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The Napoleonic Wars (Smithsonian History of Warfare)
by Gunther Rothenberg
Product Group: Book
Publisher: Harper Paperbacks (2006-02-01)
ISBN: 006085121X
EAN: 9780060851217
Dewey Decimal #: 940.274
Binding/Media: Paperback - 240 pages
Release Date: 2006-01-31
SKU: 10-PHIP-FLNV
Condition: New
Comments: Brand new book. Gift quality. Remainder mark present across bottom edge of pages. Expedited shipping is available.
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Editorial Reviews
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Product Description
This vividly illustrated history of the Napoleonic Wars documents the wars' origins in the French Revolution, narrates Napoleon's victories at Austerlitz and Jena, and concludes with his defeats in the Iberian peninsula, Russia, and finally at Waterloo. Author Gunther E. Rothenberg describes how Napoleon transformed interstate warfare into a system of relentless conquest, creating a military superpower on a scale not seen since the Roman Empire. Though eventually defeated, Napoleon's model of conquest set a pattern that was to be revived by modern totalitarian states, and their opponents. - A sweeping examination of the rise, triumph, and eventual downfall of Napoleon, a man whose military genius forever changed the face of war.
- Analysis of Napoleon's system of waging war, and the strategies that allowed him to create a singularly powerful army.
- A look at the profound influence of Napoleonic conquest on warfare of the modern era.
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Amazon.com Review
Military historian Gunther Rothenberg provides a detailed account of the Napoleonic Wars in this installment of Cassell's multivolume series covering the history of warfare. The treatment is predominantly military rather than social. The matter-of-fact, dispassionate text is rich in tactical details and statistics, augmented by contemporary paintings, well-designed maps, and diagrams. The actions of the protagonists' commanders are also critically assessed, with much attention given to Napoleon himself, stressing the power of his charisma but showing that his insistence on sole control ultimately proved a weakness. Significantly, The Napoleonic Wars aims to show that, far from being the end of a military era, this was a period marking the origins of modern warfare. Developments in army organization, strategy, and weaponry gained from the experience of over 20 years of war are progressively described. The main points of Rothenberg's argument, that Napoleonic strategies continued to be followed and that the sheer scale of war was revolutionary, are summed up in the brief epilogue. The bulk of the broadly chronological text is uncluttered by too much speculation; military-history buffs will appreciate The Napoleonic Wars for its clarity. --Karen Tiley, Amazon.co.uk
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Customer Reviews
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Good read Great maps
Rating  (4)
Date: 2010-03-30
This is a very good book on the Napoleonic wars and the life of Napoleon as emperor and his military operations. My only complaint is that it can be confusing at times when trying to keep track of who's who when he talks about Napoleon's generals. The book also had great maps depicting the campaigns and battles of the era. There are also many paintings in there as well which I thought added to the flow of the book. Overall it was good read and i would recommend it.
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Would have made a great coffee table book
Rating  (3)
Date: 2009-08-11
2 out of 2 customers found this reveiw helpful
Bearing near-total ignorance of the Napoleonic era in all geopolitical aspects, I decided to chance reading this book, even though several reviews here warned this was not the right book for someone starting from zero.
I should have heeded that advice.
The Napoleonic Wars is lavishly illustrated, meticulously edited and generally well-written. But unless you are already well-versed in the personalities, geography, politics and military of the period, you're going to be disappointed.
The book essentially takes thee parts: Opening chapters covering Napoleon's career as a general, the formation of his basic fighting principles, and a quick account of his ascent to the throne; several chapter-based reviews of his campaigns prior to the fall of Paris and exile; and a final chapter on Waterloo.
In that the book is so well-written, it's not a total loss for the neophyte; you will leave knowing more than when you started. But total beginners, like me, are going to forget 90 percent of what's here, thanks to it having little to no context. Unless you want to know about a particular battle or campaign, there's no point behind reading this book; it's all trees, no forest.
