I am an experienced reader of history. Mr. Dallas' work is indeed meticulously documented, but that very meticulosity renders his story line exceedingly difficult to follow. Most of the book attempts to help the reader understand the antecedents of Waterloo through the Congress of Vienna. The account of the Congress was disjointed. Characters were introduced with little context.The description of Waterloo itself seemed to me to be a very short leap preceeded by far too long a run.I just didn't like the book. It did not capture my interest and drag me to the end . . . it was a tough slog.