The History Book Club discussion

This is a thread dedicated to books on Napoleon's Campaigns.

Below are a just a few books that are still available covering the campaign that most people consider Napoleon's greatest - AUSTERLITZ in 1805:


by Robert Goetz
Description:
Revealing new study of Napoleon's greatest victory. Dispels many of the myths surrounding the famous 'battle of the three emperors'. Brought to life with numerous eyewitness accounts The Battle of Austerlitz is almost universally regarded as the most impressive of Napoleon's many victories. The magnitude of the French achievement against a larger army was unprecedented. In this insightful new study the author analyses the planning of the opposing forces and details the course of the battle hour by hour, describing the fierce see-saw battle around Sokolnitz, the epic struggle for the Pratzen Heights, the dramatic engagement between the legendary Lannes and Bagration in the north, and the widely misunderstood clash of Napoleon's Imperial Guard and Alexander's Imperial Leib-Guard. The author has produced a detailed and balanced assessment of the battle that for the first time places familiar French accounts in their proper perspective and exposes many myths regarding the battle that have been perpetuated and even embellished in recent books.
With 1805: Austerlitz, the reader is left with a new appreciation of Napoleon and his Grande Armee of 1805, an army that decisively defeated not a hapless relic of the ancien regime but rather a formidable professional army that had fought the French armies on equal terms five years earlier.

by Ian Castle
Description:
In this authoritative and beautifully illustrated new account of Napoleon's greatest victory and the campaign that preceded it, Ian Castle sheds new light on the actions of the commanders and questions the assumptions - and explores the myths - that have shaped our understanding of the event ever since. His account follows every twist and turn of a war that was fought out across central Europe two centuries ago. In particular he reconstructs the course of the action in every sector of the Austerlitz battlefield, using French, Austrian and Russian records, and re-evaluates the place of the battle in the history and mythology of the Napoleonic era.

by F Hourtouille
Description:
The Battle of Austerlitz in 1805 was Napoleon's most decisive victory. It was fought in Moravia against the combined forces of two other Empires - Austria and Russia - and it forced Austria to make the Treaty of Pressburg which undermined Napoleon's enemies to continue the Grand Alliance against him. This book follows the battle hour by hour, illustrating progress though panoramic description and detailed maps. The individual players in the drama are featured and all the uniforms of the troops are illustrated in full colour.

by Christopher Duffy
Description:
A detailed and definitive account of one of the most important episodes of the Napoleonic Wars Description of the battle known to millions through Tolstoy's graphic recreation of the battle in War and Peace.

by R. g. Burton
Description:
In 1805 Napoleon and his Grand Army gathered on the shores of the English Channel ready to launch themselves across it's short expanse to begin the invasion of Britain. But the Royal Navy would continue to 'rule the waves' to ensure that the essential 'twenty four hour dominance of the channel' that the Emperor prayed for would never occur. So it was that he would once again turn his attention for military conquest towards the East. The brilliant campaign that culminated in the victory of Austerlitz is told in this history making it vital reading for all students of the military history of the Napoleonic epoch.

Considered by many to be the ultimate book on Napoleon's campaigns; the 'Napoleonic Bible', so to speak...

by David G. Chandler

Description:
The Campaigns of Napoleon is an exhaustive analysis and critique of Napoleon's art of war as he himself developed and perfected it in the major military campaigns of his career. Napoleon disavowed any suggestion that he worked from formula ("Je n'ai jamais eu un plan d'operations), but military historian David Chandler demonstrates this was at best only a half-truth. To be sure, every operation Napoleon conducted contained unique improvisatory features. But there were from the first to the last certain basic principles of strategic maneuver and battlefield planning that he almost invariably put into practice. To clarify these underlying methods, as well as the style of Napoleon's fabulous intellect, Mr. Chandler examines in detail each campaign mounted and personally conducted by Napoleon, analyzing the strategies employed, revealing wherever possible the probable sources of his subject's military ideas.

Good post Max and yes, it is 'the' book to have on Napoleon's campaigns, over 1,100 pages of great campaigns and battles.

by David G. Chandler

Two other good books that provide a decent overview of Napoleon's campaigns are:


by Georges Blond
(covers the Grande Armee from 1805 to Waterloo)

by Henry Lachouque
(covers the Imperial Guard and it's campaigns under Napoleon)

The one Napoleonic campaign that most historians and readers tend to argue about is the Waterloo campaign, and it's probably the one campaign most written about. I think Google has 640,000 enteries for the Battle of Waterloo, here is a detailed description of the campaign:

Battle of Waterloo

For some good books on Waterloo there are many to select from. I suppose 'the' book on Waterloo would have to be; "Waterloo Companion" by Mark Adkin.

by Mark Adkin
Description:
There have been many books about Waterloo, but never one to rival this in scale or authority. The many full colour maps, and the numerous diagrams and photographs, the majority in colour, make the pages a feast for the eye, while sixteen pages of original paintings of uniforms means this book is a collector's dream.

