author
William Francis Patrick Napier
1785–1860
A soldier turned historian, he is best remembered for a vivid and influential account of the Peninsular War drawn partly from his own experience in the field. His writing helped shape how generations of readers understood Wellington’s campaigns in Spain and Portugal.
7 Audiobooks
History of the war in the Peninsula and in the south of France from the year 1807 to the year 1814, vol. 3
by William Francis Patrick Napier
English Battles and Sieges in the Peninsula. Extracted from his 'Peninsula War'.
by William Francis Patrick Napier
History of the war in the Peninsula and in the south of France from the year 1807 to the year 1814, vol. 5
by William Francis Patrick Napier
History of the war in the Peninsula and in the south of France from the year 1807 to the year 1814, vol. 4
by William Francis Patrick Napier
History of the war in the Peninsula and in the south of France from the year 1807 to the year 1814, vol. 1
by William Francis Patrick Napier
History of the war in the Peninsula and in the south of France from the year 1807 to the year 1814, vol. 6
by William Francis Patrick Napier
History of the war in the Peninsula and in the south of France from the year 1807 to the year 1814, vol. 2
by William Francis Patrick Napier
About the author
Born in Ireland in 1785, Sir William Francis Patrick Napier served in the British Army during the Napoleonic Wars and saw action in the Peninsular campaign. He rose to high rank and later became known not just as a soldier, but as a determined writer of military history.
His best-known work is History of the War in the Peninsula and in the South of France, published in multiple volumes between 1828 and 1840. Because he had taken part in the conflict himself, his account carried unusual force and detail, though it also stirred debate for its strong opinions and judgments.
Napier died in 1860, but his reputation endured through both his military service and his books. For readers interested in firsthand perspective, battlefield narrative, and the way history was argued over in the nineteenth century, his work remains especially engaging.