In this definitive account of the Peninsular War (180814) Napoleon's six-year war against
Spain Ronald Fraser examines what led to the emperor's devastating defeat against the popular
oppositionthe guerrillasand their British and Portuguese allies. As well as relating the
histories of the great political and military figures of the war Fraser brings to life the
anonymous massesthe artisans peasants and women who fought suffered and diedand restores
their role in this barbaric war to its rightful place while overturning the view that this was
a straightforward military campaign. This vivid meticulously researched book offers a distinct
and profound vision of Napoleon's Vietnam and shows the reality of the disasters of war: the
suffering discontents and social upheaval that accompanied the fighting. ith a new
Introduction by Tariq Ali.
