Customer Reviews:
Not the typical Napoleon biography.......2006-02-25
Swords Around a Throne is not your typical Napoleon book. Elting concentrates on topics which MAY rate a sentence or paragraph in other biographies. Elting concentrates on the different divisions of the Grand Armée including uniforms, in-depth looks at his marshals and the navy instead of regurgitating the different battles he fought. Swords Around a Throne is a good change of pace to the other biographies of Napoleon as it provides a different aspect to the Napoleonic Wars and his empire. Well worth the time to read.
Generalization.......2006-02-01
The problem with thick books that try to capture large subjects is that they must generalize and leave out a lot of data, and here there is no difference. If you are looking of a general overview of the Grande Armee during more then two decades of the French First Republic and Empire, this book will inform. However it is not meant to provide or be a definitive statement on any of the topics discussed in the chapters. Its a guide, rather then a scholarly work. This is particularly true where armies other then French are discussed, or where equal space has been given to its largest corps, the Infantry or Cavalry.
Other works dealing with specific areas should be consulted after readin this work.
Informative and Interesting.......2005-11-23
This is an excellent book, both informative and interesting. Even while discussing rather dry topics, the author manages to work in humourous anecdotes or observations.
It is important to understand that this book is not a narrative history of Napoleon's campaigns--rather, it is broken down into chapters which describe various aspects of Napoleon's army--the guard, foreign units, allied units, supply organization, cavalry, artillery, and many many others; for each chapter/topic, the author describes the pre-Napoleonic context, as well as developments under Napoleon.
Entertaining and informative.......2005-07-19
Col. Elting's inimitable writing style is sorely missed. Unfortunately, he died a few years ago (which several reviewers will be saddened to learn). He wrote with such lively humor and energy, that he always entertained while he informed. Does the book contain a few flaws? Sure it does, and they have been mentioned in the other reviews. The author's approach, strictly speaking, is not what would be described as "scholarly." Elting is a bit of a francophile, but perhaps acts as counterbalance to the anglophilia that dominates most English-language work on the Napoleonic period. (Owen Connelly, another American, is one of the most objective writers covering the period). Overall, Swords Around A Throne surpasses most other studies of the "Grande Armee" if only by merit of Elting's irreplaceble prose.
If you read one book on Napoleon this must be it!.......2003-11-09
'One quick blow and the wars over' with these words Napoleon led his army from the banks of the English Channel towards Austria, towards a small town named Austerlitz.
This book is quite simply the best and more detailed thorough account of Napoleon and his grand army. It details such notables as General Ney, who fought Wellington in Spain and was latter suspected of treason by Napoleon. It details the invasion the russia, the 'napoleon at bay' campaigns of 1814 and the final showdown at waterloo. Great biogrpaical sketches are made of all Napoleons commanders and their various campaigns. Simply an excellent lucid account.
Book Description
World War I has been called "the war to end all wars", the first time combatants were mobilized on a massive scale to ruthlessly destroy an enemy. But as David Bell argues in this tour de force of interpretive history, the Great War was not, in fact, the first total war. For this, we need to travel back to the era of muskets and sailing ships, to the age of Napoleon. According to Bell, it was then that warfare was transformed into the hideous spectacle that seems ever present today. Indeed, nearly every modern aspect of war took root in that time: conscription, unconditional surrender, total disregard for the rules of combat, mobilization of civilians, guerrilla warfare, and the perverse notion of war fought for the sake of peace. The revolutionaries were leading "the last crusade for universal liberty." A war for such stakes could only be apocalyptic - and terribly bloody. With a historian's keen insight and a journalist's flair for detail, Bell brings this period to life while keeping an eye on our own "war of liberation" in Iraq. The parallels are astonishing, making this vivid narrative history as timely and important as it is unforgettable.
Customer Reviews:
An Intellectual History of the Napoleonic Wars.......2007-02-28
We have grown accustomed to viewing the World Wars of the 20th century as the first total wars in modern history, for they required the total mobilization and militarization of the societies involved. Their accompanying ideologies, fascism and communism, were appropriately called totalitarian since they left no aspect of society unaffected. Now historian David A Bell has written a new and different history of the Napoleonic Wars (1792 - 1815) arguing that they were in fact the first total wars.
In his introduction, Bell tells us that he is borrowing techniques from intellectual history to write a military history. Traditionally military historians have restricted themselves to accounts of battlefield tactics and weapon systems. Bell is attempting to go further in showing that the ideals of the Enlightenment played a role in what he calls the first total war. He believes that the French Revolution - the apotheosis of the Enlightenment - radicalized people's ideas about how and why wars should be fought.
During the time of the ancien regime - which is Bell's main standard of comparison - wars were limited and short-lived. They were fought according to established rules and usually to defend the honor of this or that aristocrat; in fact, many times the armies were made up of mercenaries. The philosophes of the Enlightenment such as Kant, Diderot, d'Alembert, and the Marquis de Condorcet were certain that with the advent of reason wars would be a thing of the past. As late as 1790 Robespierre was declaring in the Assembly that the French nation had no desire to engage in war, that to invade another country and make it adopt their laws and constitution was the furthest thing from their minds.
Much changed in two years. By 1792 there was growing opposition to the revolutionary government in Paris, especially in Vendee. The government decided to put down this rebellion with a degree of brutality not seen before. They conducted a scorched-earth policy that spared no one. They made no distinction between combattants and non-combattants. The dogs of war had been unleashed to save the revolution and to obliterate any dissent.
Bell explores the nature of total war and how it feeds on itself. Once the military becomes front and center of the government, war becomes unstoppable. All of the nations resources and efforts went to the Grand Armee to create an empire in places as far as Egypt and Russia.
In his retelling of the Spanish campaign, Bell attempts to draw a parallel with America's intervention in Iraq. To an extent there are some parallels. Napoleon claimed to be bringing Enlightenment ideals and reform to Spain, yet the insurgency would have none of it. This, however, is a distraction from Bell's thesis; whatever else it is doing in Iraq, America is not conducting a total war. This is a very restrained and cautious use of military power. In fact, Napoleon's excursion into Spain was somewhat cautious to be called total war.
When contrasted with what transpired in the preceding century and what the philosophes predicted, the Napoleonic Wars were barbaric and total, but it is still not clear how they were different from, say, the Mongol invasions of the Middle Ages or the military expeditions of Alexander the Great. Its seems that the so-called total wars of Napoleon have been done before. The total mobilization of people and resources is as old as human history. Mutual and absolute hatred for the enemy is a timeless emotion. Bell's argument that hell hath no fury like a citzen's army is reminiscent of Victor Davis Hanson's thesis in Carnage and Culture, and it is as unconvincing.
Bell's book provides much food for thought on how quickly circumstances can change from permanent peace to permanent war without pinpointing exactly what triggers the change. Paranoia, perceived threat,and survival are all factors in the devolution of high ideals to base hostility. And why armies of citizens driven by Enlightenment ideals fight more effectively than previous armies is still unanswered. However, Bell makes a robust effort with this original work.
Tosh.......2007-02-05
David A. Bell operates by trying to sneak ridiculous analogies past his readers, then treating them as true by definition. And what a convincing conclusion: dreaming of peace causes modern wars; if we all just accepted the necessity of war, then we'd be better off.
"No one likes armed missionaries".......2007-01-21
There is a hilarious and biting excerpt from Bell's analysis of the French Revolution. During one of the debates in the Assembly, it was suggested that if the French armies were to invade their neighbours, overthrow the benighted royalist regimes, and offer the glories of representative democracy, then the peoples of those countries would greet the French with gratitude. Bell recounts that Maximilian Robespierre gave a cynical but accurate rejoinder, "No one likes armed missionaries". Bell suggests that Robespierre showed better understanding of practical sociology than some current leaders. Though the latter were left unspecified, he was clearly referring to George Bush and the liberation of Iraq. For some reason, the Iraqis don't seem very grateful to Americans!
