Napoleon: The Final Verdict

by Philip J. Haythornthwaite, James R. Arnold, Ian Castle

This text presents a combination of assessments, by international Napoleonic experts, of Bonaparte's military career, character, leadership and performance. The result of the analysis is a volume which informs the reader, allowing them to make their own decision on the Emperor.

Genres: History, Military History

320 pages, Hardcover

First published December 12, 1991

About the author

Philip J. Haythornthwaite (born 1951) is an internationally respected and prolific author and historical consultant specializing in military history, uniforms and equipment. Whilst his main area of research is the Napoleonic Wars, his impressive list of publications covers a much wider range of periods from the English Civil War until WWI.

Reviews

[Gonzalo · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sometimes the title does not say it all. I hope no one is surprised if in the foreword David Chandler admits that the question is far from settled, and what we really have here is yet another general book about Napoleon. Not quite "another", since it is in fact a great introductory book about Bonny. And yes, I am well aware that is exactly what I said about the last book I read.
The book is unevenly divided into two parts, the much larger "The facts" and "The assessment". The first one is a collection of essays by different authors that cover Bonaparte's life in chronological order, while the second deals with more general topics.
Overall, I think this is a better book than Chandler's short biography of Napoleon. There is more about his life before Toulon and up to 1805 in a great introduction by J. David Markham. The second chapter by Ian Castle covering 1805-1809 is probably the weakest in the whole book, perhaps due to the sheer volume of events to cover in very little space. For this particular period, I would stick to Chandler's book. The chapters on the Russian Campaign and the 1813-1815 period up to Waterloo, by Philip J. Haythornthwayte and Markham respectively are perfectly good. The big two surprises for me were Guy C. Dempsey's chapter on the Peninsular Campaign (and the terrible Bourbons south of the Pyrenees), and Andrew Uffindel's chapter on Waterloo. Yes, Waterloo alone gets as much space than everything that happens between Ulm and Wagram. I could blame the author(s) of Anglocentrism, but it is absolutely phenomenal. I might still prefer Bernard Cornwall's retelling (and a moment ago I was complaining about page count...), but for something that can be easily read in one sitting, I do not know how to make a better point of why this battle matters so much in History, and why it is so interesting to gamers. Oh, I almost forgot: the chapter on St. Helena is also very good. It is a part of Napoleon's life I knew very little, and thanks to Tim Hicks, I think I will be visiting it in the not so distant future (by reading books, not by going to St. Helena).
The second half includes "Napoleon and his Men" by James T. Arnold, "Napoleon's Art of War" by Haythornthwayte, "Napoleon and his words" by Peter G. Tsouras, and a Postscript by Haythornthwayte. They are more or less what one could expect from their titles, an overview of Napoleon's character and skills. I missed one along the lines of "Napoleon the politician" or “Napoleon the Emperor”, but what is included is very good. I am not sure I will go for "The Quotable Napoleon" after this though.
A great accidental discovery.

[Joe · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thru a series of essays, this book covers the career of one of the most controversial "Great Man" of history. Not only his fantastic military exploits covered but also his great ability as a political administrator: Napoleon took an active role in developing the legal code that bears his name. But from 1807, perhaps due to ill health, his great talent began to desert him. I especially liked the coverage of his two exiles, Elba (he ruled that island and, in a few months, introduce many reforms) and St. Helena.

Couldn't notice that this 1999 book incorrectly predicted that on the 200th anniversaries of his many triumphs and defeats that would be a revival of interest in him. It didn't happen.