Tactics and the Experience of Battle in the Age of Napoleon [Paperback]

Dr. Rory Muir (Author), Rory Muir (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: April 1, 2000

What was it like to be a soldier on a Napoleonic battlefield? What happened when cavalry regiments charged directly at one another? What did the generals do during battle? Drawing on memoirs, diaries and letters of the time, this book explores what actually happened in battle and how the participants' feelings and reactions influenced the outcome. Rory Muir focuses on the dynamics of combat in the age of Napoleon, enhancing his analysis with accounts of those who were there - the frightened foot soldier, the general in command, the young cavalry officer whose boils made it impossible to ride, and the smartly dressed aide-de-camp, tripped up by his voluminous pantaloons. This book sheds light on how military tactics worked by concentrating on the experience of soldiers in the firing line instead of the abstractions of drill manuals. Muir considers the interaction of artillery, infantry and cavalry; the role of the general, subordinate commanders, staff officers and aides; morale, esprit de corps and the role of regimental officers; soldiers' attitudes towards death and feelings about the enemy; the plight of the wounded; the difficulty of surrendering; and how victories were finally decided. He discusses the mechanics of musketry, artillery and cavalry charges and shows how they influenced the morale, discipline and resolution of the opposing armies.

Editorial Reviews

From Library Journal

Quite a few books deal with the military aspects of the Napoleonic era, especially campaigns, battles, and tactics, but very few focus on the nature of battle or what actually goes on during battle with any serious analysis. Research fellow Muir (Britain and the Defeat of Napoleon, Yale Univ., 1996) has filled a significant gap in the study of the period with this engaging study of the mechanics of a Napoleonic battle. Muir uses a tremendous number of firsthand accounts to discuss battlefield events, breaking down each into its component parts. A brief discussion of battles and battlefields is followed by a detailed treatment of each army component: artillery, infantry, and cavalry and the nature of their combat roles as reflected in contemporary accounts. In a separate section, the author considers the role played by the generals and their subordinate commanders, rounding out a well-ordered analysis. Strongly recommended for all good history collections.ADavid Lee Poremba, Detroit P.L.
Copyright 1998 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Review

"A stunning evocation of campaigning and battle, presented largely in the words of the participants, and enhanced by Muir's huge...knowledge of his subject." Toby Buchan, Literary Review "A major work." David Seymour, Military Illustrated "An important and useful study." Jeremy Black, Archives "Muir has filled an important gap in the study of the Napoleonic era with this engaging study of the mechanics of a Napoleonic battle." Library Journal

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Product Details

• Paperback: 352 pages
• Publisher: Yale University Press (April 1, 2000)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0300082703
• ISBN-13: 978-0300082708
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 6.1 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.3 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (20 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #661,036 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

43 of 46 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A greater understanding, December 30, 2000

By 

A. Woodley "Patroness, Janeites, the Austen list" (New Zealand) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Tactics and the Experience of Battle in the Age of Napoleon (Hardcover)

What polarising reviews readers have given on this book here at Amazon. However the first crime this book is accused of, Anglocentrism, I find a little unfair. As Muir points out on the very first page of his preface (and a point made by one of the reviewers of this book) - "The Anglocentrism of [writers on the Peninsular War's] approach was not simply the product of a national bias...but rather reflects the fact that for the period of the Napoleonic Wars there is an extraordinarily rich collection of first-hand British accounts of combat, which appears unmatched in any other language." He goes into far more detail on this, but I think you get the point.

Napoleonic Warfare has been a fascination for from the time I read John Keegan's account of Waterloo in "The Face of Battle" - and that is the point of Muir, taking up the Challenge that Keegan posed - this is a book of action and battle order rather than general army life. I found Muir's style suited very readable. He interlaces his arguments with supporting information from quotes out of contemporary diaries and biographies. I liked this because it made the information more than a dry recounting of a structure, but it also gave you a chance to test Muir's theories for yourself based on his supposed supporting information. It is also pretty easy to track down the source of his quotes if you wish to find its context in further detail. I did find the section Part III which dealt with Command and Control the most difficult to read. It overlaid the roles of a number of different armies and men which I found a little confusing. I am not sure how to do it better - but maybe it would have been easier splitting that section up by country rather than by military rank.

The book is divided into 4 sections - 1 - The introduction which has chapters on the Eve of the battle, and on Battles and Battlefields. Part 2 takes up very much where John Keegan left off and describes the conduct on the battlefield of various sections of the military so Artillery, light infantry, cavalry and so on. I did wonder where were the Engineers and the Wagon train. Part 3 is command and control which is the role of various ranks and two very interesting chapters on morale and attitudes. I thought there were some interesting cross-overs in this chapter with Myerley's book "British Military Spectacle". Part 4 is the aftermath of the battle.

There is an excellent bibliography at the end of this all. I think Muir has done a very good job in attempting to extend John Keegan's work on Napoleonic War. I don't think this is by far the end of studies that could be done on nineteenth century battles though.

24 of 27 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Wargaming - an easy reference, December 23, 1999

By 

David P. Wester (Marshall, Michigan USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Tactics and the Experience of Battle in the Age of Napoleon (Hardcover)

My primary interest in this book was as a reference for wargaming the Napoleonic period. As such it is straight forward, enlightening, and full of common sense. It is not a general history of the period, nor is it a dramatic page turner. It is what it purports to be, and Muir does a damn good job of it.

22 of 26 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Tactics no, but plenty of experience, December 2, 1999

By 

Brian C. Ford (Germany) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Tactics and the Experience of Battle in the Age of Napoleon (Hardcover)

I write this review in opposition to another review that berates the book as anglophile. That reader should have paid more attention to the opening remarks that clearly specified the limited scope of this book -- British sources. In addition, the author provides a valid reason for this limited scope -- the lack of resources from other than British sources.

To be certain, this book is not about Napoleonic tactics. If this is your interest you'll find Haythornethwaite, Noseworthy, and Nafziger far better sources.

The predominant focus of this book is on the (British) experience of battle during the Napoleonic wars. In this strict regard, it is a very worthwhile source -- certainly a great starting point for further research in this area.

Obviously, next to being there, or participating in re-enactments that emphasize authenticity, the only source for us to understand the experience of a Napoleonic battle is from those who were there. Given this type of source (i.e., individuals), and realizing the limited perspective any one individual has on an entire battle, the value of this book is in the author's attempt to extract accounts of battle experience from a variety of documents.

Please keep this information in mind as you consider purchasing this book and as you read this book.