An interesting but flawed thesis.......2007-01-06
David Bell has written an interesting but somewhat flawed book which states that the Napoleonic Wars was the first total war in European history. According to Bell the intellectual origins of the Napoleanic wars occurred with the writings of elightenment philosophers who wanted to go back to the Classical period in which all the citizens of the republic were part of the army. This theory about the armed republic became reality during the French revolution in which mass conscription took place. As a result of the Napoleonic wars, accroding to Bell, aristocrats soon lost their place with the French army and later in the nineteenth century with other Eurpean armies. As a result classes that taught aristcratic values for army officers were soon replaced by those that stressed technical skills. Also every citizen was judged a combatant and this led to massacres committed by French forces during the Vendee and in Spain and Italy. The are two main weaknesses in Bell's case that the Napoleonic Wars was the first truly modern war in history. The first is Bell's belief that aristocrats and royals were eliminated from the army but this was not the case with the German army in the First World War which included the Bavarian Prince Ruppert as a commander of the main German armies and the Tsarist army of the same time period who had Grand Duke Nikolai Nikolayevich and Tsar Nicholas II as head of the army. Also the Napoleonic wars as being a precursor to the atrocities committed during the two world wars seems to be flawed in that the genocides that occurred in the first half of the twentieth century were based on the physical elimination of class and ethinc groups unlike the massacres in Spain,France, and Italy in the early nineteenth century. Despite these major flaws this book is still an interesting book to read.
Book Description
This lavishly illustrated book retraces the meteoric career of Napoleon Bonaparte (1769-1821), the "little Corsican" who rose from the ashes of the ancien régime to become the most charismatic and powerful European leader since Alexander the Great. Accompanied by paintings, drawings, engravings, caricatures, sculpture, film stills, posters, and other examples of Napoleonic iconography, the text tells the story of the leader's life, his myth, and his enduring fame over two centuries.
An inspired master of propaganda, Bonaparte was acutely aware of his image at every stage of his progress, from the lean man of action painted by Gros in the 1790s through Ingres's Zeus-like sovereign of 1806, to the tragic, fallen hero apotheosized in stone by Rude. Later depictions of Napoleon cast him as Romantic hero and unsurpassed military strategist but also as Corsican despot and anti-Christ. In addition to work by artists ranging from the court painter David to Larry Rivers in our own time, the book presents clothing, jewels, furniture, porcelain, and silver from Malmaison and other Napoleonic residences, each a paradigm of Empire elegance. All ?nd a place in a book whose fascinating combination of history, biography, and the arts is sure to ?nd a wide audience.
Customer Reviews:
A Sumptous, Beautifully Crafted Visual Guide to Naploen.......2004-10-02
"Napoleon: The Immortal Emperor" is a sumptuous exploration of the life and legacy of the French Emperor. This is not a conventional biography, of which there are many, but a thematic exploration of Napoleon through images with explanatory text. While I lost whatever boyhood infatuation I had with Napoleon and learned to view him in the context of the terrible costs inflicted on the French nation and their unfortunate opponents in his long wars of conquest, an epoch was named for him and the arts reflected the glory he achieved. Even the decorative arts were inspired by his conquest and "Empire Style" with echoes of the Near East he conquered was born. Napoleon lived at a time when France was the artistic capital of the world and artists like Jacques Louis David, Baron Gros and Anne-Louise Girodet immortalized him. After his death, in a nation that never again stood astride Europe in the same way, the cult of Bonaparte lived on. Later in the 19th Century, the great military artists of France - Ernst Messionier and Edouard Detaille - continued to paint Napoleon and his soldiers. When his grandson, Napoleon III was the French autocrat, the Empire style was revived and paintings of Napleon's days of glory were purchased for the state. Finally, in the 20th Century he became the subject for countless films and this legacy is given the same visual exploration in the volume. This vivid exploration of Napoleon - the man and the myth - is written by Gerald Gengembre who is a professor of French literature at the University of Caen in Normandy. He has assembled several hundred illustrations, each annotated with relevant detail so that he reveals each facet of the man and history's interpretation of him. This large book will be of interest not only to those with a fascination with Napoleon and his time, but to those with an interest in beautifully crafted paintings and French culture.
A good pictorial book, no more.......2004-07-19
For the diehard Napoleonic fan, this book is NOT the bible on Napoleonic lore. It is filled with good looking pictures (not great looking pictures) and is a nice companion to delve into on Napoleonic poetry, social mores, the legend and various films on Napoleon. Really, a potted history.
Vive L'Empereur!!!! Vive La France!!!!.......2004-04-27
Simply, THIS BOOK ROCKS!!!!......This is for ALL of us who dream of the Emperor reviewing the Old Guard, with Berthier, Davout, Lannes, etc. at his side....This is the perfect & ultimate illustrated companion for David Chandler's "Campaigns of Napoleon", which is the Bible on the Napoleonic Wars! ..The third section of the book which is devoted to the Emperor's Legend and Legacy is worth the price of the book alone, illustrations galore!!...There are two pages of photos, illustrations and text giving the lowdown on the topic of the Emperor's 'little hat'...He purchased over 160 hats from only one merchant in Paris!...So do not hesitate to purchase this wonder of a time machine!.....You will NOT regret it!.....
Book Description
At the turn of the 18th century the greatest nations in Europe, separated by only 21 miles of water, offered history two distinct ideals that would shape the new century: England was a democratic, constitutional monarchy; while France had suffered the cataclysm of Revolution which ripped the absolute King from the throne and replaced him with the Mob. Out of this emerged, Napoleon Bonaparte, commander of the revolutionary army, who would conquer Italy and Egypt before returning to Paris to proclaim himself Emperor. As Napoleon gained power in France, the world stood on the brink of total war.
By 1805 the General Napoleon was making plans to cross the channel and invade England. The subsequent drama reaches from the frozen plains surrounding Moscow to the Caribbean waters, from the debating chamber of the Parliament to the muddy fields of Waterloo. The Great French Wars (1793-1815) can truly be called the first global war; and also the first conflict driven by industrial might. Mostly, it was a battle between commanders that history will never forget; as Napoleon's revolutionary guard ravaged Europe, men like the Duke of Wellington, Horatio Nelson, and their allies, stopped Napoleon's complete domination of the continent.
Customer Reviews:
The War of Wars is a fine general history of the RevolutionaryWars of Napoleonic France.......2007-10-01
Historian Robert Harvey has crafted an excellent popularly written history of the violent Revolutionary Wars which devastated Europe from 1793 to the fall of Napoleon at Watereloo in 1815. Harvey's style is easy to read, anecdotal and filled with insights on this turbulent time in European history.
Harvey begins his long tome of over 800 close printed pages by examining the French Revolutiony of 1789. He emphasizes that the horrific wars between France and her enemies Great Britain, Austria, Prussia, Russia and Spain had already begun before the Corsican corporal Napoleon Bnaparte emerged followin his military victory at the siege of Toulon.
Napoleon (1769-1821) was born in Corscia, attended a military academy in France and was cruelly ambitious. He seized power from the Directory in 1799 became a military dictator. To survive the crafty and crude Napoleon knew he would have to wage perpetual war to retain power. Harvey concludes that Napoleon was a great general but a terrible politician. The emperor won great victories in Northern Italy, Austerlitz, Marengo and other battles. His two tragic mistakes which cost him his crown was the launching of the disastrous Penisular war versus Spain 1808-1812 and the destruction of a large army in the snows of Russia. Napoleon's earlier campaign in Egypt was also a military disaster. Napoleon was corrupt and a nepotist who gave his large family rulership over much of continental Europe. He was a libertine who had many affairs and two wives: Josephine and Maria Louisa of Austria. His Polish lover Marie
Waleska had an illegitmate child by the amorous ruler. Napoleon was an atheist and a monster who was responsible for the deaths of millions of people. It was during his reign that total war came to Europe. Massive battles were waged foreshadowing the horrors of the trenches of World War I and the tragedy of the horrendous World War II which saw 60 million deaths the majority of which were of civilians.