The book is divided into ten sections: The Campaign describes the dramatic events of the '100 days', and analyses the problems faced by the three commanders-in-chief - Napoleon, Wellington and Bl|cher. Orders of Battle details the organisation of the armies, down to battalion and battery level. Command and Control describes the command structures and the backgrounds and careers of the commanders. The Battlefield covers the critical features of the terrain, including a detailed description of the site as it is today, as well as a series of unique panoramic photographs showing the deployment of forces.

Complete sections are also devoted to The Infantry, The Cavalry, The Artillery and Other Arms and Services, describing their organisation, equipment, drill and tactics.

The Highlights describes the Allied defence of Hougoumont and La Haie Sainte, the initial French infantry attack, the cavalry assaults on the Allied squares, the defence of Plancenoit against the Prussians, and the final attack by the Imperial Guard.

Some other very good general and easy to read accounts on Waterloo would be:


by David Armine Howarth
Description:
The battle began at about eleven-thirty on a Sunday morning in June 1815. By nine o'clock that night, forty thousand men lay dead or wounded among the Belgian cornfields, and Napoleon had abandoned his army and all hope of recovering his empire. This is the story of the men who were there. From their recollections, the author has recreated the battle as it appeared to them on the day it was fought. The author follows the fortunes of men of all ranks on both sides: the Duke, who had picked his ground and faultlessly led what he called an infamous army; Sir William De Lancey, his quartermaster-general; Sergeant Morris and Private Clay; and the gallant old Marshall Blucher, who saw to it that his Prussians arrived in the nick of time.

Review:
"Vivid, violent, almost impossible to put down unfinished, this is a particularly welcome reprint of a masterpiece." - The Good Book Guide

by Jac Weller
Description:
Wellington at Waterloo clearly charts every move and counter-move in this sweeping campaign, from Napole on''s dramatic offensive and the opening battles of Ligny and Quatre Bras to the hard pounding at Waterloo itself.

by David Hamilton-Williams
Description:
Arguing that much of the accepted knowledge of the Battle of Waterloo is corrupted and one-sided, this book re-examines the entire collection of the letters of Captain William Siborne, whose model of the battle has been highly influential.

by William Siborne
Description:
Exhaustive and apparently objective account of Napoleon's last battle by a Waterloo obsessive who also built a giant scale model of the action - annoying Wellington who thought he was being downgraded by Siborne.

William Siborne, the author of this fascinating history of Waterloo, was himself a fascinating figure. The son of an officer who had fought at Waterloo, he grew up obsessed by the battle, and set himself the task of constructing an enormous model of the action. To this end, he interviewed scores of survivors and tirelessly toured the battlefield, measuring instruments in hand, and received generous cash support from both Waterloo veterans and a grateful government. But when Siborne - as a matter of strict historical accuracy, for which he was a stickler - insisted on including Blucher's Prussian army at the turning point of the action, and thus appeared to downgrade Wellington as the architect of victory, he lost the support of the Iron Duke - and of the entire Establishment with its cash. Siborne, a stubborn man, refused to back down and exhibited his famous model - complete with those pesky Prussians! This book is the literary equivalent of his model - an exhaustive and avowedly objective account of the battle and the campaign that led up to it, complete with an appendix giving the Order of Battle. However many books there may be on Waterloo - this one is absolutely indispensible.

by Gareth Glover
Description:
Over 400 unpublished letters from officers who were present at the Battle of Waterloo, in which they described their experiences to William Siborne, have lain largely ignored in the British Library for over a century. This book finally makes these letters readily available to both serious academics and the general reader who has an interest in that greatest of all battles, Waterloo. Over 200 letters are published in full, the rest in brief summary; it is provided with copious notes to identify all officers mentioned; explain the various controvercies regarding the battle and how the new information contained in these letters impacts on these issues. A number of letters from King's German Legion and Prussian Officers were written in old German, these have all been translated, allowing the reader to also gain a great deal of insight into the German view of the battle.

This book will undoubtedly make a significant contribution to our understanding of the Waterloo campaign and will also question some established views.

by Archibald Frank Becke
Description:
Writing a century after Waterloo, Becke claims that previous British authors have been too Anglocentric and biased against Bonaparte in their consideration of the campaign. As a result, he alleges, they have not appreciated the Emperor's brilliant tactics in his ‘masterly yet simple' battle plan. So Becke's book is written very much from Napoleon's point of view, and the Allied armies only appear in order to help the reader appreciate Napoleon's manoevres. An unashamed fan of Napoleon, - (he even dedicates his book, in French, to ‘the Emperor of battles') - Becke calls Bonaparte ‘ the greatest of all the Great Captains..the most famous of all Artillerymen' and refers to ‘the splendour of his world-wide fame.' Becke cautions against hindsignt history in judging Napoleon, and explains his hero's downfall as being a result of the combined strength of the superior Allied forces ranged against him, and the treachery of Fouche, his Minister of Police, rather than his own shortcomings. ‘Ere he fell' writes Becke, ‘Napoleon once more showed that he could handle his troops like an artist'. This first volume takes the story of the Hundred Days from the Emperor's return from exile in Elba up to his despatch of the incompetent Marshal Grouchy to head off the Prussians while he faced Wellington at Waterloo. The book looks at Napoleon's strategy and tactics as well as his disposition of his ‘Armee du Nord' and the battles of Quatre Bras and Ligny. The second volume looks at the climactic confrontation between Napoleon and Wellington at Waterloo itself and has a number of appendices relating to the great battle, including orders of battle of the French, British, Dutch and Prussian forces engaged and correspondence between Napoleon and Marshals Soult, Davout, Ney and Grouchy.

