Journals of Sieges Carried On by The Army under the Duke of Wellington, in Spain, during the Years 1811 to 1814 - Volume III

Book excerpt: The classic, immensely detailed description of the many sieges of the long drawn-out war that was Britain's major land contribution to the defeat of Napoleon. Sir John Jones was an officer of the Royal Engineers with Wellington in Portugal and Spain and intimately connected with the operations he describes so exactly. Sir John originally wrote his work to draw attention to what he considered were Britain's inadequate 'siege establishments’ and equipment which, he claimed, made some of the war’s sieges more bloody and drawn-out affairs than they need have been. Students of sieges and of military history generally should be grateful that Jones’ massive and meticulous work, illustrated with numerous plans, charts and maps - is once more generally available.