Under Wellington's Command: A Tale of the Peninsular War

The narrative follows Terence O'Connor, a mischievous youth who gains a commission and joins the Peninsular campaigns under Wellington. After showing resourcefulness in a sea engagement he becomes an aide-de-camp and takes part in many actions—Talavera, Busaco, Fuentes d'Onoro, Salamanca and sieges among them—experiencing combat, capture, escape, and naval encounters. The book intersperses detailed battle sketches, maps, and illustrations with scenes of camp life, guerrilla warfare, and tactical maneuvers, tracing the protagonist's development, the camaraderie of soldiers, and the hardships and moral tests of sustained campaigning.