RETIRED army officer and history author Andrew Field will be uncovering the life of Napoleon in Westbury Heritage Society’s latest talk on Tuesday 28th May.
‘Napoleon and Waterloo’ will look at the life of Napoleon Bonaparte, his achievements as a soldier and head of state and his personality. Speaker Andrew Field regularly lectures on the Napoleonic Wars and is the author of nine books on the Battle of Waterloo and other Napoleonic subjects so this talk promises to be a treat for history enthusiasts.
From humble beginnings on Corsica, Napoleon rose to become Emperor of France and ruler of much of Europe. His life has recently been the subject of the major feature film ‘Napoleon’ starring Joaquin Phoenix. Beginning as a young army officer during the days of the French Revolution, he was instrumental in restoring stability as it ended. After military success in Egypt, he became First Consul and then Emperor in 1804. Despite defeat at sea at the Battle of Trafalgar the following year, he continued to prevail on land until his retreat from Moscow in the winter of 1812. Three years later came his ultimate defeat at Waterloo and exile to St Helena.
Today, Napoleon is still seen as the moderniser of the French legal system and the instigator of reforms in the organisation of government institutions and higher education.
Andrew Field joined the army aged 18 and served as an officer from 1977 until 2019. Serving all around the world, he was decorated for gallantry in 1982 and awarded the MBE in 2012. He then spent five years working at the Army Officer Selection Board in Westbury and settled in the area. He was a member of the Westbury Town Council First World War Commemoration Working Group. Since retiring from the army in 2019 his passion has been military history.
The talk will take place in the Westbury United Reformed Church schoolroom (enter the car park from The Butts). Tickets are £4 and can be purchased on the door. Further details at www.westburyheritage society.org.uk
