Britain and the Defeat of Napoleon, 1807-1815 [Hardcover]

Rory Muir (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: March 27, 1996 | ISBN-10: 0300064438 | ISBN-13: 978-0300064438

This account of the last third of Britain's long war against Revolutionary and Napoleonic France begins in 1807, when all of continental Europe was under Napoleon's sway. It traces the course of the war through the Spanish uprising of 1808, the campaigns of Wellington and Moore in Portugal and Spain, to the crossing of the Pyrenees by the British army, the invasion of southern France, and the defeat of Napoleon at the Battle of Waterloo. The overthrow of Napoleon was achieved not by a single general, a single army, or a single nation. Muir sets Britain's military operations on the Iberian Peninsula within the context of the wider European conflict, and examines how diplomatic, financial, military and political considerations combined to shape policy and priorities. The focus is on the politicians who controlled Britain's grand strategy as well as on the soldiers who led its armies in the field, while the book also examines the personalities of Canning and Castlereagh, Perceval and Lord Wellesley, Wellington and the Prince Regent. The book is based on investigation of primary and secondary sources, and on examination of the papers of the Duke of Wellington. It includes coverage of the financial background of Britain's campaign. Muir places the war, and the manner in which it was fought, in a wholly modern perspective, based not only on military might but on the effectiveness of the British economy and the coherence of the nation that sustained it.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 480 pages
• Publisher: Yale University Press (March 27, 1996)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0300064438
• ISBN-13: 978-0300064438
• Product Dimensions: 9.5 x 6.5 x 1.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.6 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,029,038 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

12 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent insights into the decisions that led to victory!, December 17, 1996

By A Customer

This review is from: Britain and the Defeat of Napoleon, 1807-1815 (Hardcover)

Anyone interested in the Napoleonic wars will find this
account of the political, financial and economic factors
behind the British stubborn resistance to Napoleon
enlightening. Common, everyday, history books tell you what
happened and what people did. Muir tells why it happened
with explanations of why the various political leaders,
generals, etc adopted the policies they did. Among other
insights, one has a considerably better understanding of
political environment for Wellington's Spanish campaign and
of the enormous financial problems his campaign created for
England.

6 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Interesting and Enjoyable Historical Account, August 4, 1999

By 

Aussie Reader ""Rick"" (Canberra, Australia) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Britain and the Defeat of Napoleon, 1807-1815 (Hardcover)

I found this book surprisingly very easy to read and it held my interest throughout. It covered most facets of Britain's role in the war against Napoleon. As the previous review mentions it looks at why the British Government carried out certain policies and the affects of those policies on it's field army under Wellington, its continental allies and the rest of the countries and people involved in the Napoleonic Wars.

This was a very interesting and enjoyable account of the war against Napoleon and I did not find it dull at any time. Although it only scratched the surface of the military campaigns it gave enough detail for the reader to understand completely what was happening and why.

Overall this is a well written and researched account of Britain's role in Napoleon's downfall and should appeal to anyone interested in this period of history.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent account of the strategic and political aspects of Britain's struggle with France., February 4, 2006

By 

James Bentley (East Yorkshire, Great Britain) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Britain and the Defeat of Napoleon, 1807-1815 (Hardcover)

This is a very interesting and well written account of the later years of the war against France. As is clear from other reviews and the book description, this is an account of the political and financial aspects as much as the military. I'd just like to add that the narratvie becomes more European after 1812 as Russia, Prussia and then Austria rejoin the war. A lot of space then becomes devoted to the negotiations between the Powers. The book also contains an account of the war with the US from 1812-1814.

As for 'A reader' who complains that Rory Muir is writing about "how great was his country" along with "a legion of fellow English writers", he's not English, he's Australian, which 'A reader' should have known if he or she had read the book. And any Australian will tell you that there's a big difference between being an Australian and being English.