Leipzig 1813: The Battle of the Nations (Campaign) (Paperback)

~ (Author) "The Grande Armee of 600,000 men that went to Russia in 1812 was virtually entirely destroyed..." (more)
Key Phrases: Inf Regt, Line Regt, Drag Regt (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description

The battle of Leipzig was, in terms of the number of combatants involved, the largest engagement of the entire Napoleonic Wars. It was the only battle of the wars in which all Allied armies (including even the Swedes) fielded troops against Napoleon. Peter Hofschroer looks at the run-up to this crucial encounter as well as the battle itself. A wealth of background information is chronicled, including the strategies of both sides and detailed information on each of the combatant forces. The numerous battles leading up to Leipzig are also discussed, providing a fascinating and illuminating overview of the whole campaign.

From the Publisher

Highly visual guides to history's greatest conflicts, detailing the command strategies, tactics, and experiences of the opposing forces throughout each campaign, and concluding with a guide to the battlefields today.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 96 pages
• Publisher: Osprey Publishing (September 30, 1993)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1855323540
• ISBN-13: 978-1855323544
• Product Dimensions: 9.7 x 7.2 x 0.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 11.4 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #915,754 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

8 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars The Campaign in Saxony, June 21, 2000

By	Kevin F. Kiley - See all my reviews

This volume is an excellent overview of the decisive campaign in Germany that untimately decided the fate of Napoleon's Empire. Written by an acknowledged authority on the Prussian and German armies of the period, it gives an authoritative viewpoint of the events and battles leading up to the largest battle of the Napoleonic Wars, the three day slugfest at Leipzig.

The narrative flows very well and is easy to follow, and it is packed with information, even though it had to follow the somewhat strict regimen of the Osprey guidelines. Profusely illustrated as are all Ospreys, the pictures are very well chosen, and the color plates are a mixture of artwork by Richard Knotel, Bellange, K.H. Rahl, Rabe, J.A Klein, and Krause. Only one appears to be by the staff artists at Osprey, which is a change.

There are very good descriptions of the armies of the main belligerents in the campaign, including the Swedes. The orders of battle are exhaustive and accurate, and are useful for both historians and wargamers.

Errors are few. The two most noticeable concern the Grande Armee. First, the author states that at the Battle of Kulm 'Vandamme's Corps had been wiped out.' Actually, the I Corps, Vandamme's, lost almost half at Kulm, the rest broke out of the allied trap and escaped. They were reorganized and placed under the command of General Mouton, Count of Lobau. They were later captured with St. Cyr when Dresden capitulated. Second, the author mentions that the garrisons Napoleon left in Danzig and the lower Elbe 'were largely veterans of the 1812 campaign with experienced officers.' The fact of the matter is, that most of the troops in these garrisons only became veterans as they endured the fighting during their respective sieges in this campaign.

These slight errors, however, do not detract from the overall impact of this volume. This is a carefully researched and well-written book that stands on its own, and can be used as a reference for the campaign with confidence.

I highly recommend this book on Leipzig. It is a valuable additionn to any Napoleonic library, and is listed in the Recommended Reading List of the newest edition of A Military History and Atlas of the Napoleonic Wars by Esposito and Elting, which is a superb recommendation in itself.

4.0 out of 5 stars Excellent survey of Napoleon's Real Waterloo, April 2, 2009

By	Yoda (Hadera, Israel) - See all my reviews

This book starts off by giving an excellent perspective, in a few pages, of the what the diplomatic and military picture in Europe was just before this battle. Hence the necessary perspective for the battle is provided.

The book then goes on to discuss the many aspects of the armies involved including their leadership (both at the highest level and the quality of lower ranking officers), political and command structure strengths and problems (for Napoleon, for example, the lack of subordinate quality field marshals, considering the size of the battle, probably led to the loss of this battle), troops, and logistical problems and strenghts and weaknesses in various arms (i.e., Napoleon's lack of cavalry in terms of both quality and quantity caused seriuos intelligence problems that played important role in his defeat). The book also illustrates well how troops from each national army looked and different aspects/geography of battle, along with maps.

The one weakness of the book (and hence 4 instead of 5 stars) is that it is a little difficult to follow the battle because the author makes too extensive a use of the various field marshals movements and actions without mentioning which side they were on. Not much of an oversight but one, unless the reader is very knowledgeable regarding these commanders, that is enough to cause some confusion. This problem is such a shame considering how easily it could have been rectified.

0 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Good Book, June 13, 2007

By	Brownbox - See all my reviews

Not much of a review really but a good read with good ilistrations.