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 6 deals with the aftermath of the battle of Vitoria, the withdrawal of the French from Spain and the entry of the Allied troops into France. This period culminated in the second battle of Toulouse, in April 1814, between Wellington and Soult, and the abdication of Napoleon.