GETTING ACQUAINTED - NAPOLEONIC WARS

['Aussie Rick']

Hi Tim, Let me know what you think of "Napoleon's Invasion of Russia" as George Nafziger is a prolific writer on Nnapoleonic subjects. I have "Napoleon's Invasion of Russia" by Theodore Ayrault Dodge with a foreword by George Nafziger yet to read.

by George Nafziger

by Theodore Ayrault Dodge

[André, Honorary Contributor - EMERITUS - Music]

Tim, my favorite on his early career/life is:
by Philip Dwyer
a second book on the later years is in the making

['Aussie Rick']

Hi Tim,

I'd second Andre's selection, its a very good book and although the author is Australian don't hold that against him.

by Philip Dwyer

Another two volume biography on Napoleon you could look at is by Robert Asprey although I have not read them yet that have received decent reviews.

& by Robert B. Asprey

['Aussie Rick']

For those interested in first-hand accounts of the fighting and campaigning during the Napoleonic Wars the following books are some of the best around:

and and by Paul Britten Austin

You could also try the following three volumes by Antony Brett-James:

1812: Eyewitness Accounts of Napoleon's Defeat in Russia (no cover) by Antony Brett-James

Europe Against Napoleon (no cover) by Antony Brett-James

Hundred Days: Napoleon's Last Campaign from Eye-witness Accounts (no cover) by Antony Brett-James

['Aussie Rick']

Another decent book using first-hand accounts by Paul Britten Austin covering Napoleons return from exile is; "1815: The Return of Napoleon".


by Paul Britton Austin
Review:
“The story of Napoleon's Hundred Days is so dramatic, so full of romance that it is no wonder that authors keep returning to it. Oceans of ink and whole forests of trees have been expended in telling and retelling the story of "Waterloo and all that." The latest entry in the library of books on the end of Napoleon's public career is Paul Britten Austin's 1815: The Return of Napoleon.

My first thought on approaching this book was to groan, "Not another Waterloo book!" Though in fact Austin never gets to Waterloo in this volume, which I presume, is the first of another trilogy. So any author attempting another retelling of this well-known story has his work cut out for him. Any new work on this topic has to retell the familiar story in an interesting way, and at least attempt to tell us something new. Austin succeeds fairly well in both areas.

Anyone familiar with Paul Britten Austin's previous trilogy on Napoleon's Russian campaign will know that Mr. Austin knows how to cull his sources for the interesting and informative anecdote and weave them together into a fascinating narrative. Austin uses the same technique here. Employing primarily French sources, he follows Napoleon's route from the Golfe Juan to Paris, ending with Napoleon's entrance into the French capital.

Like Mr. Austin's previous works, this is not analytical study of the military, political and diplomatic history of Napoleon's Hundred Days. Readers can easily get that elsewhere. Rather this is the human story of a great event, told by the Frenchmen who experienced it. One isn't going to find a revisionist history, but rather the romance of Napoleon's last throw of the dice.

We see the events through the eyes of the men and women who experienced them. Austin does a good job in his notes indicating trustworthiness of his witnesses. We hear from Royalists, Bonapartists and the fence-sitters. (Austin also, naturally, picks up some of the stories of those who had participated in the Russian campaign.) While we have occasional diversions to Paris or some of the other cities in France, the reader will not learn what was happening in Vienna, London, Berlin or St. Petersburg. Austin sticks closely to the Route Napoléon.

One theme of the book is how those who encountered Napoleon on his return from Elba interpreted their duty, honor and allegiance. Some stand by their oaths to the King, some swear allegiance to Napoleon, Many play a waiting game, doing little or nothing one way or the other.

On 1 March 1815, near Antibes, Napoleon, along with 800 men, landed in the shadow of Le Fort Carré. Already by late 1814 Frederick William of Prussia was writing that he had "nearly forgotten about Napoleon Bonaparte." To the Bourbons Napoleon is "nothing more than a corpse without influence…" In Vienna, the Congress danced. Bertrand, Drouot and the others around Napoleon thought the enterprise mad. The landing begins inauspiciously, but no attempt is made to halt Napoleon from marching inland. At first the notables Napoleon meets declare their loyalty to the King. But as Cambronne observes, the "should have shown it" by doing something in the King's interest. At Grasse, the chief town of the Var, the local commander, rather than attempting to form some plan to halt or arrest the Bonapartists, hopes that Napoleon will "take the Aix road, and it'll be none of our business to bar his way."

