14 of 17 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
French Infantry Tactics 1792-1815, January 15, 2008
This review is from: French Napoleonic Infantry Tactics 1792-1815 (Elite) (Paperback)
'French Napoleonic Infantry Tactics 1792-1815' is an examination of infantry formations and fighting styles used from when France declared war on England in 1792 to Napoleon's defeat at Waterloo in 1815. But I guess you figured that much already...
This title contains numerous interesting, and sometimes poorly-known details on the Napoleonic and in general French fighting styles of the era. The debates amongst the military experts of the time (such as, what should that man in the third rank do-try to fire past his comrades, run ahead or to the side and skirmish, or just hold a pike and 'hang around'?) are dealt with, although history, rather than the opinions of the author, are allowed to answer them.
The first 28 pages of the book deal with a variety of subjects concisely yet also with detail. These include the roles and changing tactics of the skirmishers and 'light infantry', the tactics (or lack thereof) of the democratic/Revolutionary armies, rectangular defensive formations designed to ward off cavalry, and some bold offensive column formations. Some of the conflicting literary works of the contemporary military thinkers are also examined.
The next major section of the book, well-titled La Grande Armee, examines the battle tactics employed by Napoleon himself, particularly between 1805 and 1808. Two particular topics addressed here are those of firepower and the tactical flexibility of Napoleon's Army.
The next section, titled 'The Peninsular War' is for the most part an examination of the tactics used against the Brits and Spanish 1808-14. The final section, 'Corrupt Gigantism' looks at the reforms of 1808 and the unusual dilemma of the 'overcrowded battlefield'.
As with all Osprey Elite titles, this one contains eight full-color plates, which do a good job of breathing life into the text when it becomes hard to visualize. Plate 'C' illustrates the defensive square formed during the Egyptian Campaign in 1798, while Plate 'H' looks at the French deployment at Waterloo. The formations and movements of the battles of Jemappes, Wattignies, Bergen, Auerstadt, Wagram, and Sorauren are also illustrated.
The plate commentary is highly detailed; one can glean at least as much useful information from it as from the main text. The book is also full of black-and-white photos and contemporary images that illustrate many of the battles, leaders, and common soldiers of the period.
Overall, this Elite title is an excellent source on the infantry tactics employed by Napoleon and his contemporaries, and is a most worthy addition to Osprey's sizeable library on the topic.
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9 of 12 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Macro overview for the newcomer, January 26, 2008
This review is from: French Napoleonic Infantry Tactics 1792-1815 (Elite) (Paperback)
This is a true macro overview of French infantry tactics during the Napoleonic Wars. Of course Griffith reviews the perennial issue of line vs. column -- an argument that didn't resolve itself on the field of battle as a variety of French commanders swore by and used both tactics during the war.
Griffith doesn't just discuss the issue as a maneuver theory, but also looks at how lines and column were used on the battlefield and on what type of terrain. He also reviews "l'order mixte" and skirmish tactics.
These discussions take place against the historical context of the French army during the Revolutionary period, the Grande Armee during the height of its capabilities, and during the period of the French army's qualitative slide as the original Grande Armee died off through attrition.
The book's strength is that it is an overview focused on French infantry tactics -- which makes it valuable to the novice. However, if you are already familiar with Napoleonic battles you will probably see this book as "old news."
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7 of 10 people found the following review helpful:
3.0 out of 5 stars
Reasonable High-Leve Overview of French Infantry Tactics, February 12, 2008
This review is from: French Napoleonic Infantry Tactics 1792-1815 (Elite) (Paperback)
This book serves as a reasonably good primer for those not familiar with Napoleonic Infantry tactics. It is very well written. The background information is quite good. However, the rest is principally a rehash to anyone somewhat familiar with the period. The book starts with a very nice buildup, but is a flop in the end. I was impressed with the work Mr. Griffith had done in assembling something of a database relative to French attacks. It's too bad he could not have done more with it, which suggested to me that it was a somewhat cursory endeavor.
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