Harvey is excellent in describing the naval exploits of such great sailors as Admiral Lord Nelson. His descriptions of the sea battles of Trafalagar, the Glorious First of June, Cophenhagen and other actions is fascinating reading. Harvey also is superb in describing naval warfare in the age of sail. He describes well the lives of the typical tar in the British and French navies.
The book contains adequate maps of the major battles, contains several typos and is well researched. If you want to read a good one volume history of the era this is the book for you. Recommended.
An Excellent Overview .......2007-04-21
Mr. Harvey's book is a 700+ page summary of the conflict generally known as the "Napoleonic Wars", although, as he points out, the fighting started long before Napoleon came to power. It is highly readable and very interesting. The writing was a little uneven. Some chapters were great, some were merely very good. Being neither an editor nor a teacher, I was not troubled by the minor editing errors that seem to have totally destroyed other reviewers enjoyment of this excellent book. Buy it, read it. You will not be disappointed.
History writing at its worst........2007-04-07
I can't think of the last book I've read that was so clumsily written, sloppily edited and poorly fact-checked. Popular history should at least strive to be readable; this book is unbearable.
Can I get my money back?.......2007-03-20
Well, I was all set to dig into this "new" history of the "war of wars," but something caught my eye early on -- sloppy editing. For instance, on p. 23 we read "The wily Robespierre brilliant exploited their dilemma." As I've often remarked on student papers, "Is that a sentence?" Then, on p. 39, the third paragraph begins, "The Incobins." Obviously the author meant Jacobins, but where was the editor on that one? Sorry, but to slog through another 700+ pages of that kind of editing is troublesome. To the author's credit, he has attempted a monumental task, and it is a book that needs to be written. But when I read (p. 45): "The Jacobins left only their memory -- egalitarianism, revolutionary terror, escalating mass purges -- to inspire future generations of murderous revolutionaries, particularly Communists in Russia, China, Kampuchea, and elsewhere," well, that's when I closed the book and realized that what I had been reading was little more than undisguised polemic. It's probably history as well but there are better books out there.
War of Wars.......2007-03-15
Excellent book and the narrative was most interesting and easy to follow.
Amazon.com
Between the years 1805 and 1815, the armies of Napoleon Bonaparte conquered most of continental Europe, establishing their leader, if but briefly, as "a new Charlemagne." In the second part of his two volumes on the life of the emperor, military historian Robert Asprey examines the armies' triumphs and eventual defeat, following in their footsteps from Spain to Russia, and on to Waterloo.
Bonaparte, Asprey writes, aspired to forge and lead a united, peaceful Europe, a quest that required much blood to be shed. A former U.S. marine officer, Asprey is a reliable commentator on matters of battlefield strategy and tactics, and his book's greatest strength is his power to invoke the feel of bloody engagements, which include the Battle of Borodino, where more than 40,000 Russians fell in a single day (cut down, he notes, by the more than 2 million rounds that French muskets fired); Wagram, where French forces managed to eke out victory over their Austrian foes despite a series of costly blunders; Corunna, where the French forces, having marched 15 and more miles a day, proved "that there have probably been no tougher soldiers in the world"; and the decisive action at Waterloo, where French, Belgian, German, and English armies clashed amid thunderstorms and confusion to an end that was anything but inevitable.
Other books do a better job of treating Napoleon as a political being, but Asprey's is one of the better recent books on Napoleon as general, and students of military history will learn much from his account. --Gregory McNamee
Book Description
Robert Asprey completes his definitive, two-volume biography with an intimate, fast-paced look at Napoleon's daring reign and tragic demise with more of the personality and passion that marked the first volume of this cradle to the grave biography.
In The Rise of Napoleon Bonaparte, Asprey showed us that Napoleon was not the father of chaos, but rather an heir to it. In this companion volume, we see Napoleon struggling to subdue the turmoil. We peer over Napoleon's shoulder as he solidifies his growing empire through a series of marriages, military victories, and shrewd diplomatic manipulations. We watch Napoleon lose control of his empire, plot his return from Elba, rally peasants in his march to Paris, endure defeat at Waterloo and suffer exile and a lonely death on the island of St. Helena. Robert Asprey tells this fascinating, tragic tale in lush narrative detail.
Customer Reviews:
The Reign of Napoleon Bonaparte is a good general history of the reign of the little coroporal from Corsica.......2007-09-19
"The Reign of Napoleon Bonaparte" is the second volume on the life of Napoleon by Robert Asprey. Volume One was entitled "The Rise of Napoleon Bonaparte" covering his life from his birth in 1769 on Corsica to his victory at Austerlitz in 1085. That volume ends with Napoleon as the crowned emperor. All is well with the emperor!
In this final volume we see Napoleon meet his Waterloo as he is soundly defeated by Lord Wellington and the allies on June 18, 1815. Napoleon, who had earlier escaped from captivity on Elba where he had been exiled since his defeat at the Battle of the Nations, spent the last six years of his life on the South Sea island of St. Helena. Here Napoleon spent six miserable years of ennui, physical ailments and relatively harsh treatment from his English captors. His disdain for the governor of the ilsand Hudson Lowe was mutual. A sad end for the man who had made the great nations of Europe live in fear of the Grande Armee's military juggernaut.
Asprey briefly covers the major battles of this period. If you wish to study them in greater depth turn to David Chandler or John Elting's fine works on these huge and bloody confrontations. Asprey is good in superficially covering Napoleon's many amours including the sexy Marie
Walewski of Poland as well as his second wife Marie of Austria. Napoleon divorced the unfaithful Josephine but loved her until her death in 1814.
This book is a good introduction to the life and career of France's most famous political/military man. Napoleon was complex, hot-headed and
a man who had trouble dealing with the hand played him by Madame Fate.This
is a readable book. The maps included are minimal and poorly drawn. The period illustrations are well reproduced. It is a good book worthy to have a place on the bookshelves of miltary history buffs.
Eminently Readable Napolean Bio - Part II.......2007-09-13
Robert Asprey has written an outstanding biography about one of the world's greatest (or infamous) leaders.
Not drenched in military minutia or battlefield granularity, this 2nd volume presents a balanced and fair overview of the man and his leadership of France.
Asprey's literary style is entertaining and brisk. If you're looking for a bio that'll provide you with a solid foundation about how Napolean impacted Europe and the World -- you can't go wrong here.
Part 2 of an excellent biography.......2006-12-15
This is part two of the best biography of Napoleon that I have read. It is a focus on political and military history but does a decent job of covering the social aspects of napoleon's reforms. This book really focuses on the Napoleonic empire and its eventual fall. It also covers his return to power and does an excellent job of presenting the information clearly. The prose is well done and really makes for quick and interesting reading. This is a must have for anyone studying this era.
napoleon book bombs.......2004-02-09
I agree with Mr. Brooks' negative review on "Reign of Napoleon Bonaparte," by Robert Asprey. It would be comparable to reading a biography of Babe Ruth that was written by studying the box scores. The book has hardly anything about Napoleon's persona, which is promised in the preface, and important events are trivialized and hardly mentioned. After reading this and learning almost nothing, I opened a copy of Emil Ludwig's biograpy of Napoleon, written in 1926, which I had picked up years ago. Ludwig's book is much better.
