In this Battle Series episode of the The Napoleonic Wars Podcast, we head to southern Italy to unpack the dramatic and sometimes misunderstood Battle of Maida with historian Richard Hopton author of 'The Battle of Maida, 1806: Fifteen Minutes of Glory'.
We set the stage with the wider Mediterranean campaign before diving into the opposing commanders, John Stuart and Jean Reynier, and the bold decisions that brought both armies into open battle.
From the geography of the Maida plain to the eerie “awful silence” before bayonets clash, we reconstruct the battle moment by moment. At its heart lies the famous “fifteen minutes” that shattered the French attack, was this a triumph of fire discipline, leadership, or something more complex?
We also tackle one of Napoleonic history’s biggest debates: line versus column. What really happened on the day, and how did Maida become a textbook case albeit accurately or not?
Finally, we explore the aftermath, its strategic impact, its place in British military memory, and whether Maida deserves its reputation as a pivotal moment.
A fast paced, myth busting deep dive into one of the era’s most fascinating battles that may have set up some of Britain's most decorated commaders for sucess in future campaigns.
For more on Richard’s published works and where to find them, please click here Richard Hopton - Author | Historian | Journalist - Richard Hopton
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