Battle of Waterloo Book Reimagined Portraits by Sam Faulkner

Limited Edition Photo-Books

Unseen Waterloo: The Conflict Revisited
Photographs from the Battlefield
by Sam Faulkner

Unseen Waterloo: The Conflict Revisited is a distinctive Battle of Waterloo book by award-winning photographer Sam Faulkner. Published in 2015 to mark the battle’s bicentenary, it offers a poignant reimagining of the soldiers who fought and fell on that fateful day in 1815.

Driven by a desire to give a face to history’s forgotten figures, Faulkner set up an ad hoc studio on the battlefield during annual re-enactments in Belgium. There, he captured re-enactors in meticulously recreated uniforms, crafted with remarkable historical accuracy. The resulting portraits are evocative and painterly, drawing on the visual language of traditional oil paintings to imagine moments of triumph, resilience, and loss.

Rather than retelling grand military strategies or focusing on famous commanders, Unseen Waterloo reflects on the ordinary men who bore the brunt of the day’s horrors. It seeks to connect us with the humanity of those who are often overshadowed by the scale of history.

Published to accompany a major exhibition at Somerset House, curated by Patrick Kinmonth, the book has been celebrated for its originality and emotional resonance. It offers not just a record of the re-enactments, but a meditation on the fragility and endurance of those caught in war.

For those passionate about military history, fine art photography, or a deeper understanding of the human cost of conflict, this Battle of Waterloo book is both thought-provoking and profoundly moving.