John Sperling

The engineers, sappers and miners during the closing battles of the Napoleonic WarsThe initial part of this book contains letters written to his father, by a British officer of the Royal Engineers serving in the army towards the end of the conflict with Napoleonic France. In fact, the first letter, written aboard his transport ship at anchor, bound for continental Europe is dated in December of 1813. The conclusion of that war was only three months into the future, but before the defeated emperor abdicated his throne more blood would be spilled by those who fought for both sides. Sperling was not bound for the southern campaign theatre, but to the Low Countries where Graham was tasked with subjugating Bergen-op-Zoom and Antwerp. The author's descriptions of this campaign from an engineer's perspective offer rewarding details, especially his descriptions of the various works he was commissioned to execute. By the opening months of 1815, Sperling was in Brussels and so already in theatre as hostilities broke out once again when Napoleon made his final desperate bid to regain power by absconding from his exile on the island of Elba. Naturally, Sperling's personal experiences and descriptions of his work around the field of battle at Waterloo and afterwards are essential. This valuable first-hand account is supported in this Leonaur edition by two excellent and detailed histories of the Royal Engineers and the Sappers and Miners by Porter and Connolly which specifically focus on the period of time covered by the Sperling letters. This edition is accompanied by maps and illustrations which were not included in any of the original editions of these works.

The engineers, sappers and miners during the closing battles of the Napoleonic WarsThe initial part of this book contains letters written to his father, by a British officer of the Royal Engineers serving in the army towards the end of the conflict with Napoleonic France. In fact, the first letter, written aboard his transport ship at anchor, bound for continental Europe is dated in December of 1813. The conclusion of that war was only three months into the future, but before the defeated emperor abdicated his throne more blood would be spilled by those who fought for both sides. Sperling was not bound for the southern campaign theatre, but to the Low Countries where Graham was tasked with subjugating Bergen-op-Zoom and Antwerp. The author's descriptions of this campaign from an engineer's perspective offer rewarding details, especially his descriptions of the various works he was commissioned to execute. By the opening months of 1815, Sperling was in Brussels and so already in theatre as hostilities broke out once again when Napoleon made his final desperate bid to regain power by absconding from his exile on the island of Elba. Naturally, Sperling's personal experiences and descriptions of his work around the field of battle at Waterloo and afterwards are essential. This valuable first-hand account is supported in this Leonaur edition by two excellent and detailed histories of the Royal Engineers and the Sappers and Miners by Porter and Connolly which specifically focus on the period of time covered by the Sperling letters. This edition is accompanied by maps and illustrations which were not included in any of the original editions of these works.

"A great life and a great read..." - George Soros. "A remarkably cogent story of a most remarkable man. Sperling's openness about problems and failures inspires and informs the entrepreneurial spirit. Sperling describes the extraordinary power and potential of focused human intensity. The book is a must-read for anyone interested in starting or building a business." - Peter Lewis, Chairman and CEO, The Progressive Corporation. "The University of Phoenix is the largest private university in the United States. It is fully accredited and traded on NASDAQ. Mere mention of its name produces anger, fear, and envy on the nation's college campuses. In the private sector, it has inspired scores of companies to enter the education market. This is the story of the entrepreneur who launched a revolution in higher education." - Arthur Levine, President, Teacher's College, Columbia University. "Education will be one of the key growth sectors of our knowledge-based economy over the next ten years. John Sperling, founder and Chairman of Apollo Group, has been one of the visionary driving forces behind this growth. By developing a unique customer-focused model of higher education, Dr.Sperling has helped to build the largest private university in the United States that continues to be one of the best growth opportunities in education today. " - Thomas Weisel, President & CEO, Thomas Weisel Partners, LLC.

Today a college degree is needed to ensure an avenue to a decent standard of living. The workplace demands lifelong learning, since most workers will change careers several times before retiring. Meanwhile, attaining a degree is becoming more difficult both in terms of the time required and money. This affects not only individuals but encourages lawmakers to seek alternatives. This book examines higher education programs designed for and delivered to working adult students under a unique for-profit model, one that benefits both taxpayer and student.

Today a college degree is needed to ensure an avenue to a decent standard of living. The workplace demands lifelong learning, since most workers will change careers several times before retiring. Meanwhile, attaining a degree is becoming more difficult both in terms of the time required and money. This affects not only individuals but encourages lawmakers to seek alternatives. This book examines higher education programs designed for and delivered to working adult students under a unique for-profit model, one that benefits both taxpayer and student.