Flawed.......2002-03-16
The second volume of Asprey's biography of Napoleon makes the same error of the first one: he focuses entirely on Napoleon's military career while virtually ignoring every other aspect of the man's life. Asprey has billed his book as an attempt to see the whole Napoleon, but in this he fails. Napoleon's personal life, his domestic policies in France, his philosophy, are passed over with scarely a mention.
Furthermore, even in covering Napoleon's military career, Asprey falls short. The section on the crossing of the Danube River during the 1809 Austrian Campaign, one of the most fascinating events in Napoleon's career, is covered in a confusing and slipslod manner, leaving the reader utterly at a loss to what actually happened. The Battle of Dresden, a massive engagement which lasted two days and was Napoleon's last major victory, is mentioned only in passing, without even a full sentence devoted to it. Overall, the writing gives the impression of an author in a hurry to meet a deadline, unable to carefully edit and correct his work.
This work fails in its stated purpose to present a full view of Napoleon's life, its writing style is somewhat sloppy and overall the book fails to impress.
Book Description
Napoleon's Buttons is the fascinating account of seventeen groups of molecules that have greatly influenced the course of history. These molecules provided the impetus for early exploration, and made possible the voyages of discovery that ensued. The molecules resulted in grand feats of engineering and spurred advances in medicine and law; they determined what we now eat, drink, and wear. A change as small as the position of an atom can lead to enormous alterations in the properties of a substance-which, in turn, can result in great historical shifts.
With lively prose and an eye for colorful and unusual details, Le Couteur and Burreson offer a novel way to understand the shaping of civilization and the workings of our contemporary world.
Customer Reviews:
Napoleon's Buttons Review.......2006-09-28
While first scanning through Napleon's Buttons, I had expected a completely and utterly useless story that would have wasted my time. After finishing the introduction and a few chapters, however, I found myself more knowledgable. I learned numerous new things already with a few pages. Napoleon's Buttons has seventeen chapters that basically tell the story of seventeen different molecules and how they changed the world. These molecules range from birth control to glucose and spices to dyes. The book also proves how many of the things humans take for granted in modern society were things that were extremely rare years ago. Salt, for example, was something everyone wanted, but not everyone could afford. Today, people put salt on food everyday and throw bags of it on the ground when it snows outside. The book also showed how something as simple as tin buttons could alter the course of history. (You will learn about this in the introduction.) Overall, the book was alright. It was not fantastic, nor was it insanely boring. I learned a lot, and if you choose to read it, you will too. I do not recommend this to any one who is not an adult and has spare time (because it is lengthy). I am glad I took the time to read Napoleon's Buttons, however, because I did learn a lot about history and how humans take so many things for granted.
Excellent read for anyone!.......2006-06-02
What a great book! If you've ever been curious about how people came to discover, develop, and use some of the things we take for granted in our everyday lives, this book is fascinating! If you teach science, it is a must read - so many hooks to get students interested in science while seeing the chemistry connections! If you don't teach, you will still like it, and the authors wrote it on a level every adult can comprehend.
Just my opinion.......2006-05-19
but this best selling book didn't do it for me. I read the first two hundred pages and then put it down for good. It was just too monotonous. I believe that some people can find this book fascinating, but don't understand it myself. Reading this book, I just kept thinking, ok ok, pepper is great, but how many ways can its greatness be expressed? I kept thinking of Forest Gump's friend Bubba: shrimp sandwiches, shrimp Creole, shrimp kebabs, shrimp, shrimp, shrimp... Uhhrg.
Also, the story seemed to be missing from this book. I kept waiting for historical accounts of how these molecules were responsible for turning points in history. Instead, they all seem to have contributed to the evolution of society over eons. Except for the tin buttons on Napoleon's troops, which may or may not have contributed to his downfall (the evidence is flimsy,) the molecules all slowly entered into society and slowly changed the way we live.
Overall, there are better historical accounts of science and nature than this one.
Practical Real-World Chemistry.......2006-01-18
What a fabulous book! This book does a great job of showing how something as mundane(to many people) as chemical formulae can determine the outcome of civilizations. High marks for making chemistry relevant and interesting. At times, some connections seem a bit too speculative for my scientific taste, but overall a fine book. I have read it twice now. If you like this book, you'll probably like "Uncle Tungsten" by Oliver Sacks
Organic chemistry made fascinating!.......2005-10-18
This book is truly worth reading and keeping as a reference in your personal library. I stumbled on it at our local library only because it was next to the physics & math sections and what a stroke of luck that was! This is an extremely clear exposition of organic chemistry in a historical context. The writing is gripping and am not surprised that other reviewers couldn't put the book down. It is truly that good.
My personal favorite is the section dealing with olive oil chemistry where use is made of the simple molecular diagrams developed earlier in the book. They give very valuable insight throughout the book and in this section they help one visualize the physical behaviour of unsaturated and saturated fatty acids.
Average customer rating:
- The Rise of Napoleon Bonaparte is a good review of his life from Birth in 1769 to the batlle of Austerlitz in 1805
- Eminently Readable Napolean Biography
- Good Read
- An Inch Deep and a Mile Wide
- Great biography--for those already familiar with the subject
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The Rise of Napoleon Bonaparte
Robert Asprey
Manufacturer: Westview Press
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ASIN: 0465048811
Release Date: 2001-10-02 |
Book Description
Robert Asprey charts Napoleon's thrilling, reckless rise to power in this fast-paced first volume of the definitive biography of the fascinating, enigmatic, and still mysterious tragic conqueror.
Ever since 1821, when he died at age fifty-one on the forlorn and windswept island of St. Helena, Napoleon Bonaparte has been remembered as either demi-god or devil incarnate. In The Rise of Napoleon Bonaparte, the first volume of a two-volume cradle-to-grave biography, Robert Asprey instead treats him as a human being. Asprey tells this fascinating, tragic tale in lush narrative detail. The Rise of Napoleon Bonaparte is an exciting, reckless thrill ride as Asprey charts Napoleon's vertiginous ascent to fame and the height of power. Here is Napoleon as he was-not saint, not sinner, but a man dedicated to and ultimately devoured by his vision of himself, his empire, and his world.
Customer Reviews:
The Rise of Napoleon Bonaparte is a good review of his life from Birth in 1769 to the batlle of Austerlitz in 1805.......2007-09-17
Napoleon Bonaparte was born in Corsican obscurity in 1769. He was involved in patriotic struggle in Corsica; studied at a French military school and won his fame during the French Revolution. Napoleon has had millions upon millions of words and thousands of books written upon his fabled career. In his life he became emperor of the French; fought the major powers of the nineteenth century such as Britain, Austria, Prussia, Austria and Russia; wed and divorced Josephine; married Maria Louise of Austria; lost at Waterloo and died in exile on the island of St. Helena.
Robert Asprey is an American historian who has authored several books of military history. This book is the first volume in a brisk two volume work. Asprey has a plain style; briefly covers major battles such as
the Battle of the Nile, Maregno and Austerlitz and delves into the love life and mecurial character of the little corporal who was the cynosure of so much adulation and hatred in the nineteenth century world.
Asprey does not go into excessive detail in describing military actions and his maps are few and far between. His coverage of diplomacy is not filled with details but does give the general reader an idea of the issues involved. If you seek a more scholarly and detailed look at the battles pick up the hefty tome "The Campaigns of Napoleon" by the eminent David Chandler; if you want more of the life of the average soldier in the French army turn to John Elting and if you want all the sexy intrigue of the Napoleonic court turn to Evangeline Bruce.
If, however, you are a student or a neophyte to Napoleonic study this fine general biography will be a good place to begin study of the Napoleon era.