He then packs up and retires to his country house, abandoning his post. Napoleon is to encounter such inertia along his whole march to Paris. At Grenoble, Randon, a Royalist ADC to the commanding general, encounters "a crowd of the inhabitants pouring out into the plain from all sides, armed with muskets, forks, hayforks, all kinds of implements." Had this mob intended to stop Napoleon the adventure would have been done for. Louis' supporters seem to be able to only flee before Napoleon's ragtag force or lock their gates and hope the former Emperor goes elsewhere.

On foot, on horse and by carriage, Napoleon, displaying his typical energy and will, marches forward over narrow, steep mountainous paths, outstripping even his little band of soldiers. The return though is no cakewalk. Strong action by a Royalist official early on would probably have doomed it, but all seem mesmerized into inaction. Louis XVIII, in the "twentieth year of his reign," seems unconcerned when told of "Buonaparte's" return. Handed a telegraph dispatch, Louis simply orders Vitrolles, his Secretary of State, to pass it on to the Minister of War, Marshal Soult. "He'll see what's to be done," the King remarks. Whether the King's preternatural sang-froid is due to bravery, stupidity or inertia who's to say.

Along the way each official encountered is forced to make a decision. Ney in a rage calls Napoleon a "lunatic," a "wild beast," and a "mad dog." He famously threatens to bring Napoleon back in an iron cage. He works himself into such a state that, by the time Napoleon and his ever-growing troop arrives, Ney is ready to throw his lot in with Napoleon. The "arch-traitor" Bourmont, former Vendéan, Ney's aide-de-camp, follows him into Napoleon's camp, commenting, "If Ney, that day, had calculated, he'd have ceased to be himself." On the whole the generals who rally to Napoleon are found to be "morose and unsure of themselves, or even hostile, having merely gone along with their men's impulse." It is the rank-and-file and the lower level officers who rally to Napoleon.

Ney is not the only one that will make a complete about face at the advent of Napoleon. Benjamin Constant, who says Napoleon is "stained with our blood," that France would be inflicted with a "government of Mamelukes" if the "tyrant" returns, who compares Napoleon with Atilla" and calls him "more terrible, more odious" than Genghis Khan, also is soon to change his tune. Not often are men required to make such stark decisions. Each officer or official had to choose—Bourbon or Bonaparte. Vitrolles comments, "No one who hasn't been present at one of these extreme moments can understand the situation where, still all alive, one knows tomorrow one will be dead."

The book hangs or falls ultimately on the author's choice of quotes from his sources. Austin, as expected, picks his passages well, keeping the narrative flowing with judicious selections from a multitude of characters. The book is filled with human interest stories, such as the story of Col. Jubé's various trials and tribulations at Grenoble that end in his tumble down a flight of stairs. Or that of Peyrusse, Napoleon's treasurer, and his chest of gold. Readers looking for in-depth military, political or diplomatic analysis should look elsewhere, but for the human story of this exciting time, this is a book you'll want to own.

The book includes five maps and sixteen pages of illustrations. The index is not analytical. Paul Britten Austin is a translator and author of the 1812 trilogy, recently republished in one paperback, 1812: Napoleon's Invasion of Russia.” - Reviewed by Tom Holmberg (Napoleon Series Reviews)

['Aussie Rick']

I just received my copy of "Memoirs of a Polish Lancer" by Dezydery Chlapowski" and it looks pretyy good! The book was first published by the Emperor's Press in 1992.

Translated by Tim Simmons
Publishers blurb:
The Lancers of the Imperial Guard were the most renowned of the Polish units serving in Napoleon's army. Chlapowski's memoirs contain eyewitness accounts of the guerrilla war in Spain and the great battles of the Grand Armee from 1807 to 1813.

I have now just ordered a copy of "Prince Eugene at War 1809" by Robert Epstein, also publsihed by the Emperor's Press.