by Henry Houssaye
Description:
The Waterloo campaign, short as it was, was epic in its scope, encompassing as it did the downfall of the great Napoleon; the one and only clash between Bonaparte and Wellington, and the inauguration of a century ( give or take short localised wars) of general European peace. And Waterloo has left plenty of material for historians to argue over: why did Wellington not aid his Prussian ally Blucher at Ligny? Why did Marshal Ney do nothing on the morning of Quatre- Bras? Why was Napoleon so uncharacteristically lethargic on the eve of Waterloo? What happened to Marshal Grouchy ( deputed to keep off the Prussians) on the day of Waterloo? These and many other strategic matters are fully considered by Henry Houssayed in this second volume of his two-volume classic history of Napoleon's penultimate (1814, France) and ultimate campaigns. Illustrated by finely drawn battle maps, this is one that will keep Napoleonic addicts arguing for a long time yet.

Some more recent titles on the Battle of Waterloo:


by Alessandro Barbero
Description:
On the afternoon of 1 March, 1815, a fleet of ships dropped anchor off the southeast coast of France. After ten months in exile on the island of Elba, the Emperor Napoleon had returned to reclaim his throne. European chancelleries responded by immediately preparing for war. Only one year earlier, four great powers - England, Austria, Russia and Prussia - had combined to defeat Napoleon and now, these four countries made a pledge to invade France from all sides. Napoleon's only recourse was to rearm, and he quickly marshalled his forces: mobilized the National Guard, began mass production of muskets and bought or confiscated all available horses. On the Allied side, by the end of spring, only the Duke of Wellington's troops and the Prussian army, under the command of Field Marshal Blucher, were prepared. The Emperor knew that by attacking the two armies separately, his Armee du Nord stood a good chance of winning. He planned a surprise strike, to destroy the first army he encountered before the other could intervene. Maintaining complete secrecy over his tactics, he manoeuvred the Armee du Nord close to the Belgian border and at dawn on 15 June, sent the first cavalry patrols over into enemy territory, followed immediately by columns of infantry. Thus begins The Battle, a thrilling new account of the great Battle of Waterloo, which survivors from all sides deemed, in the words of an English officer 'a terrible fight for a terrible stake: freedom or slavery to Europe.'

by Andrew Roberts
Description:
The Making History Series is launched with an exciting retelling of one of the moments that shook the world -- Waterloo, one of the truly decisive battles of history. The illustrious Making History Series, edited by Lisa Jardine and Amanda Foreman, explores an eclectic mix of history's tipping points. Here, the most eminent of guest writers have been invited to present a subject closest to their heart, presenting the grand theatre of the past in a collection of inventive and provocative essays. The series awakens fresh interest in subjects long before us -- the decline of Aztec Empire, Waterloo, Nuremberg -- as well as uncovering the seemingly quiet moments of chance which turned subsequent events on their head. In Waterloo, Roberts provides not only a fizzing account of one of the most significant 48 hour periods of all time, but also a startling revaluation on the methodology of history -- is it possible to create an accurate picture from a single standpoint? What we can say for certain about the battle is that it ended forever the one of the great personal world-historical epics. The career of Napoleon was brought to a shuddering halt on the evening of 18th June 1815. Interwoven in the clear-cut narrative are exciting revelations brought to light by recent research: accident rather than design led to the crucial cavalry debacle that lost the battle. Amongst the all-too-human explanation for the blunder that cost Napoleon his throne, Roberts sets the political, strategic and historical scene, and finally shows why Waterloo was such an important historical punctuation mark. The generation after Waterloo saw the birth of the modern era: ghastly as the carnage here was, henceforth the wars of the future were fought with infinitely more ghastly methods of trenches, machine-guns, directed starvation, concentration camps, and aerial bombardment. By the time of the Great War, chivalry was utterly dead. The honour of bright uniform and tangible spirit of elan, espirit, eclat met their final dance at Waterloo.

