In the course of the Peninsular War, Wellington’s army fought several hard battles and smaller actions, but it was the bloody sieges that troubled him more than anything else. Indeed, the performance of his army during the sieges was probably the most disappointing aspect of what was otherwise an extremely successful campaign. Taking 1808 as its starting point, this title deals with the fortress sieges that involved Wellington’s Anglo?Portuguese army, and concentrates on four key sites in particular (Ciudad Rodrigo, Badajoz, Burgos and San Sebastián). All of these played a vital role in the war due to their strategically important positions. It documents both the sieges and the storming of the fortresses, as well as the general role of the fortresses in Spain and the impact they had on the thinking of the commanders and strategies of the armies involved.

Ian Fletcher is one of the leading authorities on the Peninsular War and Wellington’s army. Born in London in 1957, his first book, In Hell Before Daylight, was published in 1984, and he has written or edited over 20 more since then. He also runs Ian Fletcher Battlefield Tours. Ian has worked on the BBC’s Decisive Weapons series, The History Channel’s Line of Fire series and Channel 4's series on revolutionary Armies. He has also broadcast on radio and continues to lecture whenever he can. A Fellow of the International Napoleonic Society and a Member of the British Commission for Military History, Ian lives in Rochester, Kent, with his wife Debbie, and their two children, Jack and Harriet.