History of the War in the Peninsula and in the South of France: From the Year 1807 to the Year 1814

Published between 1828 and 1840, Napier’s History of the War in the Peninsula was a tremendously influential, if controversial, work. Napier had been actively involved in the campaigns, turning to history in peacetime, in part to refute Southey’s account of Sir John Moore. The first volume had a mixed reception, getting both high praise and bitter criticism from participants in the wars. He published several works rebutting his critics while producing the later volumes. Because of his obvious lack of impartiality, modern military historians treat the work with caution, but it remains widely read in the many editions and abridgements subsequently produced. Volume 3 is prefixed with the author’s answers to criticisms of the first edition, and covers the period from Talavera to the Battle of Albuera in May 1811. Napier is highly critical of General Beresford’s conduct of the battle, but it led to a French retreat.