Wellington by Rory Muir
From the leading Wellington historian, a fascinating reassessment of the Duke's most famous victory and his role in the turbulent politics after Waterloo
"[An] authoritative and enjoyable conclusion to a two-part biographyMuir’s treatment of Wellington the general was methodical, but he handles Wellington the politician with flair and , importantly, penetrates his mind . . . This excellent biography should be compulsory reading for all Conservative ministers, MPs and prospective candidates since it will serve to remind them of the value of sober, dispassionate judgement and the duties and disciplines of public service."—Lawrence James, Times (London)
“The Wellington biography for our time.”—Gary Sheffield, History Today
"This splendid biography makes substantial claims for Wellington . . . but it backs up these claims vigorously and convincingly. It is revisionist biography in the best sense."—Andrew Roberts, Mail on Sunday
"[A] superb biography, which is as provocative as it is thorough, and as attractive as it is scrupulous."—Ferdinand Mount, Times Literary Supplement
‘The fruit of more than thirty years labour, Rory Muir’s two-volume life of Wellington is a monumental achievement that will not be bettered for a generation.’—Saul David, Literary Review.
“In sum this is nothing short of being a marvelous work of biography on the finest military commander of the Napoleonic Wars. It puts in the shade every previous biography of the duke and justly earns the accolade 'definitive'— and will be for the foreseeable future.”—Donald E. Grave, Napoleon Series
“Wellington has hardly been short of biographers, but what makes the latest of them, Rory Muir, so outstanding is his sheer professionalism . . . this is an impressively weighty and detailed volume, and yet also a surprisingly readable one. Its publication completes an outstanding achievement.”—Andrew Uffindell, Journal of Army Historical Research
"After forty years, we finally have a definitive new life of the Duke of Wellington. Rory Muir conveys the military, political, social and personal sides of Wellington’s career with equal brilliance. This will be the leading work on the subject for decades."—Andrew Roberts, author of Napoleon and Wellington: The Long Duel
"Rory Muir is one of the foremost historians of the Napoleonic period. This is the richest biography of the Iron Duke in many years, brimming with originality and not shy of controversy."—John Bew, author of Castlereagh: Enlightenment, War and Tyranny
"Vivid, engaging and hugely readable. From it emerges a nuanced and well-rounded sense of Wellington the man, military hero, politician and public servant. Readers will gain much insight, knowledge and enjoyment from reading Muir’s authoritative portrait of one of the great figures of nineteenth-century Britain."—Angus Hawkins, author of The Forgotten Prime Minister, the 14th Earl of Derby
"In 1818 the Prime Minister, Lord Liverpool, offered Wellington a place in his government. The Duke replied with a word of caution which just about summarizes his whole approach to politics. 'The experience which I have acquired during my long service abroad has convinced me that a factious opposition to the government is highly injurious to the interests of the country; and thinking as I do now I could not become a party to such an opposition, and I wish that this may be clearly understood by those persons with whom I am now about to engage as colleagues in government.'
The Duke has often been summarized as a brilliant general who was hopeless in politics. Anyone reading Rory Muir’s book will have to think this through again. Muir gives a painstaking and brilliant account of the actual Battle of Waterloo – but in his analysis of the difficult years which followed, he argues that the Duke never forgot his guiding principle, that the King’s government has to be carried on."—Douglas Hurd, former UK Foreign Secretary and author of Robert Peel
“The Wellington biography for our time.”—Gary Sheffield, History Today
"This splendid biography makes substantial claims for Wellington . . . but it backs up these claims vigorously and convincingly. It is revisionist biography in the best sense."—Andrew Roberts, Mail on Sunday
"[A] superb biography, which is as provocative as it is thorough, and as attractive as it is scrupulous."—Ferdinand Mount, Times Literary Supplement
‘The fruit of more than thirty years labour, Rory Muir’s two-volume life of Wellington is a monumental achievement that will not be bettered for a generation.’—Saul David, Literary Review.
“In sum this is nothing short of being a marvelous work of biography on the finest military commander of the Napoleonic Wars. It puts in the shade every previous biography of the duke and justly earns the accolade 'definitive'— and will be for the foreseeable future.”—Donald E. Grave, Napoleon Series
“Wellington has hardly been short of biographers, but what makes the latest of them, Rory Muir, so outstanding is his sheer professionalism . . . this is an impressively weighty and detailed volume, and yet also a surprisingly readable one. Its publication completes an outstanding achievement.”—Andrew Uffindell, Journal of Army Historical Research
"After forty years, we finally have a definitive new life of the Duke of Wellington. Rory Muir conveys the military, political, social and personal sides of Wellington’s career with equal brilliance. This will be the leading work on the subject for decades."—Andrew Roberts, author of Napoleon and Wellington: The Long Duel
"Rory Muir is one of the foremost historians of the Napoleonic period. This is the richest biography of the Iron Duke in many years, brimming with originality and not shy of controversy."—John Bew, author of Castlereagh: Enlightenment, War and Tyranny
"Vivid, engaging and hugely readable. From it emerges a nuanced and well-rounded sense of Wellington the man, military hero, politician and public servant. Readers will gain much insight, knowledge and enjoyment from reading Muir’s authoritative portrait of one of the great figures of nineteenth-century Britain."—Angus Hawkins, author of The Forgotten Prime Minister, the 14th Earl of Derby
"In 1818 the Prime Minister, Lord Liverpool, offered Wellington a place in his government. The Duke replied with a word of caution which just about summarizes his whole approach to politics. 'The experience which I have acquired during my long service abroad has convinced me that a factious opposition to the government is highly injurious to the interests of the country; and thinking as I do now I could not become a party to such an opposition, and I wish that this may be clearly understood by those persons with whom I am now about to engage as colleagues in government.'
The Duke has often been summarized as a brilliant general who was hopeless in politics. Anyone reading Rory Muir’s book will have to think this through again. Muir gives a painstaking and brilliant account of the actual Battle of Waterloo – but in his analysis of the difficult years which followed, he argues that the Duke never forgot his guiding principle, that the King’s government has to be carried on."—Douglas Hurd, former UK Foreign Secretary and author of Robert Peel
Rory Muir is visiting research fellow, School of History and Politics, University of Adelaide. The author of several previous books related to Wellington’s career, he lives in Australia.
| SKU | Unavailable |
| ISBN 13 | 9780300187861 |
| ISBN 10 | 0300187866 |
| Title | Wellington |
| Author | Rory Muir |
| Condition | Unavailable |
| Binding Type | Hardback |
| Publisher | Yale University Press |
| Year published | 2015-06-11 |
| Number of pages | 728 |
| Cover note | Book picture is for illustrative purposes only, actual binding, cover or edition may vary. |
| Note | Unavailable |