I'm looking at anything which can give me true picture of the man as a military tactician and as a human being. The books give me the standard outlook of his military life and family, but what i really want is the interesting stuff i.e. Was he really the emotionless man he's portrayed as in books and films? How much respect did he have for enemy commanders and Napoleon himself? Did he have any skeletons in the closet not many historians know about?(if that's possible!) Are there any quirky anecdotes which would be interesting enough to convince teenagers and young adults to read my work on the him and the Penninsular War? All your answers are a big help and a majority of the info i didn't know, i only wish others out there had the same passion for Wellington and that era as much as myself. It wouldn't be fair of me to choose a best answer so i'll put it to a vote. Thanks for everything.
History - 3 Answers
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1 :
I think that you can get a feel of what a person is like from their quotes. Here is a link to Wellington's quotes page. I don't usually recommend Wikipedia, but there is some interesting stuff on the second link. Also another link which I find interesting>
2 :
Here are some oddments. Wellingtonia, (Sequoia gigantea) the famous Californian tree species, honours Wellington....... Wellington visited `General Tom Thumb` several times when the 25" midget was performing as a stage act for the showman PT Barnum. The midget after performing dressed as Napoleon, was asked by Wellington, "what were you thinking while you performed", " Sir ", he replied " I was thinking of the loss of the Battle of Waterloo"....... Lord Winchelsea after accusations and lengthy written correspondence, faced Wellington in a duel in Battersea Fields watched by gardeners `amongst the cabbages`. Using borrowed duelling pistols Wellington shot wide, his opponent fired into the ground and presented an apology to the Duke. Winchelsea`s second, Lord Falmouth, had agreed to act as second, just as long as Winchelsea promised not to shoot England`s greatest Hero......... Prior to Waterloo Napoleon had described Wellington as "a bad General," and the English as" bad troops, this affair will be a picnic"....... At Waterloo Wellington lead his troops with the cry, ."Damn it" ! " In for a penny , in for a pound".
3 :
I think one thing to keep in mind when studying Wellington is to remember what an intensely private individual he was despite being a celebrity of his age. He requested that his correspondents burn his letters to keep them private after reading them (thankfully they didn't or else he'd be even harder to figure out). My favorite biographies of Wellington are the biography by Hibbert and the two-volume set by Elizabeth Longford. I'd also recommend Mrs. Arbuthnot's journals and "Notes on Conversations With the Duke of Wellington" by the Earl Stanhope. The picture of him that I personally get is of someone who was taciturn but who had a sardonic sense of humor; indeed, his snark is one of his best selling points. He did respect Napoleon as a general but did not think that the emperor was a gentleman and as for anecdotes - here are a couple: When he was older, Wellington once came upon a young boy crying in his garden. Upon inquiring the reason for the child's distress, he was told that the boy was to go to school in a few days and that he would be forced to leave his pet toad behind and he was afraid that the toad would perish without his care. The Duke immediately declared that he would see that the toad was taken care of and a few days after the child returned to school, he received a letter presenting "F.M. the Duke of Wellington's compliments to Master --, and he is pleased to inform him that his toad is well." In a similar vein, he once personally delivered a bouquet of flowers to a little girl who had been snubbed by her classmates, driving up in his coach for that special purpose. Then there's the reply he once gave to one of the peninsular officers in Portugal who requested leave to go to Lisbon - he granted the leave for 48 hours only as "That is as long as any reasonable man should wish to spend in bed with the same woman". And, finally, there's the story of his being accosted once in the street by a man claiming to have served with him in Spain, seeking a handout - Wellington replied "Oh? And when were you in Spain?" To which the man replied "1803, your Grace" prompting the Duke to shake his head and walk away, saying "Oh no, that will never do." He's definitely a complex individual but a fascinating one. I'm not exactly sure if there's any real LACK of interest in him by people; I know several people who share my admiration for him - it's just that Wellington's fans are a little less vocal and obnoxious than Boney's. Oh, and one last thing - if you want dirt on his personal life, try Patrick Delaforce's "Wellington the Beau" a delightful, gosspiy read that isn't nearly as scholarly as a biography.
