Wellington's Smallest Victory

The extraordinary and tragic tale of one man's obsession to build the greatest model of the greatest battle of all time. Peter Hofschroer tells the remarkable story of William Siborne, a Lieutenant in the British Army and expert in topography, who was commissioned to make a vast scale model of Waterloo. But why – at a time when celebrations of England's finest hour at Waterloo were so in vogue, and Wellington's fame was at its peak – did this exquisite model gain Siborne the enmity of the Duke and ultimately lead to his own ruin? 'It's a fascinating footnote to history, and essential reading for students of the battle.  Alan Judd, Daily Telegraph