The Spanish Ulcer: A History of the Peninsular War

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About The Spanish Ulcer: A History Of The Peninsular War

Product Description This study assesses the opposing generals and their troops and analyzes the social and political background of the war that ranged Spanish regulars and guerrillas, the Portuguese, and British forces led by Sir John More and the Duke of Wellington againstNapoleon's forces From Publishers Weekly In 1808, on the Iberian peninsula, Napoleon began a six-year war of attrition against Spain and its British and Portuguese allies. Expecting a quick victory, the French emperor instead found himself facing a strong foe (led by Britain's Duke of Wellington), including popular opposition in the form of guerrilla bands, and constant supply and communications problems. In this thorough military history, Gates, a university lecturer in Scotland, offers a battle-by-battle account of the war in its various theaters, with maps and other illustrations. His descriptions of the brutal fighting on barren terrain are clear and balanced, making this a valuable modern view of the conflict. He likens the "Spanish Ulcer," as the ultimately devastating defeat of Napoleon was called, to the present-day Soviet attempt to impose rule against the popular will in Afghanistan. History Book Club selection. Copyright 1986 Reed Business Information, Inc. From Library Journal The Peninsular War of 1807-14, now aptly known as Napoleon's Vietnam, has long been the subject of serious military study. This new book by a dependable historian updates the extensive literature on the subject and condenses it into a useful and readable volume. There is little in the way of interpretation beyond the traditional anti-Napoleonic bias of British writers, but Gates presents a solid nuts-and-bolts overview of a complex and particularly nasty war. He is deft at reducing the mass of names, battles, and dates into an enticing narrative, and numerous maps make it easy to follow each siege and skirmish. This book will be valuable to academics and enjoyed by lay historians. History Book Club selection. Raymond L. Puffer, U.S. Air Force History Prog., Los Angeles Copyright 1986 Reed Business Information, Inc.