The Napoleonic Wars (Cassell History of Warfare) - Hardcover

Rothenberg, Gunther E.

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0304352675 ISBN 13: 9780304352678

Publisher: Cassell, 1999

Synopsis

He inherited the armies of the French Revolution that had overthrown a monarchy--and used them to conquer a continent on a scale never seen before. Napoleon developed what was perhaps the world's first "superpower," setting a pattern that would come to fruition in the twentieth century. From descriptions of Bonaparte's rise; through the years of the Second Coalition and the Grande Armée; to the heights of victory and the depths of defeat at Waterloo, a fascinating portrait emerges of a man and his methods. 224 pages, 70 color illus., 80 b/w illus., 7 3/4 x 10 3/8.

About this title

Review:

Military historian Gunther Rothenberg provides a detailed account of the Napoleonic Wars in this installment of Cassell's multivolume series covering the history of warfare. The treatment is predominantly military rather than social. The matter-of-fact, dispassionate text is rich in tactical details and statistics, augmented by contemporary paintings, well-designed maps, and diagrams. The actions of the protagonists' commanders are also critically assessed, with much attention given to Napoleon himself, stressing the power of his charisma but showing that his insistence on sole control ultimately proved a weakness. Significantly, The Napoleonic Wars aims to show that, far from being the end of a military era, this was a period marking the origins of modern warfare. Developments in army organization, strategy, and weaponry gained from the experience of over 20 years of war are progressively described. The main points of Rothenberg's argument, that Napoleonic strategies continued to be followed and that the sheer scale of war was revolutionary, are summed up in the brief epilogue. The bulk of the broadly chronological text is uncluttered by too much speculation; military-history buffs will appreciate The Napoleonic Wars for its clarity. --Karen Tiley, Amazon.co.uk

About the Author:

Gunther Rothenberg was the world's leading authority on the Napoleonic Wars. He served with the British, Israeli and US Military and was Professor of History at Purdue University in the USA. He was the leading English-speaking historian of warfare in the German-speaking lands. His many distinguished works include The Army of Francis Joseph and The Hapsburg Military Frontier.

About this edition

• Publisher: Cassell
• Publication date: 1999
• ISBN 10: 0304352675
• ISBN 13: 9780304352678
• Binding: Hardcover
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 224
• Editor: Keegan John