A Week at Waterloo in 1815

A Week at Waterloo in 1815 unfolds as a rare and deeply moving record of love, duty, and war, centered on Lady De Lancey's vivid account of nursing her husband, Colonel Sir William Howe De Lancey, after he was mortally wounded at Waterloo. The book combines intimate testimony with military history, drawing on letters, despatches, eyewitness recollections, and historical annotation to recreate the battle's chaos and its emotional aftermath. It traces De Lancey's distinguished career, his Huguenot family's long tradition of public service, and his rise as a trusted officer admired by Wellington, whose insistence on appointing him to key staff duties reveals the importance of personal loyalty amid command tensions and Horse Guards interference. Scenes from Quatre Bras and the retreat to Waterloo capture the discipline, confusion, and urgency of the campaign, while the battle itself is marked by lost plans, desperate battlefield improvisation, and heavy sacrifice. Above all, the book becomes a poignant portrait of grief, courage, and the human cost of victory. This edition has been fully restored with modern typesetting, custom cover design.