Waterloo 1815 (Collection)

The collection Waterloo 1815 brings together the most important documents relating to the historic Battle of Waterloo. On June 18, 1815, near the village of Waterloo in what was then the Kingdom of the United Netherlands, the French army led by Napoleon Bonaparte (1769–1821) clashed with the allied British and Prussian troops under General Wellington (1769–1852) and Field Marshal Blüchler (1742–1819). The battle ended in Napoleon's devastating defeat, which cost him his reign and led to the end of the First French Empire. The document collection brings together the three most important contemporary accounts of the battle – one from the French, one from the British, and one from the Prussian perspective. These three texts are supplemented by eyewitness accounts, letters, and notes from participants of all ranks. There are also over 200 illustrations, maps, and diagrams. For example, the collection includes John Booth's 34 stirring etchings of the historic event and eight of William Siborne's (1797–1849) famous maps.