Asprey is balanced in his portrait of Napoleon who was neither saint nor sinner but a tough, brilliant battlefield commander who worshipped at the shrine of power and egomania.I recommend this book and the second volume "The Reign of Napoleon Bonaparte." Good reading!
Eminently Readable Napolean Biography.......2007-09-13
Robert Asprey has delivered an outstanding look at one of the world's greatest military minds and leaders.
Not focusing simply on Napolean's personal life, Asprey paints his character's life and actions against the canvas of then-current events, such as the French Revolution.
Asprey's literary style is efficient but entertaining, and he does not encumber the reader with military minutia -- an accomplishment considering his subject.
If you seek a biography to explain who Napolean was and what he did -- this is a great start.
Good Read.......2007-03-20
I am a high school senior who is planning to major in history in college I thought that it was a very engaging book even for my limited vocabulary and reading ability. It is truly an unbiased essay on Napoleon's life and adds an element I've never found before. Asprey shows what we are all missing out on when people write biased biographies. A must have if you want a book on Napoleon's life, military battles, and his destructive relationship with that (expletive) Josephine. Hope you guys like it.
An Inch Deep and a Mile Wide.......2007-01-13
All the major events are covered, but there is little or no analysis/detailed description of those events. If you have little or no previous knowledge of Napoleon, this book would leave you thinking that the battle of Austerlitz was really not a big deal at all.
Very disappointing read.
Great biography--for those already familiar with the subject.......2006-12-21
I did my usual speed-reading of the first 100 pages, then realized I didn't really understand a lot of things about who Napoleon was, what he was doing, or why. Figuring I'd managed to skip the relevant information I carefully re-read those pages. Still confused, I tried it again. No joy.
Examples: the Jacobin Club is mentioned. Robespierre is tossed about with abandon. Someone named Louis XXXVIII, and Marie Antoinette are mentioned. Etc, etc. I happily admit my ignorance. (I'm probably more familiar with his military strategy than the average person, but I play Napoleonic-era wargames.)
My knowledge of the French Revolution is limited to "Let them eat cake," beheadings with ze guillotine, and mass riots. While I didn't expect an expert-level education about the revolution from a book about Napoleon, I didn't realize it explains absolutely nothing about what was going on at the time.
If you're already familiar with Napoleon and the environment in late 18th-century Europe you will probably enjoy this work. If you aren't familar with either subject there are most certainly better biographies--though I don't believe any written in the last 10 years are worthwhile for any except the specialists.
Book Description
From a leading scholar of history and military policy, a monumental account and brilliant new analysis of the Napoleonic era in Europe and the revealing interaction of continental politics and war shaping our modern world
Perhaps no person in history has dominated his or her own era as much as Napoleon. Despite his small physical stature, the shadow of Napoleon is cast like a colossus, compelling all who would look at that epoch to chart their course by reference to him. For this reason, most historical accounts of the Napoleonic era-and there are many-tell the same Napoleon-dominated story over and over again, or focus narrowly on special aspects of it.
Frederick Kagan, distinguished historian and military policy expert, has tapped hitherto unused archival materials from Austria, Prussia, France, and Russia, to present the history of these years from the balanced perspective of all of the major players of Europe. In The End of the Old Order readers encounter the rulers, ministers, citizens, and subjects of Europe in all of their political and military activity-from the desk of the prime minister to the pen of the ambassador, from the map of the general to the rifle of the soldier. With clear and lively prose, Kagan guides the reader deftly through the intriguing and complex web of international politics and war.
The End of the Old Order is the first volume in a new and comprehensive four-volume study of Napoleon and Europe. Each volume in the series will surprise readers with a dramatically different tapestry of early nineteenth-century personalities and events and will revise fundamentally our ages-old understanding of the wars that created modern Europe.
Customer Reviews:
Simply Amazing.......2006-12-14
This book is an excellent start to a four part series (other three are unpublished at this time) that delivers pure diplomatic history. This is expert analysis of how the diplomatic machine of Europe brought about an end to stability and peace with the collapse of the old order. Napoleon's designs on Europe are clearly seen and this book takes you through Austerlitz and the start of the Napoleonic Empire. Although Napoleon declares himself Empire it is not truly established until Austerlitz leaving him in control of much of Europe. This book written in fantastic prose clearly outlines how Europe got to that stage. This is a must have for any Napoleonic library and I eagerly await the continuation of this series. Easily five stars and deserves more.
the end of the old order: Napoleon and Europe.......2006-11-10
I love this book very well written only took me 2 days to read it .
Diplomacy and War like Chess.......2006-10-14
In this volume(and the 3 that will follow) Kagan sets out to write a military/diplomatic history of the Napoleonic period.The first 200 pages give an overview of how the war of the First Coalition came about. Then there are some 100 pages devoted to the french and allied war plans and the rest of the book covers the war itself.This is a work of explanation and interpretation and the focus is on the diplomats and generals who made the important decisions.There is no spotlight on the idiosyncracies of individuals perse ,but only if it is important to explain some decision taken by that person. Likewise the descriptions of battles are explanatory. There is no blood and guts. All in all it is a bit like a game of chess and the best explanatory book i have read about Napoleonic Europe. The author, in contrast to most other books about this time, devotes an equal amount of space to the French and the Allies and is evenhanded in the condemnation or praise he bestows on the belligerents.It is simply not true as an other reviewer has it that this is the old Napoleon as Ogre story all over again.Knowing the author's very rightleaning political views i indeed started reading this book with some trepidation, but was pleasantly suprised that Kagan did'nt let those views cloud his judgement.Repeatedly Kagan stresses that it was'nt Napoleon who wanted this war but Tsar Alexander. Of course you can take exception with the author's interpretation of motives and events but that applies to every thesis. At least Kagan does't parrot every other author and his analysis is based on thorough archival investigation. This is not a book for the novice but if you want to know the ins and outs of Napoleonic Europe, have an analytical bend and value clear and uncluttered prose this is the book for you. Highly recommended. Hats of for Frederick Kagan and counting down to the next volume.
The Myth of the Corsican Ogre..........2006-10-06
This volume, while interesting in places, is neither brilliant nor monumental, except for its length.
What the author does do, however, is raise once again the old anti-Napoleonic propaganda from the period referring to Napoleon as a criminal, megalomaniac, tyrant, and generally repeating well-worn material of the old 'Corsican Ogre' school of thought. At the same time a completely inaccurate picture of Tsar Alexander is presented giving the patricidal monarch much more credit than he is due. This completely ignores accurate scholarship on Napoleon that has been completed since 1970.
Looking at the bibliography, it is evident what the inaccurate portrayal of Napoleon is based on. The only modern biography of Napoleon listed in the execrable volume by Alan Schom, which is fit only for a doorstop. None of the credible biogrpahies of Napoleon are referenced, such as the work of Englund, Cronin, or Ludwig. This is a shame, because presenting Napoleon inaccurately as a man and a head of state, colors the entire volume and makes it an unreliable resource.
The characterization of Napoleon in this volume is as inaccurate as the comparison presented on the organization of the Grande Armee and the allied armies. From 1800 onwards the corps d'armee was a permanent organization in the French service. That was not so with the allied armies, and equating the two systems in 1805 is incorrect. The allies lagged behind in tactics, organization, and staff organization and functioning in 1805 and didn't seriously start to reform until after the 1807 campaign.
The first danger signal in this volume is the overuse of the term 'myth.' What is evident in the volume is that a strawman has been created in order to make a point, which isn't in France's or Napoleon's favor. And the point(s) made is/are incorrect to a large degree. Much of the work in the volume on the diplomatic/political maneuverings from 1801-1805 is very good, but the military aspect is poor. Frankly, the author contradicts himself often regarding Napoleon's performance and motives.