Reviews:
“a concise, pacy and well-argued account that puts many of its predecessors...it represents a masterly synthesis of the latest scholarship." - Sunday Telegraph

“a dramatic...generally balanced account...Roberts writes with great clarity about the shape, progress and tactics of the battle.” - The Sunday Times

“readable and illuminating...touches on all the areas of controversy that make Waterloo so fascinating.” - Mail on Sunday

“… in a wonderfully lucid account, he...maintians a felicitous balance between narrative and analysis.” - Evening Standard

"The battle remains one of the most extraordinary of all times...a useful summary." - The Guardian

“Roberts's prose is as lively as the action it describes...This is altogether a masterly synthesis.” - The Spectator

by Jeremy Black
Description:
This is a masterly and concise reinterpretation of one of the seminal events in modern history, by one of the world's foremost military historians. The battle on Sunday 18th June 1815, near Waterloo, Belgium was to be Napoleon's greatest triumph - but it ended in one of the greatest military upsets of all time. Waterloo became a legend overnight and remains one of the most argued-over battles in history. Lord Wellington immortally dubbed it 'the nearest-run thing you ever saw in your life', but the British victory became iconic, a triumph of endurance that ensured a 19th century world in which Britain played the key role; it was also a defining moment for the French, bringing Napoleon I's reign to an end and closing the second Hundred Years' War. Alongside the great drama and powerful characters, Jeremy Black gives readers a fascinating look at where this battle belongs in the larger story of the tectonic power shifts in Europe, and the story of military modernisation. The result is a revelatory view of Waterloo's place in the broader historical arc. Black sets this battle in the context of warfare in the period, and not only that of Napoleonic Europe. He also uses Waterloo to explore the changing nature of war, the rise and fall of Napoleon's empire, and the influence of the French Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars on the 19th century. Drawing on all the latest scholarship, Jeremy Black brings this thrilling story - and the world in which it is set - vividly to life.

Review:
"Jeremy Black ought to be a National Treasure ... he deserves far more public recognition. The sheer quality of his output ought to have marked him out as one of our great historians." - Andrew Roberts

by Peter Hofschroer
Description:
A unique reassessment of the Hundred Days and a powerful analysis of the events of the epic confrontation at Waterloo. This study is the first of two volumes and is a thoroughly researched examination of the opening moves of the campaign from an entirely new perspective, based on evidence never before presented to an English-speaking audience.

by Peter Hofschroer
Description:
Peter Hofschroer reveals the huge role played by the Prussian & German troops in the defeat of Napoleon''s armies at Waterloo. He uses source material, previously unpublished in English, from German archives.

From the Author:
The second volume of my work on the Waterloo Campaign continues with an account of the action starting where volume one left off, namely on 17 June. It then follows the retreat of the allied forces to Mont St Jean and Wavre. Using German accounts - eye-witnesses and reports - the action of 18 June is described in some detail. Most of the texts quoted have never been used in English before. The Battle of Namur and the pursuit of the French forces to Paris is covered in unprecedented detail. Furthermore, a substantial chapter is devoted to the sieges in Northern France.
All these accounts are accompanied by numerous large, clear and detailed maps.

Following on from volume one, the role of the Duke of Wellington is examined. He is shown to have performed poorly in this campaign and subsequently to have played downs both his own errors and the true role of his allies. His Waterloo Despatch of 19 June 1815 is shown to contain a number of false statements. Wellington nurtured and protected his reputation throughout the rest of his life. One example of this - how he suppressed the publication in English of Clausewitz's History of 1815 - is examined.

In all, a very detailed book, well presented with new revelations.

Thank you for the adds Aussie Rick.

Some really great posts, Rick. On the subject of Napoleon's later campaigns I would suggest the following:

by Charles William Vane

Description:
The Eagles at war for the future of Europe
This is a vital history of the battles and campaigns in Germany and France which led to the defeat of Napoleon written by an experienced British cavalry officer and diplomat who was present and actively engaged throughout them all. The authors unique position enabled him to write a superb account—part history, part personal experience—of these turbulent days of warfare that would result in the abdication of an emperor, the fall of the First Empire ,the occupation of Paris and the restoration of the Bourbon monarchy. This is the story of the 'War of the Sixth Coalition' when the hereditary Imperial Crowns of Europe finally determined and achieved the downfall of the man they considered as a usurper and who had brought a continent to its knees and soaked it in blood for over a decade. There would be many a hard fought day before that came about and the Emperor had one final stroke of genius in war to display before it was over. An essential addition to every library of Napoleonic history.

For an overview of all his campaigns there is also this:

by Owen Connelly

Description:
Renowned for its accuracy, brevity, and readability, this book has long been the gold standard of concise histories of the Napoleonic Wars. Now in an updated and revised edition, it is unique in its portrayal of one of the world's great generals as a scrambler who never had a plan, strategic or tactical, that did not break down or change of necessity in the field. Distinguished historian Owen Connelly argues that Napoleon was the master of the broken play, so confident of his ability to improvise, cover his own mistakes, and capitalize on those of the enemy that he repeatedly plunged his armies into uncertain, seemingly desperate situations, only to emerge victorious as he _blundered_ to glory. Exploring this neglected aspect of Napoleon's battlefield genius, Connelly at the same time offers stirring and complete accounts of all the Napoleonic campaigns.

