The Military Maxims Of Napoleon [Paperback]

David G. Chandler (Author), Napoleon I (Author), William E. Cairnes (Editor)

Book Description

Publication Date: March 22, 1995

Here, in one volume, is the essence of Napoleon's knowledge and wisdom, the fruit of his practical experience and his study of the great empire-builders from Alexander to Frederick the Great. David G. Chandler has updated the best among previous editions of Napoleon's maxims: the work produced in 1901 by William E. Cairnes, who selected the most insightful and authentic of the maxims and annotated each of them. In the process Cairnes considered the great captains who had influenced Napoleon's thinking as well as the impact of his teachings on the conduct of war since his death. In addition to his penetrating introduction, Chandler has contributed further commentaries that examine Napoleon's work from the 20th-century perspective of the two world wars, Vietnam, the Falklands, and other conflicts, and analyzes the ways in which commanders have observed or failed to observe Napoleon's teachings. Now every military student and enthusiast can benefit from the brilliance of Napoleonic insight and wisdom.

Editorial Reviews

Language Notes

Text: English (translation)
Original Language: French

About the Author

David G. Chandler, the doyen of modern Napoleanic historians, is the Head of the Department of War Studies at the Royal Military Academy at Sandhurst and the author of many books, including Napolean's Marshals, The Campaigns of Napolean, and Dictionary of the Napoleanic Wars.

Product Details

• Paperback: 256 pages
• Publisher: Da Capo Press (March 22, 1995)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0306806185
• ISBN-13: 978-0306806186
• Product Dimensions: 7.9 x 5.4 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 11 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,151,101 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

17 of 25 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars Why not all the maxims???????, October 24, 2001

By A Customer

This review is from: The Military Maxims Of Napoleon (Paperback)

Napoleon's Maxims totalled more than ninety, and the totality of ALL of these are invaluable to the student of military history. Yet only a fraction of them were translated in the original volume that first appeared in the early 20th century; even worse, Chandler did not complete the job since this would have been a golden opportunity to showcase the previously ommitted and rarely-seen Maxims. Hopefully, some historian will do the complete job the next time.

12 of 19 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Napoleon's Wisdom, May 7, 2000

By 

Jonathan H. Skaggs - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Military Maxims Of Napoleon (Paperback)

Here is a distillation in one slim volume of the knowledge and wisdom of history's greatest military commander. Napoleon's unparalleled success was built on practical experience combined with his own study of the great empire-builders, from Alexander to Fredrick the Great--and the essence of what he learned from them is incorporated in this book

(from the introduction of the work)