Customer Reviews

Napoleon's Commanders (1): c.1792-1809 (Elite) (Vol 1)

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

 

 

Not a typical Osprey book in that it covers a number of personalities in such a small space; however, if you understand this, you'll be very happy with the book. The illustrations alone are worth it. If anything it'll give some otherwise unknown anecdotal info that'll have you wanting to do more research.

Very brief review of the commanders concerned; of course, you can't expect an in-depth bio for each of the commanders in the space allowed; the illustrations are very clear and well worth the price.

This book provides a very succinct but good introduction to Napoleon's Marshalls. It has about a page of bibliography dedicated to each but that page does an excellent job at introducing the reader to each. It also has excellent contemporaneous illustrations (B&W drawings) on every character. The author could have presented some contemporaneous color paintings of quite a few of these commanders (they are available) but has not and this is the one weakness of the book. However,there are modern color plates of the most famous. Hence for the figure builder and illustrator the book is of some use but only as an introduction.

I bought this book for only one purpose, the illustrations by P Courcelle, never mind the text! I have seen this artist's works in other books but he has particularly excelled himself in this book. His drawings have a certain vitality and the colours are fantastic. It also helps that the costumes of some of Napoleon's commanders bordered on the extravagant!

Basic text and potted history of the commanders by Haythorntwaite. What truly lifts this book above good are the lively colour drawings by Courcelle.