As Rick says there is a lot of debate over the Waterloo campaign, and it was indeed a circumstantial one. For a rather detailed and specific account of Waterloo this book covers many of the issues concerning the obscures happenings and factors of the battle:

by W. Hyde Kelly

Description:
The story of the French Army that never arrived at Waterloo

Almost everybody who is interested in the Battle of Waterloo knows that the campaign began auspiciously for Napoleon. The Prussian Army under Blucher was first engaged and it suffered a savaging at Ligny after which it retreated. After Quatre Bras Wellington's allied army retreated and took position on the ridge before Waterloo-Blucher, harassed by Grouchy retreated towards Wavre. Though thoroughly mauled, the Prussian Army embodied no spirit of defeat and so was not-as Napoleon or Grouchy believed-an army in flight but a grim, avenging and lethal force undertaking a sweeping manoeuvre which would bring it as promised-just in time-onto the momentous field of battle slamming into the right flank of the French Army to ensure victory and an end to an epoch. Most histories of this campaign concentrate on the action that took place over the fields between Genappe and Mont St. Jean. Grouchy's part in the campaign is often considered as no more than 'noises off' and a footnote about lack of resolve and lost opportunity. This book investigates Grouchy's actions and the activities of his Prussian enemy-and explains why this luckless marshal did not 'march to the sound of the guns.' Available in soft cover and hard cover with dust jacket for collectors.

Thank you Aussie Rick.

Here is one from my list:

by Harold T. Parker

This narrative account of three Napoleonic battles adheres rather closely to the Aristotelian configuration of evolving tragedy. The historian succeeds in presenting herein events and character not only in historical reality but also in unities employed by the artist or tragedian. For a beginning of this lively, military story, Harold T. Parker chooses a portrayal of Napoleon at the height of his power, the battle of Friedland. The middle episode is concerned with Napoleon in his first serious personal check, the battle of Aspern-Essling. To complete the unity and to conclude the tragic progression, the author resurveys the episode of Napoleon's final defeat at the battle of Waterloo.

Thanks all.

Also, I'm not sure of this has been mentioned before but it covers his first campaign in Italy:

by Martin Brown-Boycott

Description:
. . an independent Napoleonic scholar . . . has rendered a detailed account (the first since 1957) of young Napoleon Bonaparte's Italian campaign of 1796-97. . . . exciting account . . . . good maps accompany the text and the . . . reader will . . . be in rhythm with Napoleon's deadly minuet with the Austrian and Piedmontese armies. . . . impressively incorporates Austrian and Italian sources that have been translated into English for the first time."--Library Journal.

Tom wrote: "Here is one from my list:

by Harold T. Parker

This narrative account of three Napoleonic battles adheres rather closely to the Aristote..."

That looks like an interesting book Tom, thanks for the post and information.

Max wrote: "Also, I'm not sure of this has been mentioned before but it covers his first campaign in Italy:

by Martin Brown-Boycott

..."

Hi Max, that is one of my favourite books covering Napoleon's early campaigns in Italy.

Hi Max, I have read; "Blundering to Glory: Napoleon's Military Campaigns" by Owen Connelly and found it a very interesting read.

by Owen Connelly

The other two books have have tucked away in my library to read at some stage.

by Charles William Vane

by W. Hyde Kelly

I think it goes into better detail than Napoleon: The Path to Power did with regards to the Italian campaign. Although I suppose Dwyer's book is supposed to be more biographical and this one seems more military-based.

One decent book covering Napoleon's campaigns that I'd like to mention that may interest others is; "Dreams of Empire: Napoleon and the First World War, 1792-1815" by Paul Fregosi.

Dreams of Empire: Napoleon and the First World War, 1792-1815(no cover) by Paul Fregosi
Description:
Published in the bicentenary year of the French Revolution, this book details Napoleon Bonaparte's campaigns outside Europe, apart from an opening chapter covering his emergence as an outstanding commander during the Battle of Toulon. In his quest to become Emperor of the Orient and Conqueror of India as well as the Emperor of France, Napoleon waged successful campaigns in both North and South America, the West Indies, the Middle East, Africa and Ireland. The author examines the entire policy followed by Napoleon in the colonies, providing biographical, military and geographical information of each battle, culminating in the defeat at the Battle of Waterloo.

One book that analyses Napoleon's campaigns is:

by Brian Bond

I found it very interesting, as the author examines Napoleon's errors and how he might have successfully conquered Europe.

Description:
In Western Europe and North America the idea that war can deliberately be used as an 'instrument of policy' has become unfashionable, not least because of the carnage of two World Wars and the Americans' humiliating experience in Vietnam. But wars clearly believe they are worthwhile. Why? In this original and provocative study, Brian Bond discusses the successes and failures of military and political leaders in their pursuit of victory over the last two centuries.

