Featured battle : Tordesillas

Part of The French Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars

Date : 28 October 1812

A tiny but highly significant engagement. Half a company of Brunswick Jägers were guarding an important bridge over the river Duero. Captain Guingret and 54 men of the French 6th Light Infantry Regiment swam the river and attacked the Bruswickers from their rear. The surprise was complete and caused the commander to panic and abandon the bridge. The massive effect was to turn the line of the Duero and force Wellington to continue to withdraw.

Battle for the Bocage 1944

Tim Saunders
This is the story of one small campaign of a whole world war. This is the crucial action which turned a toe hold into a hand hold. The desperate struggle which was pushed forward by the 50th Division aided by 7th and 8th Armoured divisions, Royal Artillery and all other support arms. The text is very clear and there are numerous photographs, almost one per page, of the people and the equipment. There are maps of different kinds which cover every planned advance and the general area of operations. Unfortunately not a single one has the scale which leaves the reader to work hard with the text to understand the distances involved.
The narrative works at the level of divisions, battalions, batteries, companies, platoons, squadrons, troops, sections and individuals. The ‘voices’ of the officers and men plus their various citations for bravery tell a vivid tale. Also the German side is not neglected from the reporting of actions and feelings. I would like to have seen a full body count at the end for this campaign, it must have been very high and would have served as a sobering reminder of the real cost of this ‘hand hold’.
This book is not easy to put down, it’s a real page turner. You may of course reflect that when you finish it the campaign will be much clearer to you than it was at the time to any of those involved from Army commander to Tommy Atkins. The fog of war has been blown away by Tim Saunders.
We highly recommend this great read.

Pen & Sword Military, 2021