Hi Anthony,

Yes you make an interesting point and for most Brits, looking back on the Napoleonic Wars. Your right.
Theirs only two dates that stand out from popular history lesson's of the Napoleonic Wars and those are the defeat of the Franco-Spainish fleet at Trafalgar in 1805, thwarting Napoleon's ambitions of invading England ( and at the same time, securing British command of the seas ) and the Battle of Waterloo in 1815.
Proving that Napoleon can be beaten in battle by the British and at the same time putting paid to the
Napoleonic cause, once and for all.
Before Bernard Cornwell, the popular historical fiction writers ( of the Napoleonic Wars ) like CS Forester and
the Hornblower books only served to reinforce this view. That irrespective of how many victories Napoleon
and the French might gain over their adversaries in Europe, Britain will triumph in the end, thanks to her command of the seas.

So love him or loathe him Richard Sharpe, of the 95th Rifles has brought the land battles of the
Napoleonic Wars, as experienced by the british in the Peninsular Wars, into focus with the general public.
Of course victory for the british ( alongside the Spainish and the Portuguese ), was to prove a long and
at times desperate struggle, with several reverses like the retreat to Corunna, along the way.
The Portuguese along with the spainish people suffered grievous losses throughout the campaign and
I'm sure the Portuguese Regency could be forgiven for thinking that the british would again embark their
army for England, if their postion became untenable in Portugal.

Finally Charles Esdaile & Nick Lipscombe, have the Peninsular 200 website which goes into some
detail of the british efforts in the commemoration and remembrance of the Peninsular Wars.
See the link below.