Wellington is a giant because he was one of the greatest military commanders in British history, an important figure in the emergence of Britain as a great imperial power, a man who dominated British society and politics for 35 years. He was the only one of Napoleon's contemporaries who can be mentioned in the same breath as a general - a master of logistics, politics and coalition warfare as well as strategy, operations and tactics. This book looks at all of these aspects of Wellington's military career, and places them in the context of the military and political developments of the time. Wellington's personality - a key to understanding his success - will be explored. His post-Waterloo career as a politician, although important, will be examined fairly briefly, as the book's focus will be on Wellington's military career. AUTHOR: Gary Sheffield is Professor of War Studies at the University of Birmingham. He has published widely on nineteenth and twentieth century military history. He has been fascinated by Wellington since his teens, and leads parties to Wellington's battlefields in Spain, Portugal and Belgium. SELLING POINTS: . Wellington has huge importance and significance as a commander and political figure. . He was perhaps the greatest British general of all time and after Waterloo was the dominant personality in British life. . He remains an iconic figure in the 21st Century – this book explores why.