From School Library Journal
Grade 10 Up—The 800-plus entries in this well-rounded volume cover the period from 1792 to 1815 and describe Napoleon's and France's lasting impact on the world. They range from expected topics like "Infantry"; "Madrid Uprising"; "Nelson, Horatio, First Viscount"; and "Quadruple Alliance" to material on authors, artists, composers, places, "Education (French)," "Luddites," "Neoclassicism," and "Slave Trade." The books include black-and-white maps and illustrations, glossaries of military and naval terms, 10 essays that summarize the entire period, and 18 primary-source documents. The set is well organized and easy to use; tables of contents and indexes appear in each volume, and each signed entry includes extensive see-also references and suggestions for further reading. A 44-page bibliography, unfortunately not divided by topic, completes the set. A number of dates in the chronology contradict those in the main text. For example, the chronology states that the siege of Pamplona began on June 30, 1813, whereas the entry says it began on June 25th of the same year. Still, this will be a valuable addition to the European history collections in large public libraries. Stephen Pope's one-volume
Dictionary of the Napoleonic Wars (Facts On File, 2000) is a passable alternative, though it lacks a bibliography.—
Ann W. Moore, Schenectady County Public Library, NY Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
The focus of this set is the years from 1792 to 1815, and as the subtitle implies, it covers the far-reaching effects and consequences of the Napoleonic era. There are more than 800 alphabetically arranged entries focusing on prominent figures, noteworthy battles, and political and social change. A detailed chronology begins the set, starting with the death of Holy Roman Emperor Leopold II and ending with the Second Treaty of Paris. Since military maneuvers are such an important part of the Napoleonic era, a helpful glossary of both military and naval terms is also included. Primary sources often conflict on the statistical information related to a given battle (soldiers involved, the killed and wounded, etc.), so entries rely on various sources from all over the world and in multiple languages. These sources are cited in the extensive further-reading lists placed at the end of each entry, after the generous list of
see also references. A broad topic like
Austrian army has 11
see also references and no less than 20 sources listed at its conclusion.
Ten "contextual essays," each approximately four to six pages in length, cover military operations, political ideology, literature, science, economy, and imperial expansion. Sixty-five helpful black-and-white maps are sprinkled throughout the volumes, some of them clearly delineating the expansion and contraction of the Napoleonic Empire. Most of the maps, however, are detailed depictions of battles, complete with terrain features, army formations, and troop placement and movement. Even important sea battles are not ignored, including ship movement and wind direction. Additional illustrations depict battles, while still others show important congresses, treaties, and personages.
A chronology and the glossaries of military and naval terms are repeated in each volume, as is the detailed index. Volume 3 contains a bibliography and 18 primary source documents.
Overall, this is a fantastic resource for anyone researching the period. It is straightforward and user-friendly enough to be helpful to the beginner, but the detail and extensive references will appeal to the more advanced and experienced researcher as well. Recommended for academic and large public libraries. Michael Tosko
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved
