Waterloo is one of the most famous battles ever fought. Therefore, it is unsurprising that it has attracted the attention of hundreds of authors to the extent that it would be possible to write a good book about books concerning Waterloo. With such a host of literature available, it should also be borne in mind that the following list represents only a tiny portion of the vast number of titles available. For reasons of brevity, the entire list of works used by the author while compiling this guidebook, along with primary source material, is not included here. The following is intended to provide a general guide to what is available on the subject and is primarily aimed at those setting out on a study of the battle for the first time.
Adkin, Mark, The Waterloo Companion, London, Aurum Press Ltd, 2001
This large tome contains a huge amount of useful information concerning Waterloo and the 1815 campaign. While it is a specialized book aimed at enthusiasts, it is highly recommended for those who want in-depth detail about Waterloo.
Barbero, Allesandro, The Battle: A History of the Battle of Waterloo, London, Atlantic Books, 2006
This is one of the best modern works on the battle and Barbero’s Italian heritage allows him to be more impartial than historians hailing from any of the participant nations in the 1815 campaign.
Black, Jeremy, Waterloo – The Battle that Brought Down Napoleon, London, Icon Books Ltd, 2010
A good modern study aimed more at those already familiar with Waterloo rather than those just setting out on the subject.
Chandler, David, Waterloo: The Hundred Days, London, George Philip, 1987
The late, great David Chandler wrote some of the best books on the Napoleonic period and this is no exception. It gives a lucid and readable account of the campaign and its climax at Waterloo.
Hofschröer, Peter, 1815: The Waterloo Campaign (2 vols), London, Greenhill Books, 1999
While these books are written from the standpoint that the Prussians made the major contribution to the campaign, rendering them controversial in some quarters, they are readable and well-researched nonetheless.
Houssaye, Henry, 1815, Waterloo – An account of Napoleon’s last campaign, York, Leonaur, 2009
A welcome reprint of Houssaye’s classic 1906 description of Waterloo from a largely French perspective, which has been translated into English.
Howarth, David, Waterloo – A Near Run Thing, Glasgow, William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd, 1968
A traditional but reliable account of Waterloo.
Liddell Hart, B H (ed.), The Letters of Private Wheeler 1809–1828, Moreton-in-Marsh, Gloucestershire, 1999 (first edn 1951)
The words of an honest and plainspoken infantryman, providing fascinating eyewitness testimony of events on 18 June 1815.
Lindau, Friedrich (trans. and ed. Bogle, James and Uffindell, Andrew), A Waterloo Hero, London, Frontline Books, 2009
Lindau served in the King’s German Legion as a private soldier and played a valiant role defending the farmhouse of La Haye Sainte, where he was captured.
Mercer, Alexander Cavalié, Journal of the Campaign of 1815 – The Experiences of an Officer of the Royal Horse Artillery during the Waterloo Campaign, London, Leonaur Ltd, 2008
Recently reprinted, this is a famous eyewitness account of Waterloo and one of the best.
Pericoli, Ugo and Glover, Michael, 1815 The Armies at Waterloo, London, The Military Book Society, 1973
A detailed and well-illustrated book depicting the armies that fought during the 1815 campaign.
Roberts, Andrew, Waterloo: Napoleon’s Last Gamble, London, Harper Perennial, 2006
This is an incredibly concise account of the battle at less than 150 pages, but it nevertheless examines Waterloo objectively. This is an excellent introduction for beginners but should also please enthusiasts looking for a small, handy volume that covers a lot of ground.
Summerville, Christopher, Who was Who at Waterloo – A Biography of the Battle, Harlow, Pearson Education Limited, 2007
A source of some fascinating information about those who fought at Waterloo, providing an invaluable aid for enthusiasts.
Weller, Jac, Wellington at Waterloo, London, Greenhill Books, 1992 edn A well-researched and readable description of Waterloo, if slightly biased in favour of the Duke of Wellington’s contribution to the victory.