Arthur Wellesley (1769–1852), the first Duke of Wellington, was one of the most successful military figures of the early nineteenth century. After fighting in the fourth Anglo-Mysore war in India, his successes during the Peninsular War (1809–1814) and his victory at the Battle of Waterloo (1815) established his reputation as a brilliant military tactician. These volumes, first published between 1834 and 1839, contain the letters, dispatches, instructions and general military orders Wellington wrote throughout his military career. Edited by his private secretary, Colonel John Gurwood (1790–1845), they offer a wealth of fascinating details concerning Wellington's campaigns in India and Europe, from mundane administrative tasks to discussions of tactics, personnel and intelligence-gathering. These volumes are reissued from the 1844 revised edition, and provide invaluable information for the study of warfare during this period. Volume 5 covers his Peninsular campaigns between 1811 and 1812.
