Good Napoleonic books

[Mount Suribachi]

Its my b'day soon and I'm busy compiling a list of pressies for family http://www.totalwar.org/forum/non-cgi/emoticons/biggrin.gif and lately I've been getting a little bit into the napoleonic era - mainly due to buying EU2 and watching documentaries on UK History. I've realised how I know next to nothing about this important period in world history, and I need to expand my knowledge.

Can anyone recomend some good books?

NOTE I am not after some great tome of exact historical accuracy. I am merely after an overview, preferably in one book, of that era. The easier to read the better - I don't want an accurate to the nth degree but dry as the desert sends me to sleep weighty multiple volume work. I want an easy to read overview of the Napoleonic era.

Thanks

[LordMonarch]

Well, I just finished reading Napoleon's Marshals, it deals with the Imperial Marshalete, each one individually, but reading each of their lives gives a good overview of Napoleons major campiagns from Italy to Russia and on to his final battle at Waterloo. His personality is shown as viewed through the eyes of his 26 nearest friends and greatest enemies, som ewho hated him, others who loved him.

Marshel Bernadotte, for example, became the King of Sweden, and now his descendant sets on the throne. A middle-class soldier who became King of Sweden. Ah, only in the Napoleonic Era.

Napoleon's Marshels (http://www.war-art.com/napoleon's_marshals.htm)

Should be in your local library

[Divine Wind]

Heres a few i have read, and some my grandfather recommended.

Anatomy of Glory, The - Napoleon and His Guard
-Author: Lachouque, Henry Publisher: Greenhill

Great Battles -Wellington's Peninsular Victories
-Author: Glover, Michael Publisher: The Windrush Press

NAPOLEON
-Author: Chandler, David Publisher: PEN & SWORD

Edit: Just read your note and removed the more specialised books

[Spino]

"The Campaigns of Napoleon" by David G. Chandler - A very lengthy tome that is considered to be one of, if not the best source for information on Napoleon's campaigns and the method behind his military genius. Believe me when I tell you this is no 'light read' If you're really serious about studying Napoleon then you must read this book. David Chandler is widely acknowledged as being one of the foremost experts on Napoleon Bonaparte, especially his military career.

"Swords Around A Throne: Napoleon's Grande Armee" by John Elting- An extremely informative and well written book about Napoleon's military machine. Elting dispenses an extraordinary amount of information on every aspect of Napoleon's armies as well as showcasing many of the personalities within these organizations. He even goes into detail on the forces of France's enemies I simply love this book and it is considered to be one of the best books on France's armies under Napoleon. Elting's writing style is very colorful and he does a great job of drawing you into what would ordinarily be considered a very dry and academic subject.

"With Musket, Cannon & Sword" by Brent Nosworthy. This book deals primarily with the tactics of Napoleonic warfare. If you want to know how the armies of the Napoleonic era arrayed and conducted themselves on the field of battle then give this book a serious look. Too many military history books on this period assume their readers are well versed with formations that consist of line, column and squares. This one lays it all out for you.

"The Iron Marshal: A Biography of Louis N. Davout" by John G. Gallaher. One of the few books about a man whom many military historians believe was Napoleon's best Marshal.

EDIT - Oops, silly me I read through your post so quickly I forgot that you did NOT want a lengthy tome on this subject. My apologies. http://www.totalwar.org/forum/non-cgi/emoticons/dizzy.gif

OK, so this effectively eliminates the books by Chandler and Nosworthy. Still, if you are looking for a more in-depth look with a light touch then seriously consider getting Elting's book. It's scope is limited but it's chock full of good stuff.

[Dhepee]

Yes, David Chandler's history of the Napoleonic Wars (mentioned earlier) is amazing, but challenging. If you are looking for something that is a little less daunting, and physically heavy the book "How Far From Austerlitz" by Alistair Horne is great. Horne is a very good military historian, writes on a somewhat more popular level but still presents a good argument that is well supported.
This isn't strictly Napoleonic, but one of its four sections is on Wellington and Waterloo, but it is still great military history, The Mask of Command by John Keegan.

[Rath]

Chandler's work hit my wallet for $125, worth the dosh - but quite an exhausting read.

Loved Swords Around A Throne, but that's probably not what you are after.

A nice, informative, relatively short overview of the Napoleonic wars is Art of Warfare in the Age of Napoleon by Gunther E. Rothenberg. I'd get that. Very nice book.

[Efrem Da King]

I like the sharpe books very interesting perspective though fiction they are very very historically acurate. If you want an idea of how the fighting played out look here.

[Brother Derfel]

If you want a good generalised series on the Napoleonic wars, check out the 4 books in the Osprey essential histories range.
Each book is a small easy to read book with plenty of images and diagrams to help you along.

[Mount Suribachi]

Thanks for the recommendations guys, I'll bear them in mind.

[Gregoshi]

New patron Stratagos Desaix posted the following recommendation in the Entrance Hall:

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...Also Mount Suribachi asked for books on Napoleon in a thread called "Good Napoleonic books" at the monastery would you recommend "Napoleon on the art of war" by Jay Luvaas for me its a selection of his memoirs which has everything from his views on command to his opinions on Alexander the great and those he considered great captains,thanks.
SD.

[Wellington]

One of the best, IMHO, that deals specifically with Napoleons army is - "Le Grande Armee" by Georges Blond.

It's translated from the French and is quite an unsual read due to the time it was written and consequently the rather unusual prose (viewed from an English language perspective).

Description (from Amazon) -

"Critics have called this 544-page study the tour de force of books on Napoleon's army. Early in his career, the author actually interviewed aging veterans and survivors of the Napoleonic wars. Retrace each step of the Emperor's Grande Armee. Rare combat prints, drawings, and sketches accurately depict military apparel and weaponry, while charts, theater of operations, maps, casualty lists and statistics add to this chronicle's clarity and value."

Link -

http://www.amazon.com/exec....details (http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/1854094114/qid=1063799537/sr=1-1/ref=sr_1_1/102-6140345-7215357?v=glance&s=books#product-details)

[Mount Suribachi]

Thanks for the heads up Gregoshi

[bhutavarna]

i recently read a very comprehensive biography of napoleon by alan schom. napoleon is the title i believe. the author is anti napoleon though. much of the books is criticism of every aspect of napoleon's life. it's still a good reading because of it's comprehensiveness, if you can disregard the author's subjectivity.