Charge of the Union and Household brigades -- French artillery bombardment: 'Unceasing destruction' -- Resisting the massed French cavalry attacks: 'We stood like a rock' -- Fall of La Haye Sainte and the struggle for Plancenoit -- Continuing defence of Hougoumont -- Repulse of the Imperial Guard and the Anglo-Allied advance: 'The crisis of this eventful day' -- Aftermath and Butcher's Bill: 'A frightful scene of carnage' -- Wounded and the dead -- Victory and defeat -- Waterloo legacy: political and strategic consequences.