Published by Frontline Books 1 September 2024 ISBN: 9781399059916
Beyond such household names as Arthur Wellesley, Duke of Wellington, and Sir John Moore, few other names are more well known than the three Napier brothers, who fought under these two renowned generals in Denmark, Portugal, Spain and France between 1807 and 1815. The individual biographies of Charles, George and William Napier have been published over the last century; but these works often concentrate a great deal on their later lives, when they independently attained greater things and when their achievements were not overshadowed by the glory of their illustrious commanders. When dealing with their military careers during the Napoleonic wars, some of these biographies have published a selection of their letters and journals, but these were published in Victorian times and are always edited to avoid offence or scandal, obscuring the names of individuals who are heavily criticised or removing much
that would be of great interest to military historians. The brothers were also very politically aware, particularly William, and his later political affiliations certainly tainted his famous six-volume History of the Peninsular War and colours his attitudes towards various actors in the great game. The editors have therefore gone back to the original letters and journals (where they still exist) and have transcribed them in full to ensure that all material of interest to the military historian is included for the first time and the views and experiences of all three brothers are brought together. However, the entire scope of the Napier letters and journals is well beyond the remit of this publication and judicious pruning of lengthy discussions on purely family matters; incessant complaints regarding financial issues and heated commentary on the political situation in both Britain and across Europe has had to be curtailed (perhaps to the great relief of the reader). But what remains is everything they wrote about the military life they led and the experiences they underwent in relation to it. Their views on the current military situation are often enlightening; their comments on the actions of their various commanders are incisive and often barbed; they are also not beyond openly criticising their commanders, their fellow officers, their men and their allies. Their political stances often led them to admire Napoleon and his military skills; esteem the abilities of their French
foes, while unabashedly censuring the French Emperor and soldiers for the inhuman atrocities they were guilty of enacting. It is hoped that the reader will gain a great deal by reading the contemporary thoughts of these three brothers, often at variance with their later writing.