War to the death: the sieges of Saragossa, 1808-1809

This book (first published in 1974) by the novelist and writer Raymond Rudorff reads rather like A. G. MacDonell's celebrated study of Napoleon's marshalls, but without  the charm. There is much that is of interest to the general reader in this treatment of the war in Spain, but it is resolutely black legend and as such lacks balance. It is also infuriatingly overwritten, with adjectives adorning every possible noun, sometimes to risible effect. That being said, the story is one of extraordinary courage and willpower and as such deserves to be better known. We will doubtless found out what really happened at this siege as the bicentenaries of the war in Spain proceed and as research catches up and goes beyond national legend.
P.H.