Featured battle : Wynendael

Part of The War of the Spanish Succession

Date : 28 September 1708

Supply problems for the seige of Lille caused Marlborough to move significant supplies from Ostend across the front of a sizeable French force. General Webb with 6,000 men formed the escort. They were intercepted in the thickly forested area near Wynendael by Lamotte with 23,000 men. Because of the narrowness of the open ground Lamotte could not outflank the smaller force. The action began about 2.30 pm and was becoming a war of attrition when men who Webb had concealed in the woods on both flanks 'rose out of the ground'. The Allied volley fire broke the French infantry, the left collapsing inwards onto the right. Just as Lamotte ordered up his dragoons General Cadogan arrived at the battle with a column of allied cavalry. The French withdrew with considerable losses.

1812 Napoleon in Moscow

Paul Britten Austin
It is difficult to evaluate this book which has a confusing conflict between style and content. As a style the author has adopted the appalling affectation of the use of the present tense to describe the past. This in parts makes gaining a clear understanding more difficult than it needs to be. The content is well researched and appropriately selected giving real insights into the French in Moscow. The real quality of the book is that we get to see the big event from many personal perspectives. In the introduction the author apologizes, and so he should, for his 'syntactic and grammatical deviations' for these in part make difficult reading of what otherwise would be a very good book.
Frontline Books, Pen & Sword Books Ltd., 2012