24 hours at Waterloo. 18 June 1815

One of the lancers rode by and stabbed me in the back with his lance. I then turned, lying face upward, and a foot soldier stabbed me with his sword as he walked by. Immediately after, another soldier, with his firelock and bayonet, plunged into me, exclaiming, "SacrU nom de Dieu!" The brutal battle of Waterloo was a pivotal moment in history, defining Europe's future in a single day. In March 1815, the Allies declared war on Napoleon following his escape from exile, reigniting the threat to imperial rule. By June 18, 1815, after suffering losses at Quatre-Bras, Wellington's army retreated to Waterloo, ten miles south of Brussels, to block Napoleon's advance to the capital. This marked the Allies' final stand. Acclaimed military historian Robert Kershaw provides an intimate, hour-by-hour account, resurrecting the human stories at the heart of the fighting. Drawing on his deep understanding of military strategy, Kershaw immerses readers in the battle, alongside the soldiers on the mud-splattered ground. He masterfully weaves together meticulously researched eyewitness accounts, diaries, and letters—many previously unpublished—offering unparalleled authenticity. Vivid images of the men and women involved emerge, as the voices of sergeants, exhausted foot soldiers, boy ensigns, captains, and cavalry troopers resonate, capturing the tense atmosphere as Europe's fate hangs by a thread.