While many books have been published on Waterloo none have rivalled this in either scale or authority. The text based on Adkins fastidious research including many days spent on the battlefield itself does far more than simply narrate the events of 18 June 1815. The author provides as much analysis as he does description: plans are examined commanders assessed & manoeuvres painstakingly related to the ground. Armies weapons & tactics are comprehensively explored & evaluated. As with Adkins companions to the battles of Trafalgar & Gettysburg the text focuses on myths & controversies surrounding the events as well as elements often neglected in other narrative accounts -such as the performance of the French Grand Battery or the Prussian attacks on Plancenoit. Divided into ten sections The Waterloo Companion can be dipped into as a reference guide or read cover to cover. Featuring little-known information & first-hand accounts of those who fought at Waterloo it also covers soldier & command structures tactics & topographical details. Each section is put in context of the battle & enhanced by maps plans drawings & diagrams. The Waterloo Companion is an absolute must-have for any historian hoping to further their understanding of one of the worlds most famous land battles.