Marengo 1800: Napoleon's day of fate (Campaign) [Paperback]

David Hollins (Author), Christa Hook (Illustrator)

Book Description

Series: Campaign | Publication Date: May 25, 2000

Osprey's study of the campaign at Marengo in 1800 during the Napoleonic Wars (1799-1815). Having returned from Egypt and seized power as First Consul, Napoleon led the Army of the Reserve against the Austrian Army besieging Genoa. After a period of skirmishing and manoeuvring, Melas, the Austrian commander, launched a surprise attack on the morning of 14 June. The attack initially drove the French back to Marengo village and, despite committing the Consular Guard, by 3pm the French were retreating. Believing he had won, the wounded Melas left the field to his Chief-of-Staff, Zach. The timely arrival of Desaix's Division led by Kellerman's cavalry and the 9e Légère threw the Austrians into confusion, turned the battle in Napoleon's favour, thus securing his position as First Consul. It could have been very different.

Editorial Reviews

From the Publisher

Highly visual guides to history's greatest conflicts, detailing the command strategies, tactics, and experiences of the opposing forces throughout each campaign, and concluding with a guide to the battlefields today.

About the Author

David Hollins was born in Aberdeen, Scotland, in 1962. After graduating from University College London, he trained as a maritime solicitor and began his career in commercial shipping. He is a frequent contributor to specialist Napoleonic magazines and has written a number of books related to the Imperial Army and Archduke Charles. His previous work for Osprey includes MAA 299 Austrian Auxiliary Troops 1792-1816, and Warrior 24 Austrian Grenadiers and Infantry 1788-1816.

Product Details

• Paperback: 112 pages
• Publisher: Osprey Publishing (May 25, 2000)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1855329654
• ISBN-13: 978-1855329652
• Product Dimensions: 7.3 x 0.3 x 9.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 13.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (11 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,945,739 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Discover books, learn about writers, read author blogs, and more.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

7 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Battlefield Guide Use, June 12, 2005

By 

Stephen (Harvard, Morocco) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Marengo 1800: Napoleon's day of fate (Campaign) (Paperback)

I recently used this book on a visit to Marengo battlefield (June 2005).

Well illustrated, excellent maps and photos. "The Battlefield Today" section was unusual feature, as was the "Wargaming" section.

Unfortunately, the battlefield is in a suburban/urban area of Italy. A few landmarks are visible, but few are easily accessible. In June of 2005, the museum was closed for "repairs". Americans used to well preserved battle sights such as Antietam or Gettysburg will be disappointed.

This book is not for those without previous knowledge of military history/organization. The maps are complicated, not all abbreviations/acronyms are defined. Trying to follow the narration with the maps can be very difficult.
At the actual sight, matching pictures from the text to the local area was a challenge. It would have been helpful if the author had marked picture sights to a map of the Marengo area.

I agree with previous reviews that this account gives the Austrians more credit and coverage than many other previous works. The general sense is a closely fought battle, with the Austrians overextending themselves in pursuing the French after initial success.

14 of 26 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars The first new account in 100 years?, January 28, 2001

By 

WJ Cook (Ramsey, Cambs) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Marengo 1800: Napoleon's day of fate (Campaign) (Paperback)

Dave Hollin's modest book is the first new account of Marengo in the English language since Furse, published at the turn of the 19th century.

What is not apparent, from Osprey's misguided decision not to include comprehensive sourcing, is that the material in this title is based largely on original research in the Austrian War Archives and the French Army Historical Service archives, together with the published regimental histories of approximately thirty units from the Austrian and French sides, and significant contributions from collaborators in Italy.

Although constrained by the limits of the Campaign series booklets this is, therefore, also the first balanced account of the Marengo campaign in English.

The reader of this review is entitled to ask how I know this and at this point I should explain that Dave Hollins is a friend and this Osprey Campaign is a spin-off from a larger work on Napoleon's second Italian campaign which he is co-authoring and is currently still being worked on. I am, therefore, fully aware of the provenance of this book, which includes a large body of material which has never been exploited before in English (and perhaps any other language), and is impeccable in the context of both sides. Having said that, bearing in mind that it was described by Furse and has been in the public domain for approximately 100 years, the doubts expressed elsewhere about the part played by the Consular Guard in this battle are extraordinary.

This new account will not, of course, sit well with those brought up on a diet of Napoleonic mythology and a couple of well known French memoirs, one of which is, at least in part, particularly questionable, and on which the few pages in in Elting's 'Atlas', Chandler's 'Campaigns' and a couple of paragraphs in Lachouque's Anatomy of Glory, are essentially based.

This is not to ignore James Arnold's recent book on Hohenlinden and Marengo, but this contains no new research and, as far as Marengo is concerned, adds nothing to what has already been produced and generally follows the 'traditional' line.

Correctly identifying Berthier as the titular commander of the French army at Marengo, the booklet has the obligatory, though comprehensive, orders of battle that one expects in this series, including ones for the siege of Genoa and the battle of Montebello.

It is an excellent primer for anybody interested in the campaign and should be particularly attractive to the wargamer, at which this series is principally directed.

11 of 21 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Marengo from both side view, June 20, 2000

By 

Charles Rainbow (Arlington, TX) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Marengo 1800: Napoleon's day of fate (Campaign) (Paperback)

On the whole I find it very informative. I like the brief bio's of the General's, through these booklets I am gaining a better understanding of Austrian leadership. The opening moves of the campaign are at just the correct depth for an introduction to the battle. And the battle itself is presented in an orderly fashion. A good amount of time has been spent digging through the Archives of the Austrian army and the official reports from the regiments of the French Army that fought there. There appears very little reference, if any, to the propaganda that Napoleon had published during his reign. It is nice to see something published that does not rely on second and third hand sources for its information. A good amount of time has been spent on the Order of Battle's and are a great point of reference when I can not remember who belonged to whom. The illustrations are what I expect in a volume of this type, informative, entertaining, and move with the prose.

One of the complaints that I have heard about this volume is the lack of footnotes. I do not expect them in these volumes, but I wish a better bibliography could be included. I understand the market forces that constrain the space in which material can be presented. Overall, I have found this to be a splendid little book that has furthered my knowledge of this period in an informative and entertaining way. I am glad that I purchased it. I am awaiting your more robust treatment that is due out in the near future.