What is entirely neglected that it wasn't merely France and Napoleon that were aggressive empires, but the same holds true for Great Britain, Russia, Austria, and Prussia. Looking at the results of the Congress of Vienna in 1814-1815 is a very good example. While Tsar Alexander is painted as a monarch who was working for the peace of Europe, what is neglected is that he waged wars against Turkey and in the Baltic during the period that were anything but peaceful and defensive. And while excuses are given for Alexander regarding the murder of his father, Napoleon is taken to task for the trial and execution of the Duc d'Enghien and what is neglected completely is the assassination attempt against Napoleon early in the Consulate when the bomb just missed destroying his carriage on the way to the opera in December 1800. That was at least financed by the British and was openly supported by the Bourbons. Finally the influence that British merchants might have had in the assassination of Tsar Paul, Alexander's father isn't mentioned.
In the book's introduction the author has stated that seven years were devoted to the research and writing of this volume. It was not time well-spent.
In short, this volume is a disappointment and in this reviewer's opinion does not add to the literature of the period. The analogies used regarding World War II and recent US operations in the Middle East to not enhance the volume and apparently the author doesn't understand either Napoleon's command system or the purpose and operation of the corps d'armee system implemented by Napoleon in 1800.
This volume is a great opportunity missed and this book is not recommended as a source. Frederick Schneid's Napoleon's Conquest of Europe: The War of the Third Coalition is a much better work, concise, accurate, and better written.
An interesting thesis.......2006-09-06
According to Frederick Kagan it was the mistakes made by European nations and not Napoleon's brilliance that lead to France dominating Europe in the first decade of the nineteenth century. First according to Kagan distrust among Britain, Prussia, Austria, and Russia made them form an alliance too late, and in Prussia's case to opt out until the very last moment. Kagan is especially critical of Tsar Alexander I for alienating potential allies by his overly idealistic version of postwar Europe in which both Prussia and Austria would have diminished power in exchange for greater influence of the smaller states in Central Europe. Kagan is also critical of the Austrian leadership for putting too many soldiers in Italy instead of Germany and at General Mack for not retreating from his overextended forces from Ulm. Also Archduke Charles failed to move sufficient forces from Italy to help Mack in Germany. Kagan is especially harsh on Tsar Alexander I for overextending his forces in Italy, around Prussia, and the Balkans, while failing to concentrate them in southern Germany in order to cooperate better with the Austrians. Finally Tsar Alexander I ordered Kutuzov to on the offensive prematurely before the disasterous Austro-Russian defeat at Austerlitz. Although I strongly disagree with Frederick Kagan's personal politics, he does write excellent military history.
Customer Reviews:
Napoleon and Austerlitz: An Unprecedentedly Detailed Combat Study of Napoleon's Epic Ulm-Austerlitz Campaign of 1805.......2007-01-19
The best Napoleonic book that I have read in years! Scott Bowden has done it again. He has provided the serious Napoleonic student with one of the best books on strategic and tactical history of perhaps Napoleon's great campaign. I recommend this book to all interested in Napoleonic history. I must have!
Best English language study of Napoleon and Austerlitz.......2003-04-30
Having read everything I can on Napoleon's 1805 Ulm-Austerlitz campaigns, I have to rank this work as the best. The details about the organization and tactics of the armies, combined with the specifics of the Ulm and the Austerlitz campaigns which include the very detailed tactical description of the fighting (especially the combats around Ulm) simply cannot be found anywhere else. What's more, the text is complimented by a great number of maps and artwork, making the layout what I wish every military history book looked like. It is a splendid work that deserves inclusion in any Napoleonic library.
Oh, yes...a word about some of the "hit reviews" previously posted. I, too, have a copy of Sutterheim's 1807 English TRANSLATED piece on Austerlitz, and Scott Bowden is absolutely correct in his citation. Also, I had an opportunity to hear the author when he spoke in Hawai'i in 2002, and one of those talks included, in part, a detailed presentation on Napoleon. In that presentation, I saw a lot of the archival documents used by the author in putting together NAPOLEON AND AUSTERLITZ---documents that others making "hit reviews" say he never possessed. That speaks volumes about the credibility of those who posted those remarks.
JS
Fine book........2001-07-17
Bowden's Austerlitz is a fine book and I recommed it to everyone. Although author is rather anti-Russian his book is very good. After all he titled it "Napoleon and Austerlitz" and not "Tsar Alexander and Austerlitz". Right ?
The amount of information is breath-taking, the maps are excellent and extremaly detailed showing even the positions of individual battalions and squadrons. This is hard to find in other books where one see only very general positions of troops, and only positions of armies and corps and divisions.
The amount of illustrations and their quality is fascinating !
Interesting reading with a strong bias against Russians.......2001-07-05
When I read on page 101 a capton "Ochakov - another Suvorov's victory" I thought for a moment that it was a little mistake that could be found even at best-researched books. Suvorov was present at the siege of the fortress under command of prince Potyomkin, but did not take part in the final storm of Ochakov in December 1788 being severely wounded in a Turkish sortie. Author defenitely mistook the storm of Ochakov with the storm of another strong Turkish fortress - Izmail, which was a really great Suvorov's victory. But as read the book more I understood that it was not a chance mistake, because Mr.Bowden demonstrated a lack of knowledge of Russian military history, and a lot of false statements proved it. Just one example - he stated, that Emperor Paul disbanded all jager units of the Russian Army and there remained only several companies. It's just not true, because in 1797 Paul reorganised ten jager corps he inherited from the Catherine the Great (each corps consisted of four battalions) into twenty small regiments. When explaining the reason for ferocity of Russian soldiers Mr.Bowden says it was the heritage of wars with Turkey and "take-no-prisoners" nature of that wars. False statement again - there were excessions in wars of XVII - early XVIII centures, but in later conflicts (wars of 1768-74 and 1787-91) excessins were rare. One example - many Turks, taken prisoner in the 1787-91 war, served at Russian galleys at the Baltic and were decorated for the bravery in actions against Sweden. And only as bad-tasted jokes can be described stories of Inspector of Russian artillery Arakcheev with his hands cutting heads of his unfortunate officers, burying them alive etc. Such anecdotes were very good for XVIII centure propaganda, but in a XXI century historic research they look rather misplaced. Generally speaking, Mr.Bowden gives his readers a picture in the "French heroes against Russian hordes" style. Historians can have their preferences, but solid works shoud not be such one-sided. Author preferred to forget (or may be ignorant of) that in 1799 Russian Army soundly defeated French armies in Italy. In that campaign with great distinction fought the same regiments that fought in 1805 - Apsheron, Butyrsk, Ryazan, Novgorod musketeers, and much maligned by Bowden Russian jagers outfought French infantry in every aspect. I'd like to ask Mr.Bowden a question - if the Russian Army was so bad as he described, how come that just in a year when Russians and French met on the battlefield again, just the same French Army after several months of bitter fighting failed to produce another Austerlitz and had a victory only after a fatal blunder by Russian C-in-C, Hanoverian mercenary Bennigsen at Friedland? "General Winter" again? Definetly not. Russian army had many faults, but it was not a band of bad-disciplined savages, led by ignorant officers as Mr.Bowden tries to convince us.
Poorly researched.......2001-05-10
This book is one of the poorest books on the Napoleonic period to be published for a long time. It is written on the basis of original archival research and the preface tells us that the principal primary sources were 193 cartons of material from the French archives, from which he identifies individual documents. In the context of the allies he alludes to the Austrian Kriegsarchiv, unidentified "smaller archival collections throughout Germany", and "an extensive collection of regimental histories in the Russian army archives", which we are told are "in Saint Petersberg". On close examination, however, it is impossible to identify a single original allied source.
