The Peninsular War Atlas, Nick Lipscombe, Osprey Publishing,
2014, 390p, £45-00.  ISBN 978-1-4728-0773-1.

Nick Lipscombe's The Peninsular War Atlas is a fascinating exercise in mapping the British involvement in the Iberian
Peninsula, from 1808 until 1814. The maps and charts provided enable the reader to understand how the various campaigns unfolded, and the degree to which they succeeded, ultimately leading to the invasion of France in 1813-14 which itself led to the initial removal of Napoleon.

This book will, therefore, have an attraction for anyone interested in the history of Portugal and Spain in the Napoleonic period. It will also be appreciated by any scholar seeking to understand and explore how such a campaign can be reported and represented.

With the two hundredth anniversary of the Battle of Waterloo approaching, this is also a way to understand and value the emergence of the Duke of Wellington as a European military tactician. One of his highly significant achievements was the creation of the magnificently effective ‘Torres Vedras lines' to protect Lisbon, and this is clearly chronicled and explained. Another point of interest for those of with a very traditional historical upbringing is the significance of the role of Sir John Moore at Corunna, which Wellington regarded as crucial to the way that the campaign ultimately unfolded, and this is explained in a very helpful manner.

My overall observation is that this is an extremely specialist piece of scholarship. Testing it with my specific interest in Wellington and Moore has confirmed to me the value of this book but the absence of an index is a weakness.