For example, like most pre-World War I histories, this volume doesn't provide a period political map that can be easily referenced when long-since-departed regions and towns are named in the narrative.
There is a glossary of notable characters at the rear of the book, but it's worthless because there's no attention paid to anyone except as proverbial chess pieces. Characters are examined only within their value to a given battle's outcome; their names might as well be "rook" or "bishop."
Another nice addition would have been tables of organization and equipment for typical army and corps units of the nations in question. This book focuses extensively on Napoleon's improvements to force size, organization and equipment. A few TO&E charts would have helped clarify the differences.
That said, the maps and battle diagrams in this volume are outstanding, but lose value due to the trade-paperback size and binding; they're just too small to fit on a single page, and the binding too deep and fragile to stretch effectively over two pages.
Had the Smithsonian History of Warfare trimmed the narrative by half, doubled the number of illustrations and maps and increased the page size fourfold, they would have produced a beautiful coffee table book that I would have looked at, admired, then passed over in my efforts to learn about Europe's Napoleonic era.
As it is, they and I chose to do other than as advised. Both of us therefore cheated ourselves out of what we could have had.
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A Military Summary of the Napoleonic Era
Rating (4)
Date: 2009-06-28
This is a good, crisp read for those who are interested in learning about the military campaigns of Napoleon Bonaparte. The period in question covers the years from the 1790s to 1815. It summarizes each major battle very succinctly. The maps are quite remarkable, and if you're like me, sometimes they distract you from following the narrative as you want to examine them so closely. I've never gone in depth when it came to studying the Napoleonic Wars, so when I saw this book at a bookstore, it naturally caught my attention.
This book also examines the key military figures on both sides, most notably Napoleon, of course, but also some of the allied commanders, such as Wellington, Archduke Charles, and others. Napoleon's marshals also get a fair amount of attention; the author likes to size them up for their talents and weaknesses as commanders, as he does for Napoleon and others. As history reveals time and again, occasionally a remarkable leader emerges who seems to shine above all others, but no matter how great he or she may become (in actuality or in perception), they too eventually fall. Such is the case with Napoleon, but that's part of what makes reading history so interesting.
The author of this book believes these wars may not have marked a major technological shift in warfare, but the scale and mobilization efforts launched by nations had changes significantly as a result of Napoleon. This is not a comprehensive study of the Napoleonic period, but nor was it intended to go beyond the military aspects.
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Don't leave home without it
Rating  (5)
Date: 2008-03-10
4 out of 4 customers found this reveiw helpful
If you are interested in the Napoleonic Era and European history in general, this book is highly recommended as a ready reference guide. Like any convenient reference, it is best used as a quick refresher once a lot of more comprehensive reading has already yielded a rich background.
The book is very sturdy. My copy has been to Europe about six to eight times and it is no worse the wear. It is also a nice size -- little more than a handful. The illustrations and maps are very colorful, all with much of the classic military art of the era to give a rich and classic feel to the book.
I find myself reading and reviewing this book at train stations and airports. When I want a quick note for something I am writing or thinking, I usually go looking for this little gem first. Even if I don't find what I am looking for the book reminds me of the best places to look further.
The book is a very good value and has given me hours of pleasure -- not only for its content, but also for its utility.
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Good Introduction to the Napoleonic Wars
Rating (4)
Date: 2008-01-08
2 out of 2 customers found this reveiw helpful
"The Napoleonic Wars" by John Keegan is a good introduction for anyone who wants to know more about the various battles, strategies, and campaigns of Napoleon. Admittingly, I am a life-long American Civil War and American Revolutionary War student and wanted to "branch out" into other military history periods.
The book is about 240 pages and contains 7 chapters that deal with various aspects of Napoleon's military career: Egypt, Spain, Russia, Germany, and Waterloo.
The book's narrative is easy to read and there are ample colorful and detailed maps outlining the various campaigns.
A highly recommended resource for the person interested in an introduction to Napoleon's campaigns.
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