The Road to Waterloo

The Battle of Waterloo, fought so close to home, made a deep impression on the British people. From the morning after the battle, they flocked to see the battlefield where the old enemy, Napoleon had been defeated, and where thousands had died. This book follows six of these first tourists in their own words as they experienced pride, patriotism, shock, grief and inspiration. They confronted scenes of carnage, collected souvenirs, were chased by scavengers and talked to the local people, and their descriptions combine profound thoughts on the nature of war with vivid descriptions and even humour.