This illustrated bilingual study explores the development of Talavera Poblana glazed earthenware, from the seventeenth century when it was introduced to the New World in Puebla, Mexico, to the present day. These distinctive ceramic basins, vases, drug jars, tile panels, and sculptures synthesize forms and motifs of Spanish, Islamic, Chinese, and Italian origins to create a magnificent, uniquely Mexican style.
Beautifully decorated Mexican Talavera pottery serves as the inspiration for these 31 illustrations, which feature intricate renderings of frogs, geckos, turtles, roosters, parrots, butterflies, and other animal motifs.
The author of Waterloo shares an extensive history of the Battle of Talavera between the British & Spanish and the French. The Battle of Talavera was one of the key confrontations of the Peninsular War. In a bloody contest the British and Spanish under Wellesley and Cuesta won a tactical victory over the French forces of Victor and Joseph Bonaparte. The battle was the climax of the offensive launched by Wellesley and his Spanish allies to expel the French from Madrid. Andrew Field’s graphic analysis is the first full-length reassessment to be published in recent times. Using documentary records, eyewitness accounts, and a painstaking study of the terrain, he reconstructs the action in vivid detail and questions assumptions about the event that have grown up over the last 200 years. He also provides an extensive tour of the battlefield.
Lieutenant General Sir Arthur Wellesley returned to the Peninsular in 1809 convinced that the country could be held against the French. His audacious crossing of the Duoro and speedy victory at Oporto in May, followed by the deceptively easy ejection of Marshal Soult’s corps, confirmed this view, giving him the confidence to plan a campaign with General Cuesta’s Army of Extremadura to advance on French-held Madrid via the Tagus Valley. From the outset relations between the two allied generals were poor, not to mention the divisions and enmity within the Spanish juntas and army. Matters only got worse once Wellesley’s army entered Spain, thanks to a failure to provide supplies and missed opportunities. Finally, the French army, with King Joseph at its head, marched to confront the allies at Talavera. The fighting did not start well for the British, who were taken by surprise and had to fight hard to extricate themselves from trouble, before inexperienced staff officers and commanders mis-deployed divisions and brigades, nearly resulting in disaster for the Allies when Marshal Victor launched a night attack. The Peninsular Army still had much to learn. The following day, the French attacked again with the full force of a Napoleonic army infantry, cavalry and artillery, but the two-deep British line held and with their confidence shattered, the French withdrew. It was a hard-fought victory for the British commander, who was soon to be ennobled as the Duke of Wellington.
A highly illustrated account of the battle of Talavera in 1809, one of the major battles of the Peninsular War. The battle of Talavera in 1809 was one of the major battles of the Peninsular War and Arthur Wellesley's first victory in Spain itself, following which he was created Viscount Wellington of Talavera and Wellington. Although Wellesely's forces were outnumbered, and a sizeable contingent of the Spanish ran away, he had chosen a superb defensive position and was able to beat off successive French attacks, though at a heavy cost in terms of casualties. Although the French had withdrawn leaving Wellesley the master of the field, his high casualties and approaching French reinforcements led to Wellesley withdrawing to Portugal. His foray into Spain had an enormous effect on Spanish morale as they realized they were not alone in the struggle. British redcoats had had got to within 70km of Madrid, and they would return in future years. With full-colour maps, as well as contemporary prints and illustrations, this detailed yet concise volume examines the battle in detail.
DigiCat Publishing presents to you this special edition of "The Battle of Talavera" by John Wilson Croker. DigiCat Publishing considers every written word to be a legacy of humankind. Every DigiCat book has been carefully reproduced for republishing in a new modern format. The books are available in print, as well as ebooks. DigiCat hopes you will treat this work with the acknowledgment and passion it deserves as a classic of world literature.
When thoroughly American Inis Zaragosa sees the well-dressed stranger on the doorstep of the tiny adobe she shares with her ailing, quarrelsome aunt, she has no idea how his appearance will change her life. He introduces himself as her distant cousin, don Roman Velasquez, who has come to take her and her aunt back to his plantation on the Caribbean Island of Betania. On Betania, Inis learns the truth about her identity, which had been kept from her by her aunt, and meets handsome, world-weary Alejandro, whose hostility towards her is as obvious as it is undeserved. And on Betania she is shadowed by a sinister vagrant who has seemingly tracked her the whole distance from the American Southwest to the Caribbean. In this new world, Inis discovers friendship and love, but also the capacity for strength and courage, qualities she never imagined herself capable of. Qualities she will need to see her through the turbulent events that follow her return to her ancestral home.
