Of Living Valour: the Story of the Soldiers of Waterloo, with Sir Barney White-Spunner

A Cavalry and Guards Club and Waterloo Uncovered Lecture.

WEDNESDAY, APRIL 18, 2018—6.30 TO 8.30 PM.
SUGGESTED DONATION FOR ATTENDANCE £25

Proceeds from this lecture will go towards Waterloo Uncovered’s continued work with veterans at Waterloo.

One of the most significant battles fought by a British Army the Battle of Waterloo was also one of the most bloody, with around 50,000 men losing their lives over three days.

To tackle the question of what the battle was actually like for those who fought, and their families, seasoned author and experienced military commander Barney White-Spunner immersed himself in the accounts of regimental officers and soldiers and used many previously unpublished sources for his 2015 book Of Living Valour: the Story of the Soldiers of Waterloo. A concise, fast-moving account, as well as telling the story of the battle the author offers his unique perspective on the events.

Join Barney White-Spunner as he talks about the British soldiers who fought at Waterloo - who they were, where they came from, why they were there and their personal experiences both in the battle and afterwards. The talk will be followed by Question and Answers.


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Lieutenant General Sir Barney White-Spunner, KCB, CBE was commissioned into the Blues and Royals in 1979. In a military career that lasted over 30 years, he has experienced war and command at the highest levels.

After commanding the Household Cavalry Regiment 1996-1999, he went on to command 16 Air Assault Brigade, be Chief of Joint Forces Operations, Chief of Staff at Land Forces then commanded the 3rd Division. He was Commander of the Field Army 2010-2012. He has led British and Allied troops in the Balkans, Afghanistan, Iraq, and Africa.

His first book was Horse Guards, a military, political and social history of the Household Cavalry. This was followed by Of Living Valour, which was published by Simon & Schuster in 2015 on the centinary of Waterloo and which forms the basis of this evening’s talk. His latest book Partition - The Story of Indian Independence and the Creation of Pakistan in 1947 - was published in August 2017, also by Simon & Schuster, and is now an international best seller.


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Waterloo Uncovered was established in 2015 (the Battle of Waterloo’s bicentenary year) to undertake archaeology on the battlefield of Waterloo with an international team of leading archaeologists, servicemen, servicewomen and veterans – with focus placed on our wounded, sick and injured. The charity has achieved significant success in its first two years and has already changed the understanding of the battle and its aftermath; in particular shedding new light on the fight for Hougoumont Farm and how the allies held off the vastly superior numbers of French. It has also contributed significantly to the welfare and recovery of over 50 veterans and aims to continue its work into the future at Waterloo and other battlefields.


TIMINGS:

  • 6:30-7:00 pm - Gather for a complementary drink and meet members of the WU team.
  • 7:00-7:15 pm - introduction from Mark Evans (WU CEO, late Coldstream Guards).
  • 7:15-8:30 pm - Barney White-Spunner to speak, including Q&A.

DRESS:

Suits, jacket and tie. (No trainers or blue denim please).

TO RESERVE A PLACE PLEASE RSVP USING THE FORM BELOW OR PLEASE CONTACT:

For more information about Waterloo Uncovered please visit: www.waterloouncovered.com, or email info@waterloouncovered.com.