The Eagle's Last Triumph

Napoleon won his final victory on 16th June 1815 at Ligny, shortly before suffering a crushing defeat at Waterloo. Facing two enemy armies – under Wellington and Blucher – he aimed his main attack against Blucher’s Prussians at Ligny and diverted Wellington’s attention by engaging his forward elements at Quatre Bras.

The Eagle’s Last Triumph provides a detailed examination of these neglected early campaigns, with a riveting description of the fighting and eyewitness testimony. The author shows just how close Napoleon came to winning a crushing victory at the start of the campaign. He also shows Blucher was unhorsed and nearly captured in the evening of Ligny – and how this could have had a decisive impact on subsequent events.

A vivid military epic, providing a cogent explanation of why Napoleon, victorious at Ligny, met with defeat two days later.