Description
From the Dust Jacket
For most of us Wellington equals Waterloo. But Waterloo was one peak only in the career of this phenomenal man, and it is the achievement of this major biography that it reveals the subtlety and full variety of Wellington’s genius as well as the fascinating complexity of England in his time. He was born Arthur Wesley, third son of the Earl of Mornington, in 1769 — the same year as Napoleon. His family. which belonged to the ruling caste of Englishmen in Ireland, was long on the tradition of proud service to the King and chronically short of funds. Neither his childhood nor his years at Eton were happy; but when he went to Anjou at seventeen, to study at France’s Royal Academy of Equitation, he came into his own, learned well, and emerged qualified and cosmopolitan. He joined the British Army as an ensign and, for the next few years, rose through the ranks. He courted Kitty Pakenham but her family would not allow his suit—his family was not rich enough—so he went to India at the age of twenty-seven still a bachelor. It was in India that he made his name. There he became a scholar and a soldier. He returned a Knight of the Bath, a major-general, a hero to his countrymen and acceptable, at last, to the Pakenhams. (He had courted Kitty by post over the twelve intervening years; it was scarcely surprising that the woman he married proved different indeed from the charming girl he had left.) When he was forty, the youngest lieutenant-general in the army, he took command of the allied armies in the Peninsular War. With Napoleon’s downfall, abdication and exile to Elba, the hero of Europe began a gay career as ambassador to Paris. All the ladies, from the formidable Madame de Stael to the melting Signora Grassini, vied — often successfully —for his favors. His behavior with them and as a diplomat caused some disquiet, and there was evident relief when he was dispatched to the Congress of Vienna. When word came of Napoleon’s escape, Wellington took command once more, and after the spectacular eve-of-battle ball in Brussels, led the British and Dutch-Belgian armies to triumph at Waterloo. Lady Longford’s unique biography draws on new material from private papers and Wellington’s own uninhibited correspondence.
Publishing Info
Wellington: The Years of the Sword by Elizabeth Longford. From Harper & Row Publishers with stated First U.S. Edition on title page and price on the dust jacket but also a Book-Of-The-Month Selection. This hardcover book measures about 9-1/5″ x 6-1/4″ and has 548 numbered pages, not counting the pages of b/w photos and illustrations.
Condition
See photos above. The dust jacket has some closed edges tears and chips from top and bottom of spine area as shown. The boards are in good condition with bungs to bottom outer corners. The pages are toning naturally from age but are in otherwise very good condition with ragged right edges. Ownership note on front free endpaper. From clean, smoke-free home.
Shipping
Generally sent the same day payment arrives. Unless you request otherwise, I will wrap the book in plastic wrap to help protect it from the elements, create a custom-made cardboard box to ship it in, and send via Media Mail with Delivery Confirmation tracking. See the shipping page for the cost to send a three-pound Media Mail package. Insurance is an additional cost as described. I am delighted to combine postage and insurance costs if you purchase more than one item. The second item may travel for free or just a few cents more — so it’s worth taking a look at my other items before you complete your order.
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