Featured battle : Ancona

Part of The French Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars

Date : 14 October 1799 - 13 November 1799

The fortress port was invested mainly by the Austrians from the landward side and by warships of the Russian and Turkish navies from the seaward side. The navies also landed guns and manned shore batteries. In addition to the formal armies about 1,000 local people fought for the French and 6,000 fought for the coalition. The 1,800 French survivors were allowed free passage back to France on conditions.

Wellington's Spies

Mary McGrigor
This is a story of three men parts of which, if told as fiction, would be seen as taking things too far. Who would believe that an army officer in uniform and in their right mind, would take a journey of a few hundred miles, behind the enemy lines, accompanied by his servant and with various guides? And another who after capture and being held prisoner in Paris continues to send valuable information back to the commander in the Peninsular? The adventures of the three principals is well told against the background of the Peninsular war. The author, Mary McGrigor, has an easy, readable presentation of the facts and uses lots of extracts from the men’s journals and other official papers to support her words. Here are rich insights into the character of a certain class of men of that period. They don’t all have it easy and they don’t all survive but to say more would be to spoil the story.
This book takes a different, fascinating angle on life in the British army for three men in the Peninsular war. It can be read as a novel but it is so much more than that. We highly recommend it.

Pen & Sword Military, 2020