Wellington – The Road to the Lion’s Mound is the first volume of the story of the 1st Duke of Wellington, the man who defeated Napoleon at Waterloo and became a celebrated hero not only in Britain and Europe but throughout the world. Daniel Res tells the gripping tale of Wellington’s exploits, giving the book almost novel-like readability. In it we discover the story of Wellington’s youth in Ireland, his shaky beginnings in politics and the army, his first military success in India, and his crucial engagements with Napoleonic France on the Iberian Peninsula as he fights his way from there to the south of France in 1814 – all events which culminate in the Battle of Waterloo the following year. Res presents Wellington not only as an ingenious commander but also as a sensitive man, one often shaken by the realities and horrors of war. Wellington is revealed to be an excellent horseman, a passionate reader, a gentleman, an impeccable organizer, perfectionist, and workaholic, as well as being a Conservative politician with a notably British sense of humour.
The author also recounts something of Wellington’s wooing of and marriage to Catherine ‘Kitty’ Pakenham, a story likened by con-temporaries to Odysseus and Penelope. This provides the reader with insight into Wellington’s development from a ‘dreamy, idle and shy lad’, an often lovelorn and unrestrained youth, to a man of principle with strong personal convictions and values. The book’s title –Wellington – The Road to the Lion’s Mound– has been inspired by the monument that today stands on the battlefield of Waterloo and symbolizes the Duke’s personal journey.
‘The Duke of Wellington is not just a figure belonging to British history but also one belonging to that of the whole of Europe. In this imaginative work, Czech historian, Daniel Res, both reminds us of this fact and gives us a wealth of insight into the rich vein of material on the Napoleonic Wars to be found in the archives of Mittel Europa.’ Prof Charles Esdaile, University of Liverpool, author of Napoleon, France, and Waterloo: The Eagle Rejected, and Napoleon’s Wars: An International History, 1803–1815
