With Eagles to Glory: Napoleon and His German Allies in the 1809 Campaign (Napoleonic Library) [Hardcover]

John H. Gill (Author)

Book Description

Series: Napoleonic Library | Publication Date: October 1992

When Napoleon's Grand Armee went to war against the might of the Habsburg empire in 1809, its forces included more than 100,000 allied German troops. From his earliest imperial campaigns, these troops provided played a key role as Napoleon swept from victory to victory and in 1809 their fighting abilities were crucial to the campaign. With Napoleon's French troops depleted and debilitated after the long struggle in the Spanish War, the German troops for the first time played a major combat role in the center of the battle line.

Aiming at a union of German states under French protection to replace the decrepit Holy Roman Empire, Napoleon sought to expand French influence in central Germany at the expense of the Austrian and Prussian monarchies, ensuring France's own security. The campaign Napoleon waged in 1809 was his career watershed. He suffered his first reverse at Aspern. The victory achieved at Wagram was not the knockout blow he had envisaged.

In this epic work, John Gill presents an unprecedented and comprehensive study of this year of glory for the German soldiers fighting for Napoleon, When combat opened they were in the thick of the action, fighting within French divisions and often without any French support at all. They demonstrated tremendous skill, courage and loyalty.

--This text refers to an alternate Hardcover edition.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 544 pages
• Publisher: Greenhill Books; First edition (October 1992)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1853671304
• ISBN-13: 978-1853671302
• Product Dimensions: 9.6 x 6.6 x 1.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.6 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,205,649 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

12 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Outstanding Book!, May 5, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: With Eagles to Glory: Napoleon and His German Allies in the 1809 Campaign (Napoleonic Library) (Hardcover)

I have read at least 30 books on the Campaigns of the Napoleonic Wars, and this is one of the best. Well researched and well written, it covers the participation of all the minor German states in the 1809 campaign, and includes actions which are almost always skipped over in books that concentrate on Napoleon and the French. A must for any one interested in the history of the German states in the early 1800's.

10 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The Definitive Work on the Subject, July 1, 2000

By 

Kevin F. Kiley - See all my reviews

This review is from: With Eagles to Glory: Napoleon and His German Allies in the 1809 Campaign (Napoleonic Library) (Hardcover)

This is undoubtedly the definitive work on the armies of the Confederation of the Rhine during the Campaign of 1809. Jack Gill has masterfully told this story with verve, accuracy, wit, and a thorough knowledge of his subject.

Confronted with an invasion of his ally, Bavaria, in the spring of 1809 while still deeply involved in a campaign in Spain, Napoleon had to rely on a contingent of over 50,000 German troops from the Confederation of the Rhine to fight the Austrians. Launching their invasion without a declaration of war, the Austrians hoped to surprise and defeat the Grande Armee and Napoleon, thus reestablishing their preeminence in central Europe. What follows is a tale of high valor, professional skill, and dedication to duty of these loyal allies of Napoleon and it is a tale told with comsummate skill by the author.

Using primary source material in German from myriad sources, each country and army from the Confederation is covered from muzzle to buttplate. Organization, tactics, leadership, uniforms, and combat contributions are all covered thoroughly and this is not only the definitive work on the subject in English, but it is a superv reference work for further study.

This book has set the standard for any author hoping to write a book of this type or on this subject. In short, it is simple superb and it fills a definite void that existed in the literature of the period before its publication. It belongs on every Napoleonic bookshelf.