Napoleon didn't make any errors did he? Nah, just kidding :)

'Aussie Rick' wrote: "Napoleon didn't make any errors did he? Nah, just kidding :)"

Haha, just a few petty ones... French invasion of Russia, 1812 :)

touche :)

Here are two of my favourite books on the Hundred Days Campaign. I like these two books as not only are they well written and easy to follow they also provide information on the battlefield today, almost a tour guide as well as a battlefield history:

by Andrew Uffindell
Description:
Napoleon won his final victory on June 16th, 1815 at Ligny, shortly before suffering a crushing defeat at Waterloo. Facing two enemy armies – Wellington’s Anglo-Allied and Bluecher’s Prussian – he aimed his main attack against Bluecher at Ligny and diverted Wellington’s attention by engaging his forward elements at Quatre Bras. The Eagle’s Last Triumph is the single most comprehensive examination of this vital aspect of the 1815 campaign available in English. Having put the battle at Ligny into perspective, the author provides a clear account of the action in detail, including much eye-witness testimony. The complex story of Wellington and Bluecher’s cooperation throughout the struggle against the French is revealed, with new light on Wellington’s promises of prompt aid to the Prussians in the early stages of the campaign – promises which he failed to keep. The reasons for General d’Erlon’s failure to support the French forces at either Ligny or Quatre Bras are traced, and how the main culprits in the fiasco later sought to cover up their responsibility. The Eagle’s Last Triumph is a vivid military epic, providing a cogent and lucid explanation of why Napoleon, victorious at Ligny, met with utter defeat just two days later at Waterloo.

Reviews:
"Uffindell is that rare combination in military historians - outstanding researcher and sparkling writer." - Military The Daily Telegraph

"Meticulously researched." - History Magazine

"A brilliant analysis of the battle." - Byron Farwell

“A powerful, exact coverage perfect for in-depth study.” - Midwest Book Review


by Andrew Uffindell
Description:
This spirited history of the 1815 campaign provides a new and stimulating account of the epic confrontation at Waterloo and, in addition, acts as a reliable guide to the battlefield and all related sites. The authors have divided the battlefield of Waterloo into three distinct sectors: one for each of the three armies involved. This allows the reader to follow the fighting from three different perspectives and gain an objective understanding of the dramatic course of the battle. The authors also make use of vivid eyewitness testimony, drawn from participants in all three armies, and this brings to life the epic battle and provides a dramatic backcloth to the rapid course of events. Previously unpublished letters from British officers, the recollections of a Dutch-Belgian staff officer and the memoirs of a French colonel of cuirassiers all contribute to an understanding of just what it was like to fight in one of Europe's most crucial confrontations. In addition to covering Waterloo itself, this important book also examines the tense situation in Brussels as the French drew near, the aftermath of the battle, the battle at Wavre, the Prussian pursuit and Marshal Grouchy's stubborn defense of Namur.

This book was published in 2010 but I have not seen many reviews yet but it sounds like a decent overview of Napoleon's 1814 campaign:

by Ralph Ashby
Description:
French defeat in 1814 is too often shrugged off as the result of obvious and understandable factors. "Napoleon Against Great Odds: The Emperor and the Defenders of France, 1814" challenges the widely accepted notion that war-weariness and internal political opposition to Napoleon were the decisive and direct causes of French defeat. At least as important, it argues, were material shortages, diplomatic missteps, and even faulty strategic planning on Napoleon's part. The book not only traces the narrative of "Napoleon's 1814 Campaign in France", but explores the formation of the French army tasked with defending France against the Coalition invasion. Diplomatic, political, and social factors are taken into account and the issue of war-weariness is analyzed carefully and critically. Each branch and arm of the French forces is examined, as are military mobilization under difficult circumstances and partisan and guerilla warfare. Designed to encourage fresh debate about the 1814 campaign, the book offers thought-provoking reading for scholars and general readers alike.

Here is a book that offers a stunning visual account of Napoleon's invasion of Russia in 1812:


by Jonathan North
Description:
Published in association with the Anne S.K Brown Military Collection.A Complete set of Albrecht Adam's evocative color plates of 1812 campaign.

In 1812 Napoleon's magnificent army invaded Russia. Among the half million men who crossed the border was Albrecht Adam, a former baker, a soldier and, most importantly for us, a military artist of considerable talent. As the army plunged ever deeper into a devastated Russia Adam sketched and painted. In all he produced 77 color plates of the campaign and they are as fresh and dramatic as the day they were produced.

They show troops passing along dusty roads, bewildered civilians, battles and their bloody aftermath, burning towns and unchecked destruction. The memoirs which accompany the plates form a candid text describing the war Adam witnessed.

Attached to IV Corps, composed largely of Italians, he was present at all the major actions and saw the conquerors march triumphantly into Moscow. But, from then on, the invading army's fate was sealed and the disastrous outcome of the war meant that the year 1812 would become legendary as one of the darkest chapters in history.

by David Tudor Davies (no photo)

This book showed up in my latest book catalogue.

