On "the playing fields of Eton"

The translation of historical truths into legend and myth has always fascinated me. The Duke of Wellington is supposed to have remarked that the Battle of Waterloo was won on the playing fields of Eton. In fact, there were no playing fields at Eton in the Duke's time. What he actually said in 1815 was, gentlemen, I think I owe my grasp of strategy to the tricks I used to get up to in the garden. Now, that was translated into French, then translated back into English fifty years later in the version that we now know. (From an interview with historical novelist Peter Vansittart)

Comments

[Ana]

Either way, play matters.

[Jake Holmes]

One has to wonder exactly what kind of tricks he used to get up to in the garden. Maybe the phrase was changed to save the family a bit of embarrassment ... Kind of like the pages of Dodgson's Diaries.