Customer Reviews

Swords Around a Throne: Napoleon's Grand Armee

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Swords Around A Throne is undoubtedly the best book yet published on the organizational history of the Grande Armee. Written by a recognized authority on the subject, who taught at West Point for 11 years of a 40 year Army career, it gives the reader, in concise, authoritative, and witty prose, the story of Napoleon's Grande Armee from its inception to its destruction and after. Col Elting covers the Grande Armee from muzzle to buttplate. Every possible subject is covered, from its commanders, all the combat arms and supporting services, strategy, tactics, and logistics, to such seldom covered topics as marches, bivouacs, awards, horses, discipline, law and order, military intelligence, and the Imperial General Staff. Based on thirty years of research, most of it from primary sources, some not used before in English, it puts the end to many myths and misconceptions (such as the Waterloo myths about the Imperial Guard), and enlightens the reader as to what made up that terrible instrument of war, the Grande Armee. A companion volume to the author's A Military History and Atlas of the Napoleonic Wars, it also stands alone as a work of immense depth, accuracy, and profound insight. Background material is also provided in the early chapters on the Royal Army of the Ancien Regime and the armies of the French Revolution. Additionally, allies, foreign troops in French service, and the Grande Armee's enemies are also given separate chapters. The book is also highly anecdotal, being peppered with stories of personages great and not so great. Keen insight into the character of the soldiers talked about is thorough and uncanny. Generals, captains, and the man in the ranks are all quoted and talked about throughout this engrossing study. As an added bonus, the final three chapters talk about the return, hasty departure, and final return of the hated Bourbons 'in the allies' baggage wagons', and what happened to the Grande Armee and its commanders after Napoleon's final exile. If the book has a weakness, it is that it leaves the reader with a hunger for more information. Another 300 pages would have been welcome. As it is, Sword Around A Throne is an immense achievement, seldom equalled and never surpassed. It is a must for anyone interested in the Napoleonic and Revolutionary Wars in general and the Grande Armee in particular. Epic in scope, painstakingly accurate, and romantic in its sweep and understanding of the times, it at times reads like a novel, and it is amazing to realize that these people lived, and performed the deeds told inside this the covers of this volume.

Swords Around a Throne covers the organization and operations of one of the world's greatest armies. It is very detailed and fills a gap that many other Napoleonic era books leave open. The many elements of Napoleon's Grande Armee are thoroughly examined, including the cavalry, artillery, line infantry, light infantry, naval soldiers, engineers and the commanders. If you are looking for an in-depth account of the elements of the Grande Armee, this book is for you.

This a a difficult book to review, because it is so very complete and thorough, and the author's style is very engaging and entertaining. The problem is that there is SO much information, the reader can't help to get bogged down on boring sections, and at times, choke on Elting's purple prose.

I highly recommend this for those who already have firm background on the period, particularly the battles and campaigns. If you are keenly interested in what the grand armee ate for breakfast the morning of Austerlitz, you won't be disappointed. It is also an excellent topical reference.

The downturn for me was about page 300. Elting only occassionally translates French phrases (very disconcerting for a Germanophile) and it was hard for me to get excited about the uniform piping of every single transportation, supply, service, and administrative battalion. But read on! It does get better.

If you want to know about Napoleonic warfare in general, I would steer you to Rothenberg and Chandler. If you want to eat, sleep, march, breathe, and fight with one of the greatest armies in western history, it is worth the time.

Thoroughly enjoyable, funniest army history ever written. Mr Elting shows a remarkable command of the subject, which is crisply presented and brought to life in chapters covering every aspect of army life - from general to private, from uniforms and organization to medals and pay - including information on the Grand Armee's allies and enemies. Napoleon once remarked that, in order to understand soldiers, you first had to love them. Mr Elting, an old soldier himself, totally proves this assertion. If you are a Napoleonic buff, this is your book. If you are not a Napoleonic fan, read it anyway, because it is one of the best histories about common people I know of.
(NOTE: if you read "Swords around the throne" while leafing through the four-volume "Napoleonic uniforms" by the same author, the experience will be truly unforgettable.)

I must confess that prior to reading this book I did not know much about Napoleon, his armies or his campaigns. However since reading this book I've purchased many books on the subject and have become totally enthralled by the Napoleonic Wars. This is all due to the superb book written by Elting. His manner of writing is captivating...I could not put it down. His description of all the various facets of the Grand Army, its way of life, the different personalities, its uniforms, weapons and just about everything else one can think of is desribed in minute detail. Elting writes with much wit and apt sarcasm, which had me in stitches quite a few times. This book is a definite must for students of the era and even for people wanting an introduction to Napoleon's army. The book also left me in awe of the man himself...Napoleon. I am about to start reading it for a second time!

Swords Around a Throne is not your typical Napoleon book. Elting concentrates on topics which MAY rate a sentence or paragraph in other biographies. Elting concentrates on the different divisions of the Grand Armée including uniforms, in-depth looks at his marshals and the navy instead of regurgitating the different battles he fought. Swords Around a Throne is a good change of pace to the other biographies of Napoleon as it provides a different aspect to the Napoleonic Wars and his empire. Well worth the time to read.

This is an excellent book, both informative and interesting. Even while discussing rather dry topics, the author manages to work in humourous anecdotes or observations.

It is important to understand that this book is not a narrative history of Napoleon's campaigns--rather, it is broken down into chapters which describe various aspects of Napoleon's army--the guard, foreign units, allied units, supply organization, cavalry, artillery, and many many others; for each chapter/topic, the author describes the pre-Napoleonic context, as well as developments under Napoleon.

This book is an absolute must-read for anyone who has any interest in the Napoleonic period. Simply put, it is a massive organizational study of Napoleon's armed forces, from an infantryman deep in Russia to the military police on the streets of Paris. The amount of detail contained within this volume staggers the mind, and yet Elting is such an effective writer that the book is never slow. In fact, the author's witty and sometimes sarcastic writing style makes it a delightful read.

Elting assumes the reader has some general knowledge of the Napoleonic period, so if you're not well-versed in the history of that time you will encounter names of people and battles that are unfamiliar to you.

Elting is also clearly fond of Napoleon as a soldier and a man, so all you Napoleon-haters out there would be well advised to avoid this book (you might learn things which challenge your viewpoint).

All in all, I thought this book was a wonderful work of history and I thoroughly enjoyed reading it.

Col. Elting's inimitable writing style is sorely missed. Unfortunately, he died a few years ago (which several reviewers will be saddened to learn). He wrote with such lively humor and energy, that he always entertained while he informed. Does the book contain a few flaws? Sure it does, and they have been mentioned in the other reviews. The author's approach, strictly speaking, is not what would be described as "scholarly." Elting is a bit of a francophile, but perhaps acts as counterbalance to the anglophilia that dominates most English-language work on the Napoleonic period. (Owen Connelly, another American, is one of the most objective writers covering the period). Overall, Swords Around A Throne surpasses most other studies of the "Grande Armee" if only by merit of Elting's irreplaceble prose.

This boom is a treasure trove. The book is full of interesting information that is enjoyably presented and really gives you an understanding of the talents and otherwise of some of the members of the Grand Army. The book is full of gems ( my favourite is the tale of Auguste Demas - Elting manages to tell his story objectively with such an undercurrent of contempt and irony I could have thought he was English! ( no insult Mr Elting ;) ) The author manages to make subjects that would normally have me page flicking into a fascinating read.

Unbeleivably refreshing this is a must for your book shelf.