Description
As devastating in their day as the world wars of a later century, the Napoleonic wars were fought in part by Ships of the Line - harshly beautiful and deadly battleships that waged war at sea comparable in ferocity to anything on land. David Davies provides stirring accounts of the ships, their construction, their armaments, the daily life of the men, and the problems faced by commanders in such battles as the Glorious First of June, Camperdown, the Battle of the Nile, and Trafalgar.

It has received several good reviews which is enough for me to order it.

Jill wrote: " by David Tudor Davies (no photo)

This book showed up in my latest book catalogue.

Description
As devastating in their day as..."

It sounds like an interesting book. I love accounts of Ships-of-the-Line during this period so I hope it’s a stirring account of ships slugging out broadside after broadside. If you enjoy that book you might want to look at this one as well:

by Jonathan Dull

I've decided to read, or really just slowly take my time and enjoy the beautiful illustrations in this book; "Napoleon's Army in Russia" by Albrecht Adam. Once you start taking the paintings in you realise what a great job the artist did, this is a nice book just to slowly browse through and enjoy the colours and visual story of this man's journey.

by Jonathan North

A different take on the Russian campaign as human ambition is pitted against the supremacy of nature......a story of a mighty warrior and a tiny microbe.

When Napoleon invaded Russia in 1812, typhus ravaged his army,killing hundreds of thousands and ensuring his defeat. Fatalities approached 100% among Napoleon's increasingly debilitated, filthy, half-starved soldiers. Talty makes a good case that it was typhus, not General Winter, that crushed Napoleon......Publishers Weekly.

by Stephan Talty(no photo)

Good post Jill, this book is pretty decent account and offers a different perspective to Napoleon's failed 1812 Russian campaign.

Here is a new book covering one of Napoleon's lesser known campaigns:


by Philippe R. Girard

I have been waiting for this new book since it was first mentioned by the author in 2008 and follows on from his great account of the Eylau Campaign in; "Crisis in the Snows". His new title is; "Napoleon's Triumph".

by James R Arnold

by James R. Arnold & Ralph R. Reinertsen
Description:
February 1807 found one of history's foremost military geniuses, Napoleon Bonaparte, retreating with his battered army from the bloody, inconclusive Battle of Eylau. It was the first significant setback experienced by the Emperor Napoleon. The battle dimmed the aura of invincibility surrounding the emperor and his Grande Armée. For the first time in his career Napoleon had met a foe capable of resisting his sweeping strategic thrusts and tactical flourishes. For the Grande Armée, an uncertain future spent in Poland's winter wastelands loomed.

Eylau emboldened Napoleon's foes, most importantly Tsar Alexander and the commander of his field army, General Leontii Bennigsen. The tsar's army issued from the fortress of Königsberg to drive the French west. His offensive gained territory until it encountered firm resistance that showed Napoleon's veterans had not lost their fighting prowess. The exhausted armies entered winter quarters while the Russian tsar and French emperor summoned tens of thousands of fresh troops to the front. Simultaneously, Russia and Prussia dispatched envoys to their coalition partners in an effort to coordinate a series of strokes designed to topple the apparently faltering French emperor.

The allied combinations failed, their efforts thwarted by the inherent problems of coalition warfare. It was left to French and Russian soldiers to determine Europe's fate. A ten-day span in June 1807 witnessed a fluid series of combats and battles culminating in Napoleon's decisive triumph at the Battle of Friedland. Occurring a mere four months after Eylau, Friedland represented a stunning reversal of fortune. Then came Tilsit, where Napoleon masterfully dictated terms to the humbled king of Prussia and rearranged the map of Europe with his new ally, Tsar Alexander.

Using primary sources gleaned from libraries and archives in Europe and the United States, Napoleon's Triumph describes Napoleon's amazing reversal of fortune. It relates the winter battles that blunted the Russian offensive and then turns to the complex, dramatic Siege of Danzig. Renewed campaigning in the spring witnessed yet another surprise Russian offensive. But for the leadership of Marshal Michel Ney, Bennigsen would have removed a major French piece from the strategic chessboard. Instead came Napoleon's counteroffensive leading to the Battle of Heilsberg, Napoleon's least-understood major battle. The decisive triumph at Friedland occurred four days later, an encounter heretofore shrouded by biased interpretations, one designed to burnish Napoleon's image, the other to explain away a bad Russian defeat.

Lavishly illustrated with portraits, drawings, paintings, and maps, and supplemented with detailed appendices on the strengths and composition of the rival forces, Napoleon's Triumph provides an original interpretation of the 1807 campaign.

Thank you for the add.

