The Napoleonic Wars (Smithsonian History of Warfare) - Softcover

Rothenberg, Gunther E.

Softcover

ISBN 10: 006085121X ISBN 13: 9780060851217

Publisher: Perennial, 2006

Synopsis

Paperback. Pub the Date: January. 2006 Pages: 240 in Publisher by: HarperCollins Publishers This vividly illustrated history of the Napoleonic Wars documents the wars' origins in the French Revolution. Narrates Napoleon's victories at Austerlitz and Jena. And concludes with his defeats in. the Iberian peninsula. Russia. and finally at Waterloo. Author Gunther E. Rothenberg describes how Napoleon transformed interstate warfare into a system of relentless conquest. creating a military superpower on a scale not seen since the Roman Empire. Though eventually defeated. Napoleon's model of conquest set a pattern that was to be revived by modern totalitarian states. and their opponents. A sweeping examination of the rise. triumph. and eventual ...

About this title

Product Description:

An in-depth series of military history studies, written by leading authorities in the field, combines important insights into each era; detailed analyses of battlefield campaigns, strategies and tactics, technology, weaponry, leadership, and the implications of the era in terms of global history; and numerous photographs, maps, diagrams, and illustrations.

Review:

A detailed account of the Napoleonic Wars is provided by the military historian Gunther Rothenberg as one part of Cassell's multi-volume series covering the history of warfare. The treatment is predominantly military rather than social and the matter-of-fact and dispassionate text is rich in tactical details and statistics and augmented by contemporary paintings and 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 organisation, strategy and weaponry gained from the experience of over 20 years of war are progressively indicated and the main points of Rothenberg's argument, that Napoleonic strategies continued to be followed later in history 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, so for anyone interested in military history The Napoleonic Wars should be particularly appreciated for its clarity. --Karen Tiley

About this edition

• Publisher: Perennial
• Publication date: 2006
• ISBN 10: 006085121X
• ISBN 13: 9780060851217
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 240