George Napier of the 52nd: Personal Recollections of Service with the Light Division During the Peninsular War Under Moore & Wellington, Napier George T.

Any student of the military history of Great Britain during the 19th century will be aware of the name Napier. This was a remarkable family. Colonel George Napier married Lady Sarah Lennox who bore him eight children among them three sons who had particularly significant military careers and who during the Napoleonic Wars came to be known as Wellingtons Colonels. Charles served in the Peninsular War with the 50th Foot, became a general and is notable for the subjugation of Scinde on the Indian sub-continent. William served under Wellington in the 43rd Foot as part of the Light Division in the Peninsula, but is most remembered for his superlative history of the Peninsular War. This book concerns the Peninsular War experiences of George Napier. Originally titled, Passages in the Early Life of General Sir George Napier, K.C.B., it recounts the life on campaign, march, camp and field of battle not of a senior officer, but a regimental major who served under both Moore and Wellington and who was active at the sharp end of war as part of the famous Light Division. George Napier was a fine, educated and sensitive man who was able to put his experiences into words in the most compelling and literate way, whilst giving the reader insights into his personality which revealed him to be a warrior of the most honourable, courageous but humane kind. Napier led his regiment, the 52nd Foot, in its assault on the fortifications at Ciudad Rodrigo and there lost an arm when he was seriously wounded. It goes without saying that this book is an essential addition to every library of the Peninsular War.
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