(no cover) Prince Eugene at War 1809 by Robert Epstein

[André, Honorary Contributor - EMERITUS - Music]

Although historical fiction, since it is Goldsworthy writing I thought it might interest everyone into the Napoleonic wars:

True Soldier Gentlemen by Adrian Goldsworthy

'In this Jane Austen-meets-Bernard Cornwell novel, Goldsworthy brilliantly evokes the reality of life and death in the early 19th century British Army' (Kathy Stevenson DAILY MAIL )

Product Description
The year is 1808, and Hamish Williams is a 'gentlemen volunteer' in the 106th regiment of foot, a man serving with the ranks but living with the officers, and uncomfortable in both worlds: looked down on by those with the money or influence to buy their rank, and distrusted by the common soldiers who know he is not one of them. But Williams is determined to prove by deeds alone that he is a man worthy of advancement, and when the 106th embarks for Portugal to begin what will become known as the Peninsula War against Napoleon, he knows his chance of glory is at hand. Soon he is receiving a sharp lesson in the realities of war, as the 106th undergoes a bloody baptism at the hands of the French - and he realises that his single-minded devotion to honour may not, after all, be the quickest route to promotion. Combining the vivid detail of a master historian with the engaging characters and pulsating action of a natural storyteller, TRUE SOLDIER GENTLEMAN is the first volume in what promises to be a classic series.

['Aussie Rick']

Thanks for the post Andre, I am sure there are quite a few historical fiction readers out there that will appreciate the information on "True Soldier Gentlemen" and Adrian Goldsworthy is a great author so I bet it will be a pretty decent book.

by Adrian Goldsworthy

[KOMET]

Ever since I began reading Patrick O'Brian's Aubrey-Maturin series of historical novels in July 1994, I have developed a deep interest in the Napoleonic Era. I also had the opportunity to see Napoleon's Tomb at the Hotel des Invalides 6 years later. (Man, was it ever HUGE!)

To cut to the chase: Does anyone in this forum know where I could obtain the following book at a reasonable price about British espionage operations in Napoleonic France?

Secret Service: British Agents in France, 1792-1815

BTW, by "reasonable price", I hope I can find this book for a price not in excess of $120 U.S.


Thanks for your attention.


KOMET

[Bentley, Group Founder, Leader, Chief]

HI Komet,

Let me help you. Since you mentioned O'Brian, you have to cite him according to our rules and guidelines.

Here is what that citation would look like: (I have included for that citation the 20 volume set)

by Patrick O'Brian

Then there is the next book you cited and asked about:

by Elizabeth Sparrow

Remember, to always cite the author as well.

I know that various assisting moderators have already helped you out and pointed out to you our rules and guidelines. So please make sure to contact one to ask for help.

Here is the help desk link to the thread called Mechanics of the Board; this gives detailed instructions:

http://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/2...

As far as the cost of the book you are looking for; even used ones seem to be quite pricey - $224 US dollars - more than you want to pay. And that was through Amazon.

[André, Honorary Contributor - EMERITUS - Music]

KOMET wrote: "Ever since I began reading Patrick O'Brian's Aubrey-Maturin..."

Sorry, Komet, it will be very difficult. You will of course also know abebooks, where they have just two on offer, both over $200
I have been extremely happy with Sandy Virden Books, a small independent bookstore in Texas. SHe can also try to find things for you. But I doubt that in the end she will be able to find one much cheaper...

[Chaynyth]

KOMET: The best price I could find was via amazon.co.uk for 95 British Pounds Stirling (roughly US $153 at current exchange rate):

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Secret-Servic...

Although it looks like copies might turn up on occasion on half.ebay.com.

by Elizabeth Sparrow

['Aussie Rick']

I have been meaning to read this book for some time so I hope I can find some space to squeeze it in soon; "The French Cavalry 1792-1815" by David Johnson.

by David Johnson
Description:
Dressed in outrageously romantic uniforms and led by a flamboyant clique of aristocrats and ex-troopers, Napoleon's cavalry fought in Austria, Germany, Egypt, Italy, Poland, Belgium, and Spain. This account of the most remarkable and successful cavalry in history is the culmination of 30 years of research.

[André, Honorary Contributor - EMERITUS - Music]

I know not many of you read Dutch but for those interested, there is a monument called De Pyramide van Austerlitz built in 1804 built by General Auguste de Marmont (his troops (Dutch - Bataafse - and French) actually did the job; 18000 of them...)
The French feared a British invasion so the General was given the order to set up a strong army as a defense force.

