These fascinating and valuable studies supplement Sir Charles Oman's major works about the Napoleonic Wars: Wellington's Army and the majestic seven-volume History of the Peninsular War. The subjects of study range widely and interestingly. They include a discussion of the views of historians from the time of Herodotus to the nineteenth century, and an account of the Secret Service that, as the author says in his Preface, illustrates 'the underworld of political and military intrigue which escapes notice in general histories'. Here, too, are Oman's seminal reflections on 'Column and Line in the Peninsula'. Along with his study of the Battle of Maida, also included in the book, this was the result of his investigation of British tactics before the Peninsular War, upon which he based his comprehension of Wellington's method of warfare. The discussion of Napoleon's use of cavalry draws from the whole period of the campaigns of 1800 to 1815, arising from the author's endeavors to discover the principles according to which Napoleon's generals handled cavalry during the Spanish War. The reappearance of these absorbing studies by one of the great masters of British military history will be warmly welcomed by specialist historians and general readers alike.
