The Fields of Death

Last updated

The Fields of Death
FieldsOfDeath.jpg
First edition
Author Simon Scarrow
Cover artistTim Byrne
CountryUnited Kingdom
LanguageEnglish
Series Wellington and Napoleon Quartet
Genre Historical novel
Publisher Headline Review
Publication date
24 June 2010
Media typePrint (Hardback)
Preceded by Fire and Sword  

The Fields of Death is the fourth and final novel in the Wellington and Napoleon Quartet by Simon Scarrow, which tells the story of the French Revolution and the Napoleonic Wars from the point of view of Sir Arthur Wellesley (the future Duke of Wellington) and Napoleon Bonaparte.

Plot

The book covers the time period between April 1809 and 1815, the climax of the conflict at the Battle of Waterloo. At the start of the novel, Napoleon is facing increasing pressure as his marshals are repeatedly defeated by Arthur Wellesley, leading the allied armies of Britain and Spain. The plot of the novel revolves around Napoleon's wars in central Europe and failed invasion of Russia, as his armies rapidly lose men and their reputation for invincibility. Running parallel to this story, Arthur Wellesley is leading the allied forces to victory in the Peninsular War, before invading Southern France. The novel ends with Napoleon and Wellington finally meeting in battle at Waterloo.

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Battle of Waterloo</span> 1815 battle of the Napoleonic Wars

The Battle of Waterloo was fought on Sunday 18 June 1815, near Waterloo, marking the end of the Napoleonic Wars. A French army under the command of Napoleon was defeated by two armies of the Seventh Coalition. One of these was a British-led force with units from the United Kingdom, the Netherlands, Hanover, Brunswick, and Nassau, under the command of the Duke of Wellington. The other comprised three corps of the Prussian army under Field Marshal Blücher, a fourth corps of this army fought at the Battle of Wavre on the same day. The battle was known contemporarily as the Battle of Mont Saint-Jean in France or La Belle Alliance in Prussia.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Arthur Wellesley, 1st Duke of Wellington</span> British soldier and statesman (1769–1852)

Field Marshal Arthur Wellesley, 1st Duke of Wellington, was an Anglo-Irish statesman, soldier, and Tory politician who was one of the leading military and political figures of 19th-century Britain, serving twice as prime minister of the United Kingdom. He is among the commanders who won and ended the Napoleonic Wars when the Seventh Coalition defeated Napoleon at the Battle of Waterloo in 1815.

<i>Waterloo</i> (1970 film) 1970 film

Waterloo is a 1970 English-language epic historical war film about the Battle of Waterloo. A co-production between Italy and the Soviet Union, it was directed by Sergei Bondarchuk and produced by Dino De Laurentiis. It stars Rod Steiger as Napoleon Bonaparte and Christopher Plummer as the Duke of Wellington with a cameo by Orson Welles as Louis XVIII of France. Other stars include Jack Hawkins as General Sir Thomas Picton, Virginia McKenna as the Duchess of Richmond and Dan O'Herlihy as Marshal Ney.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hundred Days</span> 1815 period of the Napoleonic Wars

The Hundred Days, also known as the War of the Seventh Coalition, marked the period between Napoleon's return from eleven months of exile on the island of Elba to Paris on 20 March 1815 and the second restoration of King Louis XVIII on 8 July 1815. This period saw the War of the Seventh Coalition, and includes the Waterloo Campaign and the Neapolitan War as well as several other minor campaigns. The phrase les Cent Jours was first used by the prefect of Paris, Gaspard, comte de Chabrol, in his speech welcoming the king back to Paris on 8 July.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Duke of Wellington (title)</span> Title in the Peerage of the United Kingdom

Duke of Wellington is a title in the Peerage of the United Kingdom. The name derived from Wellington in Somerset. The title was created in 1814 for Arthur Wellesley, 1st Marquess of Wellington, the Anglo-Irish military commander who is best known for leading the decisive victory with Field Marshal von Blücher over Napoleon's forces at Waterloo in Brabant. Wellesley later served twice as British prime minister.