Where: Woudenberg, near Utrecht

The French occupied the Netherlands for 1795 - 1813 with Lodewijk Napoleon Bonaparte (installed by his brother) as the first King (1806 - 1810)
Napoleon himself wasn't all too happy with the way his younger brother handled the Dutch - guess what, the man actually liked them (?!?) - so he had him removed.

The monument still stands but although restored rain has damaged the foundations.

Here's the website for anybody interested in other things Dutch than meisjes, cheese and tulpen:

http://www.defransetijd.nl/content/de...

Check out Les Manoeuvres d'Austerlitz on the right. It has some nice photographs of the yearly festivities.

['Aussie Rick']

Good post Andre, thanks for this information, another site to put on my to see list on my next trip to Europe!

[André, Honorary Contributor - EMERITUS - Music]

'Aussie Rick' wrote: "Good post Andre, thanks for this information, another site to put on my to see list on my next trip to Europe!"

It's not too far away from Amsterdam so in case you would want to go there - there is nice hotel in Edam made up of tiny old houses, each one holding two rooms. Very nice people, a good price and also a little away from the fuzz - if you'd go there during summer or the tourist season.

['Aussie Rick']

Sounds excellent Andre, I will have to start working out a plan :)

[André, Honorary Contributor - EMERITUS - Music]

I remembered I mentioned French author Max Gallo some months ago - I think it was in the Napoleon thread.
I read some of his fiction and really liked it.


Napoléon, tome 1 : Le Chant du départ by Max Gallo

Another terrific French fiction series on Napoleon's times is the following (here just one example of the 4-part series):

Il neigeait by Patrick Rambaud

it might be this is the translation (since it appears to cover the same subject - but I don't know. The French title is much better, meaning "It Snowed" leaving you breathless when reading the descriptions of what went on while it did. "The Retreat" leaves no room for surprises...)
The Retreat

A small warning as to Mr. Rambaud's books: he also has a satirical series out where he takes on Sarko - so you better check before ordering blindly.

For anyone open to Graphic Novels on the subject, there is a terrific series out in France, beginning during the Revolution and over 11 books taking you through to round about 1806. A magnificent adventure, very fine drawings - think the film/book Le Hussard Sur Le Toit as a graphic novel - that kind of adventure. It will take you through large parts of France but also to Italy, the Netherlands, Belgium, Germany, Austria, Egypt...
(Don't worry, no comic book heroes with atomic spiders and the like... the French and Belgian comic books have a long history of terrific story telling and are part of the culture)
The Horseman on the Roof
Le hussard sur le toit by Jean Giono

The series is called "Les Fils de L'Aigle"

Here are some examples:

Les Fils de l'aigle , t. 06
Les Fils de l'aigle , t. 09
Les Fils de l'Aigle, Tome 7 : Sous le Soleil d'Austerlitz
Les Fils de l'Aigle, Tome 8 : Vienne à Feu et à Coeur

all drawn and written by Michel Faure (but the first 5 were written by Daniel Vaxelaire)

['Aussie Rick']

They look good Andre, thanks for the information. I picked up a book yesterday that covers a little know subject of the Napoleonic Wars:

by Martin Howard

He published a book also on the British forces:

by Martin Howard

[André, Honorary Contributor - EMERITUS - Music]

'Aussie Rick' wrote: "I picked up a book yesterday that covers a little know subject of the Napoleonic Wars:

by Martin H..."</i>

Oh my... that's a really tough subject. But all the more important.
The old paintings often look terrific, bright colors and all, but imagining what came afterward, fields with thousands of wounded, dead and dying including horses, ravaged landscapes civilian casualties etc.etc. also make part of the story.
One of the reasons I like (hmmm, I think 'appreciate' would make a better fit here) Rambaud's writing so much; he includes both sides of the coin.

[author:Patrick Rambaud

[Bryan]

This looks interesting:

The Art of Warfare in the Age of Napoleon

Gunther E. Rothenberg

Synopsis

In a comprehensive study of a crucial era in warfare—from the last decades of the ancient régime to Napoleon's defeat at Waterloo—Rothenberg describes the organization, training methods, equipment, tactics, and strategy of France and its adversaries. He also explores staff systems, logistics, fortifications, medical services, and insurgency and counterinsurgency.

[Bryan]

Here is a book:

Tactics and the Experience of Battle in the Age of Napoleon

Rory Muir

Synopsis

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.

