Gregory Fremont-Barnes

In the mid-19th century, India was the focus of Britain's international prestige and commercial power - the most important colony in an empire which extended to every continent on the globe and protected by the seemingly dependable native armies of the East India Company. When, however, in 1857 discontent exploded into open rebellion, Britain was obliged to field its largest army in forty years to defend its 'jewel in the crown'. This book, drawing on the latest sources as well as numerous first-hand accounts, explains why the sepoy armies rose up against the world's leading imperial power, details the major phases of the fighting, including the massacres at Cawnpore and the epic sieges of Delhi and Lucknow, and examines many other aspects of this compelling, at times horrifying, subject.

The Barbary War was the first war to be waged by the United States after gaining independence.

Admiral Lord Nelson's decisive victory over the combined fleets of France and Spain on 21 October 1805 remains one of the greatest naval triumphs in history. Off Cape Trafalgar, 27 British ships met a larger Franco-Spanish force. The 'Nelson Touch' prevented the front third of the Franco-Spanish fleet from engaging and brought on a battle with the remainder. The five-hour battle resulted in a glorious victory for Nelson but at the cost of his own life. This book examines the tactics used by both sides in this history of the battle that secured British Naval dominance for the next century.

The 'wooden walls' of the Royal Navy formed the country's most important line of defence during the Napoleonic Wars, protecting Britain from Napoleon's intended invasion. Vice Admiral Horatio Lord Nelson, perhaps Britain's most popular hero, instilled unswerving confidence in his men and led them to great success in battle, never more so than in the Battle of Trafalgar. This book examines the experiences of the average British sailor on board a ship-of-the-line during the age of Nelson, including the infamous press ganging, alcoholism and squalid conditions. These were brave men, thrown into the thick of battle, held together by a belief and a cause - to prevent Napoleon and his men from invading their homeland.

Victorious in her previous campaigns in Africa, Britain now confronted an altogether different foe. As this book explains, the Boers proved themselves formidable opponents, masterfully compensating for interior numbers through their resourcefulness, grim determination, strong religious faith and, above all, their expert use of cover, mobility and the power of long-range magazine rifles firing smokeless powder. With inadequate transport, insufficient numbers of mounted troops and poor intelligence the British were to be severely tested in a distant and inhospitable land of immense size and extremes of climate.

This volume covers Napoleon's gradual fall from power, beginning in spring 1813, when Napoleon prepared to face Russia and Prussia again. Quickly raising new armies composed of inexperienced conscripts and invalided verterans, and with a critical shortage of cavalry, Napoleon resolved to preserve his empire in Germany. The Emperor achieved hard-fought victories at Lutzen and Bautzen, but Austria then threw in her lot with the allies. Dresden and Leipzig followed, and Napoleon retreated across the Rhine, to claim victory again on home soil, but the pressure against him was too much, and with Paris threatened, the Emperor abdicated. Yet his last battle, and one of history's most decisive, was still to come - Waterloo.

When Spain and Portugal united against Napoleon, they shocked the world by scoring stunning victories and seriously undermining his domination of Europe. Spain might seem temporarily crushed and Portugal defenceless, but despite Napoleon's best efforts, he could not bring the war to a close and his victories never proved decisive. Six years of hard campaigning followed. When Britain allied herself with Spain and Portugal and entered the field against Napoleon, he faced yet more failures. Meanwhile Wellington guided the British army to victory after victory. This is the third in four volumes providing a complete history of the Napoleonic wars. This title covers the long-drawn-out campaigns of the Spanish peninsula.

Europe's great powers formed two powerful coalitions against France, yet force of numbers, superior leadership and the patriotic fervor of France's citizen-soldiers not only defeated each in turn, but closed the era of small, professional armies fighting for limited political objectives. This period produced commanders such as Napoleon and Nelson, whose names remain a by-word for excellence to this day. From Italy to Egypt Napoleon demonstrated his strategic genius and mastery of tactics in battles including Rivoli, the Pyramids and Marengo. Nelson's spectacular sea victories at the Nile and Copenhagen were foretastes of a century of British naval supremacy.

Europe's great powers formed two powerful coalitions against France, yet force of numbers, superior leadership and the patriotic fervour of France's citizen-soldiers not only defeated each in turn, but closed the era of small, professional armies fighting for limited political objectives. This period produced commanders whose names remain a by-word for excellence in leadership to this day, Napoleon and Nelson. From Italy to Egypt Napoleon demonstrated his strategic genius and mastery of tactics in battles including Rivoli, the Pyramids and Marengo. Nelson's spectacular sea victories at the Nile and Copenhagen were foretastes of a century of British naval supremacy.