Chapter II to Part II describes the Russian army in 1805 and on p96 we are told that there were four standing armies. The footnote refers to Duffy's Russia's Military Way to the West p126. This actually describes a 1777 proposal by Count Aleksandrovich Rumyantsev, which was never adopted.
On pp98-99 we are given the strength of a Russian infantry battalion as "738 combatants". Turning to the reference in the footnote, von Stein's Geschichte des Russischen Heeres Vol1 p245, there are some tables to be found, but this part of Stein is concerned with the maintenance costs of various units in 1802, and 738 is actually the pay in roubles received by a lieutenant colonel in the dragoons and hussars.
On p100 Bowden discusses the composition of the Russian guard infantry. Using Stein as the source again, he alludes to an organization extant during the reign of Paul I. The page indicated in Stein contains nothing whatever to substantiate the assertion that a guard infantry regiment comprised two battalions of musketeers and one of grenadiers, or that the grenadier battalion was detached from each to form a three battalion `Guard Grenadier' regiment in the field. The `Guard Grenadier' regiment he refers to is nothing of the sort and is, in fact, the Leib-Grenadier regiment, the senior regiment of the line.
Chapter III to Part II dealing with the Austrians is more of the same.
On p124 footnote 15 refers to Gallina's Beiträge zur Geschichte des österreichischen Heerwesens, a work published in 1872, specifically `Suggestions for the drill and Evolutions of Foot'. Gallina wrote in German and no part of his work was given an English title; except by Gunther Rothenberg in his The Archduke Charles and the Austrian Army 1792-1814, at footnote 22 to p87.
There is even more compelling evidence of poaching from secondary sources on p324. In his account of the attack on Telnitz by Kienmayer, which he footnotes as coming from Stutterheim. Bowden has the 2nd Szeklers supported by the 1st Szeklers and Border (sic) Croats. Duffy, also using Stutterheim in his 1977 Austerlitz 1805, says the same thing, including the typograhical error that has the Broder Croats as the `Border' Croats.
Examination of Stutterheim, however, shows that the Austrian, a primary source who was on the spot, says that Kienmayer committed 1st Szeklers initially and that he then ordered General Carneville to advance with the remainder of his infantry. The remainder of his infantry, therefore, comprising 2nd Szeklers and Broder Croats, supported the 1st Szeklers, and not as Bowden and Duffy have it. The only explanation for this that I can think of is that Bowden copied from Duffy, claiming to have taken it from Stutterheim, but repeated Duffy's error. It could, I suppose, be a simple coincidence that Duffy and Bowden made the same transcription error, some 20 years apart.
On p432 the Soult issue crops up. Soult, it is said, suggested `Duke of Austerlitz' for himself, when titles were being dished out in 1808. Napoleon, apparently, refused him and Bowden deploys two dubious sources to support his contention that Soult did not deserve it. He then goes on to say that the suggestion that Napoleon deprived Soult of
what he was due, is a British plot to make Wellington appear better than he was and adds a gratuitous insult to Paddy Griffiths and David Chandler! This is risible rubbish
The orders of battle should be treated with care. Russian transliterations are a mess, largely Germanic in origin and presumably taken from Stein. In the case of the Austrians, where the numbers have been rounded off, of unclear provenance.
The Biography contains a list of the works which, presumably, were consulted in writing the book. These include Mercer's Journal of the Waterloo Campaign and Bowden's own Armies of Waterloo! On page 525 there is an entry by an author called Derselbe, who apparently wrote Die Schlacht bei Austerlitz. `Derselbe' actually means `the same' or `ditto' in German. The only explanation I can think of is that he has simply lifted the entry from somebody else's bibliography without knowing what it meant. This tends to raise questions about the provenance of large parts of this book and probably explains mistakes in information extracted from German material, such as Stein.
Finally the maps. Absence of scale bars and a compass rose make them useless. This book is badly researched, biased and wrong in so many details that is it just best ignored.
Book Description
Napoleon dominated nearly all of Europe by 1810, largely succeeding in his aim to reign over the civilized world. But Britain eluded him. To conquer the island nation, he needed Russia's Tsar Alexander's help. The Tsar refused, and Napoleon vowed to teach him a lesson by intimidation and force. The ensuing invasion of Russia, during the frigid winter of 1812, would mark the beginning of the end of Napoleon's empire. Although his army captured Moscow after a brutal march deep into hostile territory, it was a hollow victory for the demoralized troops. Napoleon's men were eventually turned back, and their defeat was a momentous turning point in world affairs. Dramatic, insightful, and enormously absorbing,
Moscow 1812 is a masterful work of history.
Customer Reviews:
'Never Despair while Brave Men Remain with the Colors'.......2007-07-24
The Russian campaign is definitely the most difficult to write about. In this volume, the author presents a highly readable account of that great campaign that is an valuable addition to the literature of the campaign, but it isn't a stand-alone account of the Russian campaign, and it isn't without its flaws.
Overall, the author has demonstrated a more-than-adequate grasp of the poltical problems facing the belligerents in 1812. The causes of the war are evenly handled, and the sole blame is not laid at the door of the French, or at Napoleon's. That being said, the author has not painted an accurate picture of either Napoleon or Alexander. Napoleon's character is relegated to the 'traditional' view of him being driven 'by a lust for power and domination over others' as well, among other things 'having no sense of justice' (which is a gratuitous and ludicrous statement, Napoleon formulating and giving France and the Empire the Code Napoleon among other civil reforms). It is only recently that an accurate picture of Napoleon's character has been developed by historians and it is a shame that work wasn't taken advantage of here.
On the other hand it appears that Alexander is given the benefit of the doubt at almost every turn, even though he was a particide, an Asian autocrat, who wielded his unquestioned power in Russia, was a treacherous ally, and one who refused to support the alliance he made with Napoleon in 1807. He was slippery, double-dealing, and a coward who deftly used intrigue, deception, and treason to his benefit. He tried to be a soldier, and was not, interfering rather than helping his generals in the field. His chosen advisors, his 'aides-de-camp' were carpet knights and not soldiers, who helped with this interference. He fought the Turks and the Swedes, as well as the French, and it is probably that his lauded stance of not negotiating with Napoleon in 1812 until there were no French on Russian soil was because he feared being assassinated by those same nobles that murdered his father.
There are other errors in the book. The author labels Tilsit a triumph for the Tsar, whcih is a fantastically inaccurate statement; states that the battle of Aspern-Essling in 1809 were 'twin battles' when they were not (it was one action, which the Austrians won-the first battlefield victory over Napoleon since 1796-it is known as Aspern to the Austrians and Essling to the French, hence the hyphenated use of both names by many historians); and War and Peace is mentioned as a quasi-reference for the period, which is a gross error.
The author inaccurately states that the Russian artillery arm was probably the best in the world in 1812, which cannot be supported by any substantive reference. The French artillery arm had been recognized as Europe's best since 1789 and it had not been eclipsed by any other European artillery system since. The Austrian and British artillery arms were also superior to the Russian artillery. The Russian artillery officers were poorly trained and educated, and the 'new' equipment of the 1805 System were copies of Prussian and Austrian material from the 1740s and 1750s. Further, the manner in which Russian artillery was commanded and employed was inferior to French artillery doctrine and this was remarked upon by various Russian artillerymen, notably Yermelov, Sievers, and Kutusaiv.
The author also stated that the French transport corps was 'le train.' Actually, there were at least two different types of 'train' in the French service. The train des equipages (supply train) is the organization to which he is referring. There was also a train d'artillerie which was responsible for hauling the artillery equipment. there was also a smaller engineer train to boot.