My pleasure Bentley, I have just been informed by the publisher that "Crisis in the Snows" has been re-printed for those who missed it the first time and I would highly recommend it as a very good account (one of very few in fact) of the Eylau Campaign.

by James R Arnold

This book has also been revised and re-released by the publisher and it offers a great account of Napoleon's 1809 Austrian campaign.


by James Arnold
Description:
The year 1809 witnessed a geopolitical shift in Europe. While France and Napoleon’s Grande Armée remained ascendant, new forces weighed in the European balance of power. The author conducts us through the swirl of diplomatic intrigue that preceded the 1809 Austrian campaign. Revealed is the complex web of alliances, Napoleon’s mistaken political calculations, and the duplicity of his underlings that draw the French emperor into an unwanted war. Despite his diplomatic naïveté, Napoleon continues to exhibit the flashes of military genius that prompted him to describe this campaign as among the finest in his career. A detailed description of the makeup and tactical objectives of the Napoleonic war machine is followed by an explanation of the rival army’s organization and qualities. Crisis on the Danube relates the major engagements in this first phase of the 1809 war, from the Austrian invasion of Bavaria to the French capture of Ratisbonne. Readers see troop movements from the perspective of Napoleon and the Archduke Karl, allowing them to perceive how imperfect knowledge, “the fog of war,” influenced command decisions. In this atmosphere of uncertainty, the ability to make good strategic choices and stick to them was the hallmark of great military leadership and here Napoleon’s genius remained unsurpassed. Dramatic first-hand accounts vividly relate the consequences of these decisions by depicting what it was like to be under fire on a Napoleonic battlefield.

Reviews:
"By any standards this is a thrilling period of military history, and the author does it full justice." — David G. Chandler author of The Campaigns of Napoleon

"Well written and researched." — American Library Association

"The author presents a detailed analysis of the force structure, material, and manpower resources of both France and Austria...well written and valuable." — Infantry Magazine

"A well-done history of the Austrian war with France and its memorable battles and leaders that will be greatly enjoyed by anyone from scholar to student." — San Antonio Express-News

Thank you Aussie Rick.

I have decided to start reading a new book released this year covering one of Napoleonic France's worst overseas campaigns:

by Philippe R. Girard

It sounds a little depressing AR but I do hope you enjoy it.

Thanks Bentley, it should be interested to see how free men of colour obtained their freedom and rights and then managed to fight and win to keep those rights against one of the most professional armies in Europe. I think the climate, terrain, the distance plus local knowledge and fighting for a just cause had a lot to play in the final decision.

It sounds like the civil war. But in the Napoleonic era. Enjoy.

My book has been covering some of the medical aspects of the yellow fever epidemic on the Island during the French occupation. Here is a very interesting case below but be warned, its not pleasant reading:

“The most spectacular case that year involved an officer who complained of unbearable itching inside his nose until further inquiry revealed that the patient had a nest of tiny worms swarming inside his nasal cavity. The worms opened a path to his mouth where they fell one by one until, a terrifying eleven days and 150 worms later, the officer finally recovered.”


The book also discussed some remedies tried by French doctors in an attempt to combat the effects of yellow fever:

“Not one to be stumped, Francois amped up doses, then, convinced that a deficient nervous system was the root cause of the disease, proposed ‘heroic remedies’ (read: life-threatening) such as applying red-hot ‘fire-buttons’ on various spots of the skull in the hope that this would shock the brain into reacting, a terrible ordeal he justified with a deluge of Latin quotes worthy of a medieval quack”


by Philippe R. Girard

These two accounts from my current book cover the death of the French General Victoire Leclerc and his legacy in Haiti:

“On November 1, yellow fever reached its horrifying climax as black blood and vomit poured out of every orifice of Leclerc’s body, and his skin turned a bright yellow. Early on November 2, the Catholic day of the dead, he drew his final breath.”

“…..Many of the most notorious policies of his reviled successor – from gassing prisoners to employing man-hunting dogs – were initiated under him, and there is no reason to believe that if he had lived another year he too would not have turned into some sadistic monster. Dying in one’s prime has its perks.”

by Philippe R. Girard

Thank you for your excerpts Aussie Rick.

I am currently reading a Napoleonic book covering the 1813 campaigns in Europe, Spain and the United States. Here is a quote that I found amusing:

“One hundred and thirty-one years later another successful coalition war in Europe had just been concluded, following a similarly spectacular debacle in Russia. Josef Stalin was being congratulated on the success of his troops in Germany. ‘How proud you must be’, one of the allied officers present remarked, ‘that Russian troops have entered Berlin’. The Communist Generalissimo fixed his questioner with a beady glare, and replied – ‘Tsar Alexander reached Paris’.”

by J.P. Riley

One more book on the Russian campaign.....don't know much about this book but it might be another interesting account for consideration.

by Dominic Lieven

Hi Jill, its a pretty good account but my personal favourite was; "Napoleon and Russia" by Michael Adams.


by Michael Adams

I respect you opinion on anything about Napoleon, AR!!!! I had not heard of the book that I posted until it appeared in one of my history book catalogues.

The book you mentioned is a very good account and has picked up some decent reviews, I just found the Adam's book drew me into the story more, really engaged me in the history as such.