The Art of Warfare in the Age of Napoleon [Hardcover]

Gunther Erich Rothenberg (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: March 1978 | ISBN-10: 0253310768 | ISBN-13: 978-0253310767

This book stands out amongst the multitude of books on warfare in the Napoleonic period as it concentrates on the techniques and conditions of warfare at the fighting level rather than strategic interpretation or analysis of the major commanders. As Napoleon himself once said: 'There are many good generals but they see too many things at once.' Professor Rothenberg's erudite study allows both the historian and the general reader to see the wood for the trees, answering the central question: 'What was Napoleonic warfare like in practice?' Complete with numerous maps and explanatory diagrams, The Art of Warfare in the Age of Napoleon surveys the armies of Napoleon and his opponents and places these in the context of the French Revolutionary Armies and their new methods of waging war. Professor Rothenberg gives a thorough and accurate portrait of 'the soldier's trade', detailing the arms, equipment and tactics that shaped the experiences of infantry, cavalry and artillery soldiers in the Napoleonic period.

--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 280 pages
• Publisher: Indiana University Press (March 1978)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0253310768
• ISBN-13: 978-0253310767
• Product Dimensions: 9.6 x 6.5 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.4 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,044,597 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Discover books, learn about writers, read author blogs, and more.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

20 of 22 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars The Art of Warfare, April 25, 2005

By 

D. S. Thurlow (Alaska) - See all my reviews
(TOP 500 REVIEWER)    (VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: The Art of Warfare in the Age of Napoleon (Paperback)

Gunther Rothenberg's "The Art of Warfare in the Age of Napoleon" is a highly readable survey of the changes in the art of war during the 23-year conflict spawned by the French Revolution and the Wars of Napoleon. Despite its brevity, "The Art of Warfare" is remarkably comprehensive, addressing weapons, tactics, strategy, and supporting military services such as engineering and medical care. Rothenberg provides a short synopsis of the Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars and commentary on the military establishments of the principal combatants.

Rothenberg rightly devotes much of the book to the innovations of the French Army as it evolved under the necessity first of defending the Revolution and then under the hand of its martial Emperor, Napoleon I. The concept of the nation in arms made possible mass armies which often overwhelmed the small professional armies of its adversaries. Lack of training led to an emphasis on shock in battle, produced by fast moving infantry columns, massed artillery fire, and operational maneuver against the flanks and rear of opponents. Rothenberg notes the effects of a persistent French failure to build a robust supply system. French soldiers in the field were expected to forage to survive. The Army as a whole was forced to disperse to find food, and Napoleon had to rely on exquisite timing to mass his forces in time for battle. The lack of a supply train imparted operational mobility, but when foraging failed, as it did in Russia, or provoked guerrilla war, as it did in Spain, French soldiers starved or were picked off in ambush.

The many success of the French Army prompted varying degrees of emulation by the Austrian, Prussian, Russian, and British armies. The Prussians sought most to copy the French methodology, while the British prefered to enhance the professionalism of their forces rather than build a mass army.

Rothenberg wrote "The Art of Warfare" in 1978. Close students of the Napoleonic Wars will find a few mistakes, and the volume has a surprising number of misspellings. However, these imperfections really do not detract from what is an excellent work.

This volume is highly recommended to the student looking for a manageable introduction to the Napoleonic Wars, and to the serious student as a superb companion volume to the longer operational-level histories. The casual reader with some background in military affairs may also find this book a worthwhile read.

14 of 16 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Buy me, August 17, 2003

By 

D. A Butler (Murfreesboro, tn United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Art of Warfare in the Age of Napoleon (Paperback)

I have several books titled 'Art of Warfare' covering several military history periods, and for the life of me I cannot understand why they are all so thinly bound! I wish Gunther Rothenberg had kept going, but perhaps there is only so much to say on certain topics without getting into the details of decisions made by the commanders themselves. In any case, this book is a prized part of my Napoleonic history collection, and serves as a useful complement to Elting's 'Swords around the Throne'.

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Not a typical Napoleonic Wars book, February 26, 2006

By 

An Historian (Houston) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: The Art of Warfare in the Age of Napoleon (Paperback)

Rothenberg expands on the typical Napoleon book about war by concentrating on the human factor by explaining what the soldiers went through in victory and defeat.

Rothenberg also dissects the French Army like few of his contemporaries by starting with the pre-revolutionary make-up through the advances which made Napoleon famous and victorious.

Well written and educational, necesary as a companion to other classics as Swords Around a Throne by Elting, How Far From Austerlitz by Horne, European Diplomacy by Ross, and biographies by Markham and Schom.