MASSENA AT BAY 1811: The Lines of Torres Vedras to Funtes de Onoro

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The 1810 French invasion of Portugal, commanded by the veteran marshal Andre Massena, was halted at the Lines of Torres Vedras. Starting with Wellington's occupation of the Lines of Torres Vedras, the book covers Wellington's pursuit of Massena back to Spain. This was a time when the Peninsular Army was still being forged and Wellington was refining his own art of war. In addition, 1810-1811 was a period when the outcome of the struggle in Iberia was still far from certain, and Wellington could not maneuver with the same confidence in the outcome as he could in future years.

The series of combats fought at Pombal, Redhina, Foz da Arounce and Sabugal while Massena was at bay, though not categorised as 'general actions', were of the same scale and significance as those of 1808; Rolica and Vimiero. The general action at Funtes de Onoro was one of the most significant of Wellington's victories, but he confessed that 'If Bony had been here we would have been beat.'