Sharpe is a series of historical fiction stories by Bernard Cornwell centred on the character of British soldier Richard Sharpe. The stories formed the basis for an ITV television series featuring Sean Bean in the title role.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hougoumont</span> Farmhouse near Waterloo, Belgium

Château d'Hougoumont is a walled manorial compound, situated at the bottom of an escarpment near the Nivelles road in the Braine-l'Alleud municipality, near Waterloo, Belgium. The site served as one of the advanced defensible positions of the Anglo-allied army under the Duke of Wellington, that faced Napoleon's Army at the Battle of Waterloo on 18 June 1815.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Waterloo campaign</span> Military campaign during Napoleons Hundred Days

The Waterloo campaign was fought between the French Army of the North and two Seventh Coalition armies, an Anglo-allied army and a Prussian army. Initially the French army had been commanded by Napoleon Bonaparte, but he left for Paris after the French defeat at the Battle of Waterloo. Command then rested on Marshals Soult and Grouchy, who were in turn replaced by Marshal Davout, who took command at the request of the French Provisional Government. The Anglo-allied army was commanded by the Duke of Wellington and the Prussian army by Field Marshall Graf von Blücher.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Alexander Dickson (British Army officer)</span> Army officer during the Napoleonic Wars and the Peninsular War

Major General Sir Alexander Dickson was a British Army officer who served in the artillery. He fought at many battles during the Napoleonic Wars. Arthur Wellesley, 1st Duke of Wellington had the highest opinion of his abilities and made him the effective commander of his army's artillery during the latter part of the Peninsular War.

<i>Sharpes Eagle</i> 1981 historical novel by Bernard Cornwell

Sharpe's Eagle is a historical novel in the Richard Sharpe series by Bernard Cornwell, first published in 1981. The story is set in July 1809, in the midst of the Talavera Campaign during the Peninsular War. It was the first Sharpe novel published, but eighth in the series' chronological order.

<i>Sharpes Waterloo</i> 1990 historical novel by Bernard Cornwell

Sharpe's Waterloo is a historical novel in the Richard Sharpe series by Bernard Cornwell. Originally published in 1990 under the title Waterloo, it is the eleventh novel of the Sharpe series and the twentieth novel in chronological order. Cornwell stated that he intended to end the series here, but later changed his mind.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Colin Campbell (British Army officer, born 1776)</span> British Army officer and colonial governor

Lieutenant-General Sir Colin Campbell was a British Army officer and colonial governor.

<i>The Generals</i> (novel) 2007 novel by Simon Scarrow

The Generals is the second volume in Simon Scarrow's Wellington and Napoleon Quartet, which narrates mostly in alternate chapters, tells the story of Sir Arthur Wellesley and the Corsican Brigadier Napoleon Bonaparte.

<i>The Iron Duke</i> (film) 1934 film

The Iron Duke is a 1934 British historical film directed by Victor Saville and starring George Arliss, Ellaline Terriss and Gladys Cooper. Arliss plays Arthur Wellesley, Duke of Wellington in the events leading up to the Battle of Waterloo and beyond.

The Wellington and Napoleon Quartet is a historical fiction series of novels by Simon Scarrow set in primarily the time of the French Revolution and the Napoleonic Wars. The series tells the stories of Napoleon Bonaparte and Arthur Wellesley from their births to the climax of their respective military careers, the Battle of Waterloo.

<i>Fire and Sword</i> (novel) 2009 novel by Simon Scarrow

Fire and Sword is the third book in Simon Scarrow's Wellington and Napoleon Quartet, which tells the story of the French Revolution and the Napoleonic Wars from the point of view of Arthur Wellesley, and Napoleon Bonaparte.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Military career of Arthur Wellesley, 1st Duke of Wellington</span>

Arthur Wellesley, 1st Duke of Wellington,, was one of the leading British military and political figures of the 19th century. Often referred to solely as "The Duke of Wellington", he led a successful military career in the Indian subcontinent during the Fourth Anglo-Mysore War (1798–99) and the Second Anglo-Maratha War (1803–1805), and in Europe during the Napoleonic Wars (1803–1815).

The Malplaquet proclamation was issued by Arthur Wellesley, 1st Duke of Wellington, commander of the Anglo-allied army on 22 June 1815. It announced to the French people that Wellington's army was there to restore their rightful king and government that had been usurped by Napoleon Bonaparte on his return from the island of Elba; and that their lives and their property rights would be honoured.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Royal Waggon Train</span> Military unit

The Royal Waggon Train was the name originally given to the Supply and Transport branch of the British Armed Forces, which would eventually become the Royal Logistic Corps.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cultural depictions of Arthur Wellesley, 1st Duke of Wellington</span>

Arthur Wellesley, 1st Duke of Wellington, was an Anglo-Irish soldier and Tory statesman who was one of the leading military and political figures of 19th-century Britain, commanding the British Army during the Napoleonic Wars and serving twice as prime minister. He has frequently been depicted in various cultural media.