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Title: Napoleonic Wars by Rothenberg Gunther E ISBN: 0-297-82231-4 Publisher: Cassell & Co (A member of the Orion Publishing Group) Format: Hardcover

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Average Customer Rating: 3.67 (3 reviews)

Rating: 4
Summary: Brief Overview of the wars of Napoleon
Comment: Napoleon Bonaparte influenced warfare more than any other figure of his age, and arguably more than any other figure of history. He almost conquered Europe, and his influence spread through society in a myriad of ways, from sugar beet production (which he stimulated) to tactics (which he influenced but did not reinvent). This book concentrates on the military aspects of his influence, and the wars he beget over the last dozen years of his influence, 1803-15.

Cassell has a number of these histories out now, short books lavishly illustrated with pictures and beautiful maps. The Napoleonic Wars covers the central events of Europe 1803-15. The book begins with two chapters that summarize events before the period the book focuses on, and Napoleon's life before that era. We then get five chapters, about a hundred and fifty pages of narrative recounting the major campaigns of the wars of Napoleon. Each of the campaigns only gets a few pages, and battles often only are briefly mentioned. When there's more detail, as at Waterloo, the narrative still moves quickly and only a few pages suffice to recount what happened.

Rothenberg is one of the better-known historians of the Napoleonic age. His main point here (and he's made the point elsewhere) is that these wars weren't the last wars of the classical age, but the first ones of the modern one. I would submit that in ways they were both, but that's more of a nuance than an actual difference of opinion. The points he makes are generally well-reasoned, and the narrative tends to support them.

Books that deal with Napoleon tend to divide into two groups: those that praise him to the heavens, and those that are critical of him, to a lesser or greater extent. This book falls into the latter category, though the criticisms are generally gentle. The few other soldiers who get some attention (Wellington, Archduke Charles, and Blucher) are only cursorily covered.

The maps are gorgeous, and illustrate the narrative pretty well. I would recommend this book to the casual reader who wished to know something more about the Wars of this era.

Rating: 3
Summary: Beautiful maps, Great Overview!
Comment: As a sort of arm chair historian I found this book a little disapointing. It provides an overview of the Napoleonic Wars, but doesn't touch on the sociopolitical climate at all. It follows a chronological organization, but doesn't repeat dates often enough to a reliable timeline. On the other hand the maps are a treasure well worth the expenditure. I've found better timelines on websites, better overviews of the era at the library, and there are many more detailed sources available.

Despite it's short comings I consider this book one of the pillars of my Napoleonic library, because of the many colour prints and pictures and the European maps showing territories controled by various players (French, English, Prussian, etc.) at different points during the war make it an excellent companion to more detailed texts such as Chandler, Osprey, and the Esposito-Elting Atlas.

Rating: 4
Summary: Interesting Survey of a Crucial Period in Military History
Comment: This work in the Cassell History of Warfare series edited by noted historian John Keegan concerns the Napoleonic Period. A phase of military history notable for large armies, the rise of nationalism as a motivating force, and the development of a class of professional officers who actually began to study and reconsider military theory. Rothenburg does an admirable job in covering these ideas and giving a broad survey of the major campaigns, weapon systems, and military theories. For the more serious specialist readers, books about specific campaigns and battles (i.e the endless number concerning Waterloo) can fill in the fine details. For the academically minded, David Chandler's classic Campaigns of Napoleon remains definitive, but only focuses on the Emperor. In short: excellent for the non-specialist browser who might be curious in the conflicts which led to the creation of modern Europe.