Customer Reviews

The French Revolution and Napoleonic Era

5 star:		(3)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Ideal for those starting out on their study of the French Revolution and the Napoleonic Era (as one would expect from a university history text), Owen Connelly's modest volume has much to recommend it: fresh, readable style; decent maps, a comprehensive bibliography (pointing the way for future purchases!) and quite a few interesting little kernels that one seldom comes across. I particularly enjoyed his insights into the siblings of Napoleon; Jerome's sponsorship of Gauss, Louis' campaign for breast-feeding, Joseph's conversion of El Prado into an art museum. I heartily recommend this book as an excellent staging ground for future operations into the hinterlands of Napoleonic literature. I also recommend Connelly's BLUNDERING TO GLORY as a vey good next step on your journey.

I had the pleasure of having Professor Conelly this past summer for a class on the French Revolution and Napoleon at the University of South Carolina. This book was the only text for the class. Reading a book is one thing, but hearing it straight from the horse's mouth is another entirely.

I didn't realize just how well known and respected he was until I saw him interviewed on a NOVA special on Napoleon. Trust me, this guy knows what he's talking about, and he writes a simple, concise, easy-to-read explanation of France from 1789 - 1815.

I completely agree with the previous review in every respect except I feel the book deserves more stars, given the "rating inflation" prevalent with so many of the titles reviewed. I wouldn't want anyone to be put off getting this book. Connelly has squeezed an incredible amount of information into a small amount of space. As usual, he is clear and entertaining. People interested in the period should check out his other titles.

Admittedly intended primarily as a textbook, *The French Revolution and Napoleonic Era* is a bare-bones, no-frills ((the generic title is a case in point)) history written in a clear if workmanlike prose--it's the kind of book that's good for the facts, but short on entertainment value.

Connelly throws in some tasty tidbits now and then, such as the fact that at 5'2" the famously short Napoleon was actually taller than the average French soldier of the time. And he devotes a few sentences to the spectacular ugliness of Danton. But for the most part this is a places-names-dates sort of history that'll help more than anything else to get the timeline of this period straight in your historical mind's eye.

The first half of the book--dealing with the Revolution and Terror--is a little zippier than the second half that takes up Napoleon's rise and fall, brief rise and final fall, but then during the Terror the guillotine was working full steam a-head ((haha)) and even the driest account of those murderous years would be--terrifying.

Connelly's goal here was to write a history for students as accurately, as clearly, and as concisely as he could, providing a one-volume overview distilled from the thousands of volumes written on this subject. In that, he succeeded. If you're looking for more dash, more flair, more of a narrative, this book probably won't satisfy you. But for acquiring a general working knowledge of the Revolution and Napoleonic Era this is a good place to start.

Shipping time was good, I actually received the book a little before I expected it. The condition of the book was excellent, as promised.