Wellington (Orion Publishing Co)

Reissued for the 200th anniversary of the Battle of Waterloo The first Duke of Wellington's victory at Waterloo in 1815 is remembered as one of our nation's greatest triumphs and, two hundred years on, the 'Iron Duke' is still very much a public figure. But here, Jane Wellesley's family memoir paints an altogether more intimate and compelling portrait. Jane journeys through the past, unearthing memories and secrets to illuminate her family tree. It is a saga peppered with fascinating characters: the 2nd Duke was a full-time eccentric and had his lawnmower pulled by an elephant; the 7th Duke, Jane's grandfather, worked for MI6; and Jane's grandmother's involvement with writer Vita Sackville-West created ripples in the Bloomsbury set as well as her marriage. The Wellesley story shows how Wellington's descendants have lived on in the light of their ancestor's fame, and how a family is so much more than the history of one man.