Glory and Endurance: Nicholas Trant and the Portuguese Army in the Peninsular War, 1808–1814

Nicholas Trant enjoyed a soldiering career of astonishing scope, achievement and controversy. Born in Ireland, Trant campaigned with the French army of Louis XVI, anti-Revolutionary forces, and the British Army, before serving with great distinction with the Portuguese in the Peninsula. A man of vision, ambition and breathtaking energy, Trant worked closely with Napoleonic-era figures including Wellington, Castlereagh, Beresford and Abercromby, and crossed swords with Marmont and Masséna.

During the Peninsular War, Trant’s leadership of Portuguese irregulars saw extraordinary results, most famously the taking of Coimbra in October 1810. Like T.E. Lawrence a century later, Trant’s maverick qualities make for a character of enduring fascination. Although Trant’s feats have been noted briefly by historians of the Peninsular War, his full significance has been overlooked until now. Glory and Endurance now addresses this gap in our understanding. Trant’s vital contribution to the successful operation of the Anglo-Portuguese Common Cause in the years 1808–1814 is examined in depth for the first time. Relying upon much original research, Glory and Endurance demonstrates the crucial role Trant played in the successful Anglo-Portuguese alliance – a masterclass in the inner workings of coalition warfare. Anyone interested in the saga of the Napoleonic Wars, or indeed the history of warfare in general, will find Glory and Endurance illuminating and thought-provoking.