If you have navigated this far in, you probably share an interest in this period of history, and are perhaps on the lookout for some worthwhile books to read.
I have collected some of the works which I particularly enjoyed reading in to this page. It’s not so much a review, as a mark of approval, since it would take far too long to go back and re-read enough of all of them to make a decent review worth writing or be representative of my collection.
There is no particular order, and some will prompt me to add a few words, while others will not, but do not take that as any particular measure of quality. Presence here indicates a book worth looking out for, according to me.
I break my Napoleonic books up into categories.
I think that to get a grip on this period, you need a few good overviews on the period, to put the whole thing into context, then some tactical and weapon study sort of books, to understand the kit, and then a mix of battle and campaign studies, to get the specifics.
Uniformology is of less interest to me, since I play in smaller scales, so I don't need to care about the buttons and cuff trimmings, but some of them are useful to have too.
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David Chandler
The Campaigns of Napoleon
This is the basis for most wargamer’s interest in Napoleonics.
Some of it has now been improved upon, but that cannot take away from the importance of it to anyone interested in the period.
Absolutely essential |
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John R Elting
Swords Around a Throne
Another magisterial work, now also somewhat dated, but still absolutely full to the brim with useful things to know.
For the mechanics of Npaoleons Army, it is another must have. | |
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My three pillars.
I recommend three books for understanding the tactical experience on the Napoloenic battlefield,
Between these three books, I think any reader will get a sound working basis for understanding any tactical questions they may find in further reading, and from which they can appreciate any discussions on the battlefield experience which they come upon.
While individually there are questions about parts of each of these, I am convinced that there is no better place to begin reading than with these three.
So far, I have not found anything to replace these for the detail and authority they provide, but I am always on the lookout for a fourth !
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Rory Muir
Tactics and the Experience of Battle in the Age of Napoleon
One of my favourite works.
Based largely on memoirs, it offers a fascinating view on how the men themsleves saw the battlefield, and is highly readable too.
Highly recommended |
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Brent Nosworthy
Battle Tactics of Napoleon and his Enemies
Based on the drill manuals of the time, it paints a full picture of what the troops were doing and how they went about doing it. This was the first tactical book I read on the period, and one of my favourites. It really gets you picturing things as you read it.
It has a different title in the Americas, apparently.
Highly recommended |
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George Nafziger
Imperial Bayonets
Statistics heaven. Not the easiest book to read, but worth the effort in the end, it takes the minutate of the knowledge we have and paints a picture of what the drill manuals were all about.
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Other useful tactical works
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Paddy Griffith
The Art of War in Revolutionary France
Pretty much essential, since it covers the gound work on which all the later inovations were built |
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Gunther Rothenberg
The Art of War in the Age of Napoleon
One of the first books I remember wanting to own - I first saw it as a school boy. Luckily, the public library had a copy of Chandler, so I was able to read that instead, but I made sure to pick this one up when I saw it. | | | John A Lynn Bayonets of the Republic A very interesting book on the early years of the northern army of the republic - c 1791-94 as it struggled to emerge from the chaos of the revolution. Most of the book is taken up with motivation and control, which is interesting in itself if a little dry, but it has a neat little summation of the campaigns of this period to open the book, and a good section on the tactics used by the troops to close. | | | Pascal Bressonnet's Napoleon's Apogee (Tactical Studies 1806) An outstanding book. I took a week's holiday to read it because it was too oversized to potter through in the evening, and I enjoyed every minute of it. The detail in this is amazing, not just in the extra features added by the ultra flash edition, but in the text itself. If you can afford to blow a years book budget on the full volume, its worth it. If not, find a simple translation of the text. |
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Frederick Kagan
The End of the Old Order
I cannot recommend this book highly enough. It is easily the most enthralling and illuminating history of 1805 I have ever read.
Kagan has astonishingly good, and this is promising to be the first of a four part series covering the Napoleonic wars. Sadly, his 'day job' seems to have thrown any release schedule for that out, but it does give something to look forward to.
Highly recommended |
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John Gill
Thunder on the Danude (3 vols)
Curently topping many wargamers wish lists, these three books delve into as much detail as you could want, and then some - the appendices are astonishing.
Excellent books, and well worth looking out for, as they are already becoming 'hard to get' |
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Dominic Leivin
Russian Against Napoleon
The Battle for Europe 1807 - 1814
A ground breaking study of Russia's contribution to the Napoleonic wars. Written with access to the Russian archives, it dispells a number of myths, and is an excellent book.
Essential for anyone interested in the Russian army of this period and its campaigns. | | | James R Arnold Crisis in the Snows The go-to book on the Eylau campaign, as they say. I raced through this, and have no hesitation in recommendign it as the first place to look for anyone interested in this campaign. Arnold does everything you want him to do, even changing maps after only two pages, in order to make the narrative easier to follow. The orbats in the appendix are as good as those in Gill's Danube trillogy. Most interestingly is his clear analysis on the pro and con on whether this was a true defeat for Napoleon. A lot of folk simply will not accept that Napoleon was defeated in this campaign (many of them also call Aspern a draw and Brondino a win), Arnold's picture of the effect on the men themselves - who only a couple of months earlier had destroyed the Prussians in one day yet by the end of this campaign were effectively ruined as an army, paints a vivid picture of the face of this battle. That Napoleon had to call up teenagers eighteen months early aver the end of this winter stands as testament to how great a victory this was for the Russians and their Prussian allies. | | | James R Arnold Napoleon's Triumph It is inconceivable that you could not have Arnold's Eylau and not this book on Friedland (or vice-versa), they are both excellent. I am now hoping that he continues with these German campaign books, as similarly detailed volumes on Jena and on the 1813 wars of liberation would be most welcome. Essential for anyone with even a passing interest in these campaigns. I fear I shall have to get Crisis on the Danube too. | |
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James Arnold
Marengo and Hohenlinden
Comparing these two is a valuable exercise. It reads a lot like a first book, when compared with the majesty of Snows, for example, and in a way it is a little thin on either one battle to properly satisfy, but it is still a great asset to any library to have this book. To say Napoleon was a lucky general is an understatement. |
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Guy Dempsey
Albuera 1811
The Bloodiest Battle of the Peninsular War
Well worth reading, even if you have little interest in the Peninsular sideshow |
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Robert Goetz
1805: Austerlitz
An absolute cracker of a battle study.
highly recommended | |
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Anthony L. Dawson, Paul L. Dawson and Stephen Summerfield
Napoleonic Artillery
A bit of a train spotters book this, as it deliberately passes over the tactical application in favour of the technical detail, but nonetheless an impressive book. I really must get around to reading the Kiley one too.
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Otto von Pivka
Armies of the Napoleonic Era
Mr small beer himself (Digby Smith), this was also a book from my local public library whcih I could not pass up when I saw a copy on sale. |
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Digby Smith
The Greenhill Napoleonic Wars Data Book
This is the same author under his real name. First stop on any fact numbers or date based question on the period. |
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David Johnson
Napoleon's Cavalry and its Leaders
All very boys own stuff, but a great read none the less. This is history seen as heroic tales of mighty characters. Well, if anything historic qualifies for that treatment, then surely the cavalry arm of Napoleon did.
I first found this book in my High School library, of all places. I wonder if it is still there now. | |
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