Waterloo was the last battle fought by Napoleon and the one which finally ended his imperial dreams. It involved the deployment of huge armies and incurred heavy losses on both sides; for those who fought in it, Dutch and Belgians, Prussians and Hanoverians as well as British and French troops, it was a murderous struggle. It was a battle that would be remembered very differently across Europe. In Britain it would be seen as an iconic battle whose memory would be enmeshed in

"An essential book for understanding the complex national attitudes to the commemoration of Waterloo." - Chris May, Battlefield

"A brilliant, even-handed short study" - David Horspool, Books of the Year 2015, Guardian

"A strikingly original analysis of responses to Waterloo and the memory of it." - History Today, Gary Sheffield

"A fascinating read" - The Good Book Guide

"Lucid, measured and fascinating." - BBC History magazine, Tim Clayton

"Alan Forrest offers a good discussion of the events leading up to the battle, and its subsequent ripples." - Victor Davis Hanson, Times Literary Supplement

"Original, interesting and elegant To fail to read Waterloo would be quite unthinkable." - British Journal of Military History, Charles Esdaile

"An excellent book" - Literary Review, Saul David