It is clear from the passage that the book under review differs from traditional biographies of Wellington -----.

The chief triumph of this book is its depiction of
Wellington. He is not simply the famous British general
who defeated Napoleon at Waterloo. He remains a great
general but he is also shown to have had feet of clay
inside his splendid boots. For example, the writer dwells
on Wellington's vanity and his unattractive lack of
generosity in sharing the credit for his victories. This is a
splendid book. Never less than interesting, but always
trenchant. It redefines Wellington without diminishing his
achievements and ends by reminding us that it was
Napoleon who so forcefully articulated a wish that there
should be "a European code of laws, a European
judiciary ... one people in Europe". The ogre's dream is
coming true.