[Bryan]

Sickness, Suffering, and the Sword: The British Regiment on Campaign, 1808-1815

Andrew Bamford

Synopsis

Although an army’s success is often measured in battle outcomes, its victories depend on strengths that may be less obvious on the field. In Sickness, Suffering, and the Sword, military historian Andrew Bamford assesses the effectiveness of the British Army in sustained campaigning during the Napoleonic Wars. In the process, he offers a fresh and controversial look at Britain’s military system, showing that success or failure on campaign rested on the day-to-day experiences of regimental units rather than the army as a whole.

Bamford draws his title from the words of Captain Moyle Sherer, who during the winter of 1816–1817 wrote an account of his service during the Peninsular War: “My regiment has never been very roughly handled in the field. . . But, alas! What between sickness, suffering, and the sword, few, very few of those men are now in existence.” Bamford argues that those daily scourges of such often-ignored factors as noncombat deaths and equine strength and losses determined outcomes on the battlefield.

In the nineteenth century, the British Army was a collection of regiments rather than a single unified body, and the regimental system bore the responsibility of supplying manpower on that field. Between 1808 and 1815, when Britain was fighting a global conflict far greater than its military capabilities, the system nearly collapsed. Only a few advantages narrowly outweighed the army’s increasing inability to meet manpower requirements. This book examines those critical dynamics in Britain’s major early-nineteenth-century campaigns: the Peninsular War (1808–1814), the Walcheren Expedition (1809), the American War (1812–1815), and the growing commitments in northern Europe from 1813 on.

Drawn from primary documents, Bamford’s statistical analysis compares the vast disparities between regiments and different theatres of war and complements recent studies of health and sickness in the British Army.

[Teri]

In Nelson's Wake: The Navy and the Napoleonic Wars

by James Davey (no photo)

Synopsis:

Horatio Nelson’s celebrated victory over the French at the Battle of Trafalgar in 1805 presented Britain with an unprecedented command of the seas. Yet the Royal Navy’s role in the struggle against Napoleonic France was far from over. This groundbreaking book asserts that, contrary to the accepted notion that the Battle of Trafalgar essentially completed the Navy’s task, the war at sea actually intensified over the next decade, ceasing only with Napoleon’s final surrender.

In this dramatic account of naval contributions between 1803 and 1815, James Davey offers original and exciting insights into the Napoleonic wars and Britain’s maritime history. Encompassing Trafalgar, the Peninsular War, the War of 1812, the final campaign against Napoleon, and many lesser known but likewise crucial moments, the book sheds light on the experiences of individuals high and low, from admiral and captain to sailor and cabin boy. The cast of characters also includes others from across Britain—dockyard workers, politicians, civilians—who made fundamental contributions to the war effort and in so doing, both saved the nation and shaped Britain’s history.

[Bentley, Group Founder, Leader, Chief]

Thank you Teri for breathing some life into some of the older threads.

[Jill H.]

I just finished this book which, although not very long, covers the Battle of Waterloo. My only complaint is that there are no maps to give the reader an opportunity to see the battlefield and the troop movements.

The Battle of Waterloo

by Jeremy Black

Synopsis:

The name Waterloo has become synonymous with final, crushing defeat. Now this legendary battle is re-created in a groundbreaking book by an eminent British military historian making his major American debut. Revealing how and why Napoleon fell in Belgium in June 1815, The Battle of Waterloo definitively clears away the fog that has, over time, obscured the truth.

With fresh details and interpretations, Jeremy Black places Waterloo within the context of the warfare of the period, showing that Napoleon’s modern army was beaten by Britain and Prussia with techniques as old as those of antiquity, including close-quarter combat. Here are the fateful early stages, from Napoleon’s strategy of surprise attack—perhaps spoiled by the defection of one of his own commanders—to his younger brother’s wasteful efforts assaulting the farm called Hougoumont. And here is the endgame, including Commander Michel Ney’s botched cavalry charge against the Anglo-Dutch line and the solid British resistance against a series of French cavalry strikes, with Napoleon “repeating defeat and reinforcing failure.”

More than a masterly guide to an armed conflict, The Battle of Waterloo is a brilliant portrait of the men who fought it: Napoleon, the bold emperor who had bullied other rulers and worn down his own army with too many wars, and the steadfast Duke of Wellington, who used superior firepower and a flexible generalship in his march to victory.