Customer Reviews

The Napoleonic Wars (1): The Rise Of The Emperor 1805-1807 (Essential Histories) (v. 1)

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

 

 

This book is a masterful piece of writing. In less than 90 pages, it captures the political thought and military preparedness of each country. It explains why countries went to war. And it explains the campaigns, why they occurred, and summaries the battles in exciting, easy to read prose. It is an exceptionally well written summary of the political and military events of the period. It has many illustrations and maps. If you want a good overview of the period, this is an excellent book. The author is a leading authority on the Napoleonic wars. The book says of the author, "is Chief Executive Officer of Emperor's Press and Napoleonic Journal, both of which specialize in Napoleonic history". I suggest ignoring the 2 star review. What can I say of a review from someone who has not read the book?

This book serves as an excellent introduction to the early years of the Napoleonic Wars. As Napoleon's Grande Army crushes Austrian, Prussian, and Russian forces from Northern Italy through Germany and Poland, you'll gain an appreciation of the magnitude of these wars as well as the bravery and intelligence shown by Napoleon and his marshals. Political intrigue of the period is briefly discussed, but most of this book's attention falls on the details of the major battles fought. Full of exquisite art and maps, this book will give you a greater understanding of the styles of clothing and warfare of the time.

The Napoleonic Wars lead to unprecedented change throughout Europe in culture, politics, and warfare. This book serves as an excellent primer to introduce you to the story. While the writing occasionally gets a bit dry, the majority of the book reads almost like a novel. Highly recommended.

I enjoyed this basic, solid intro to the early Napoleonic years. It is worthwhile.