Wellington: Waterloo and the Fortunes of Peace, 1814-1852 (Volume 2)

New Haven and London: Yale University Press. Fine in Fine dust jacket. 2015. 1st Edition. First Printing. Hard Cover. 0300186657 . First edition, first printing (full number line). Publisher's full blue cloth, gilt lettering on spine, red endpapers. Profusely illustrated with 43 illustrations and four maps. From the leading Wellington historian, this is a fascinating reassessment of the Duke’s most famous victory and his role in the turbulent politics after Waterloo. Wellington’s momentous victory over Napoleon was the culminating point of a brilliant military career. Yet Wellington’s achievements were far from over: he commanded the allied army of occupation in France to the end of 1818, returned home to a seat in Lord Liverpool’s cabinet, and became prime minister in 1828. He later served as a senior minister in Peel’s government and remained Commander-in-Chief of the Army for a decade until his death in 1852. In this richly detailed work, the second and concluding volume of Rory Muir’s definitive biography, the author offers a substantial reassessment of Wellington’s significance as a politician and a nuanced view of the private man behind the legend of the selfless hero. Muir presents new insights into Wellington’s determination to keep peace at home and abroad, achieved by maintaining good relations with the Continental powers and resisting radical agitation while granting political equality to the Catholics in Ireland rather than risk civil war. And countering one-dimensional pictures of Wellington as a national hero, Muir paints a portrait of a well-rounded man whose austere demeanor on the public stage belied his entertaining, gossipy, generous, and unpretentious private self.. Both the volume and the unclipped dust jacket are in virtually perfect condition; unmarked, tight, square, and clean. A large, heavy book (four pounds) - additional shipping charges may apply. FINE/FINE.. Wellington Series. Vol. 2. Thick 8vo 8" to 9" tall. xiv, 2, 713 pp .