Talavera 1809: Wellington's lightning strike into Spain

Description

The battle of Talavera in 1809 was one of the major battles of the Peninsular War and Arthur Wellesley's first victory in Spain itself, following which he was created Viscount Wellington of Talavera and Wellington. Although Wellesely's forces were outnumbered, and a sizeable contingent of the Spanish ran away, he had chosen a superb defensive position and was able to beat off successive French attacks, though at a heavy cost in terms of casualties. Although the French had withdrawn leaving Wellesley the master of the field, his high casualties and approaching French reinforcements led to Wellesley withdrawing to Portugal. His foray into Spain had an enormous effect on Spanish morale as they realized they were not alone in the struggle. British redcoats had had got to within 70km of Madraid, and they would return in future years.

Rene Chartrand was born in Montreal and educated in Canada, the United States and the Bahamas. A senior curator with Canada's National Historic Sites for nearly three decades, he is now a freelance writer and historical consultant. He has written numerous articles and books including over 30 Osprey titles. He lives in Gatineau, Quebec. Graham Turner is a leading historical artist, specializing in the medieval period. He has illustrated numerous titles for Osprey, covering a wide variety of subjects from the dress of the 10th-century armies of the Caliphates, through the action of bloody medieval battles, to the daily life of the British Redcoat of the late 18th century. The son of the illustrator Michael Turner, Graham lives and works in Buckinghamshire, UK.

"The events of this campaign are succinctly encapsulated by Chartrand in this 96-page paperback. The Canadian historian points out that Wellington's foray and victory gave a tremendous lift to Spanish morale by letting them know they were not alone in their struggle against French domination. The British Redcoats had advanced to within about 63 miles of Madrid. They would soon march back into Spain to help chase the French out once and for all." --Toy Soldier & Model Figure Magazine "Tactics, strategies, and battle experiences make this a powerful survey, packed with color illustrations by Graham Turner that help recreate events." --James A. Cox, The Midwest Book Review