History of Warfare: The Napoleonic Wars - Softcover

Rothenberg, Gunther

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0304359831 ISBN 13: 9780304359837

Publisher: Cassell, 2002

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 20th century (especially by totalitarian states). From descriptions of Bonaparte's rise, through the years of the Second Coalition and the Grande Armée, to the heights of victory at Austerlitz and Jena--and the depths of defeat in Russia and at Waterloo--a fascinating portrait emerges of a man and his methods.

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 E. Rosenberg was a professor of history at Purdue University and has written several books on Prussian history.

About this edition

• Publisher: Cassell
• Publication date: 2002
• ISBN 10: 0304359831
• ISBN 13: 9780304359837
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 224