An Atlas of the Peninsular War

Worley, Colin, ed. An Atlas of the Peninsular War: 1808 - 1814. Felling, UK: Worley Publications, 2000. 198 Pages. ISBN# 186980546. $40. Hardcover

The subtitle of this book says it all: "A collection of 131 maps and plans from various sources." Worley Publications has done just that. Unlike most books that concentrate on the Anglo-Allied participation in the Peninsular War, this atlas has maps from every theater of the war. The maps are in chronological in order and include the famous (Albuera) and the not so famous (Cardedue). Particularly impressive are the maps of the sieges, not just the sieges the British conducted, but the ones French conducted against the Spanish and the Spanish against the French. The maps are usually full page, while many are on a two-page spread. Interestingly, some of the smaller battles will have multiple maps showing the different phases of the action. The maps are from a variety of sources, including French, British, Spanish, and German. Most appear to be done prior to 1900.

Unfortunately, the publisher did not include a list of the sources for the maps. Additionally, to keep them affordable for the general public, the maps appear to be photocopied and thus lose some of the beauty that older maps have. The publisher did strive to retain the detail that these older maps have. This is an impressive book and should be in part of every serious Napoleonic scholar's collection!

Reviewed by Robert Burnham, FINS
Placed on the Napoleon Series: March 2001