While some of the military sections of the book are substandard and carelessly done, the overall impact of the volume is a credit to the author. While many other authors and historians have misinterpreted or left out key factors of the campaign, this author does not. He correctly labels the Russian generals and high command for what it is-in short a mess. Further, the Battle of the Berezina is analysed correctly in that it was a decisive victory for the French. Further, the crucial Battle of Maloyaroslavets is labeled a French victory. The issue with the most impact, however, is that the author correctly states the heavy losses the Russians incurred during the campaign which many overlook, focusing on the disaster that befell the Grande Armee. Russian losses, for the same causes, the cold and exposure, are clearly brought to the forefront of the narrative.
If used with caution in the areas outlined above this is an excellent narrative of the Russian campaign. It is highly recommended and should be on everyone's bookshelf who is interested in the Napoleonic period in general and the Russian campaign in particular. I am looking very much forward to the author's next effort.
A Well Written Account with Fresh Insight.......2007-07-17
The history of Napoleon's invasion of Russia in 1812 has been told many times before so readers might be tempted to shrug their shoulders at the sight of another book on this subject. Don't. Adam Zamoyski's Moscow 1812: Napoleon's Fatal March is a well-written and insightful look at the French march to and from Moscow. The value added component of this book derives from the author's research into post-Soviet archives which has yielded some fresh perspectives on Marshal Kutuzov, Tsar Alexander and the other Russian commanders, as well as some Italian and Polish first-person accounts that haven't made it into earlier works. As military history, Zamoyski does a good job putting the events together into a coherent pattern and there are plenty of sketch maps to support tactical descriptions, although strictly speaking the author does not delve into the level of military detail that one might find in other books, particularly about the Battle of Borodino. Overall, this is a fine work and I was impressed by the level of research that went into it and the author's ability to turn it into a page-turning and gripping account.
Moscow 1812 is divided into 25 chapters, which flow chronologically and each of which covers a thematically-driven slice of the campaign, such as Kutuzov's assumption of command. The volume includes a total of 23 sketch maps, a large number of illustrations, lengthy endnotes, a robust bibliography and an efficient index. The author writes this book for a general audience but with the assumption that even general readers will have some knowledge of this campaign, albeit based on sources such as Tolstoy's War and Peace. Zamoyski is also fairly even-handed in establishing his perspective, favoring neither the Napoleon-centric approach or a chauvinistic Russian defense of the Motherland. Instead, the reader is presented with a fairly objective campaign narrative, told partly through first-person accounts, with only the faintest hint of Greek Tragedy.
Unusually, Zamoyski sees the Russians as much to blame for the war as the French. While Napoleon incited Russia by the creation of the Grand Duchy of Warsaw, the author notes that Tsar Alexander was clearly preparing for offensive action in conjunction with Prussia prior to the French invasion. Russian aggressiveness and a desire for revenge after the Treaty of Tilsit were major factors in the road to war. Throughout the campaign, Napoleon's Grande Armée had qualitative advantages that enabled its soldiers to persevere under the most adverse conditions. Yet French logistic planning was incredibly poor and collapsed almost immediately upon crossing the border. Other than possessing very good artillery and more secure logistics, the Russian army was outclassed by the French in almost every other category. Clearly the greatest French disadvantage - and one that is difficult for historians to explain - was that Napoleon entered Russia with only a very hazy plan of campaign to defeat the Russian border armies, but little thought beyond that.
Moscow 1812 is a far more frank and blunt account than most others on this subject, with the full misery of the soldier's conditions conveyed in their own words. Due to lack of water, one French soldier recounts drinking horse's urine out of ruts in the road. There are also very graphic descriptions of battle and non-battle conditions (e.g. frostbite) that gives the reader a much better sense of the hardships endured by the common soldier than is often the case. The author describes how, "some [soldiers] became so disoriented by the cold that they would walk drunkenly straight into a fire and stand in it with their bare feet..." There is also considerable swearing and soldier's language in this account, which is refreshingly honest compared to other more sanitized accounts. However, the author is not always adept at relaying the critical elements of tactical combat - in his account of Borodino for example, he fails to appreciate the Russian mistake in leaving so much of their artillery in reserve at the start. When the Russian artillery commander was killed early in the battle, most of his guns sat out the day unused. The author sees Borodino as a French victory with the Russian army rendered combat ineffective, whereas author historians tend to view it as the beginning of the unraveling of the Grande Armée due to debilitating losses.
The author also presents several non-standard perspectives on the campaign, beginning with his description of how Moscow was not totally destroyed by fire and that the French were able to salvage enough food and supplies to partly rebuild their strength - he writes that the Grande Armée was "in fine fettle" at the beginning of the retreat. Nor were all the French units unprepared for winter, since a few French and Polish units did prepare for winter operations and they came through the retreat much better than others. Italian troops also are singled out for their exceptional combat performance in Russia - particularly at the Battle of Maloyaroslavets - while German troops performed poorly.
Napoleon appears in poor form throughout much of this account, unable to fathom the Russian reason for continuing to fight or the danger posed by their climate to his army. Plagued by indecisiveness and periods of torpor, Napoleon seems to drift along to Moscow on inertia and hope, with only occasional bursts of energy displayed during moments of supreme crisis. Yet in the midst of one the greatest crises in military history - the retreat from Moscow - the French troops remained loyal to their emperor. The author notes that, "even when taken prisoner, the soldiers of the Grande Armée refused to say a word against Napoleon." As for `why' this catastrophe occurred, the author does not spend a great deal of effort seeking answers but points to miscalculation and hubris by Napoleon as the likely culprits.
Totally X-Rated.......2007-03-30
Adam Zamoyski truly brings to life the entire campaign of Napoleon's invasion of Russia. The style of writing is so captivating and truly X-Rated in many areas (so vivid and gruesome). Gives very good account of how Napoleon can amass so a huge army only to loose almost 90% of it to war, starvation, summer heat (at first) and to "General Frost" (at last)..... How could a man of Napoleon's talent succumb to so many bad decisions in war? Read on! Such a great read indeed!
Napoleon's fatal march.......2007-03-07
This is a thorough book about Napoleon's invasion of Russia in 1812. The battles of Borodino and other battles are vividly described. Mr Zomoyski also excellently describes the horrible French retreat. It's worth reading!
dont believe the bad press, read this book.......2007-02-02
This is a wonderful book. Contrary to some of the other reviews, Zamoyski's scholarship is sound in every respect. Although this story had been told in English, French, German and Russian many times before, this synthesis adds value. Those who have read other accounts of this disastrous campaign are encouraged not to let their knowledge of the topic keep them from the new insights offered in this book.
Zamoyski does a masterful job of showing the reader how the myths of this campaign came to be--General Winter, the almost mystical celebration of the Russian Spirit, the hubris of Napoleon--and then provides rare insight into the rest of the story. Zamoyski relies on a broad array of previous scholarship, including extensive use of memoirs, as well as new sources. His account of the retreat is perhaps the best that exists in English today.
The collapse of the French army in this account is more the result of a complex of factors whose origin lay not in the brutal and bitter Russian Winter--but rather in serious military and logisitic miscaluculations by Napoleon prior to and during the campaign. In one sense, this campaign reflects Napoleon's generalship at its worst, and in a situation where he needed his best effort most. Nevertheless, from the first pages one feels that one is reading about a doomed army as a litany of errors and mistakes begin their dark parade toward Moscow and then back again.
This book is not for the squeamish. The horrors of the retreat are simply unimaginable. Recent archealogical evidence in Lithuania supports Zamoyski's speculation that the remains of the Grand Armee literally had a sort of group nervous breakdown around Vilna that ensured the death of many thousands who seem to have made it mirculously out of Russia...only to die in the first place they thought themselves at last safe from the cossacks and the winter. A great read and great prose, this book is recommended for the widest possible audience.
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