Tuesday, September 6, 2016

Needed: A Recommendation for a Book on the Napoleonic Wars

4 comments:

  1. What kind of book?

    A general history of the whole period, including the political, diplomatic, and dynastic maneuvers?

    A military history of the whole period, including, but not restricted to Napoleon's campaigns?

    A discussion of military tactics, equipment, and methods in the period, and how they changed?

    A good discussion of some important campaign or battle?

    A biography or memoir of someone who was deeply involved in Napoleon's wars? I.e. the Emperor himself, or one of the Marshals, or Wellington, or a Polish lancer who served in campaigns from Russia to Portugal?

    I ask because I am acquainted with some really serious Napoleon buffs - one of whom ran a publishing company specializing in Napoleonic history. If I ask them, they can point to the best works in each of these categories.

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  2. weapons and tactics not so interested. The politics and an overview of the various campaigns.

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  3. The best book on Napoleon's military campaigns is David Chandler's Campaigns of Napoleon https://www.amazon.com/Campaigns-Napoleon-David-G-Chandler/dp/0025236601/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1473227807&sr=8-1&keywords=campaigns+of+napoleon

    I've read a lot of biographies of Napoleon but never been satisfied with any particular one.

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  4. Probably not what you are looking for, but the best, most entertaining books I have read that took place during the Napoleonic wars was C.S. Foresters Horatio Hornblower series.

    I know. They are not a history or a political treatise but a damn good read nonetheless.

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