Napoleon's Campaigns in Italy

Osprey Men at Arms #257

by Philip J. Haythornthwaite

In January 1794 the French 'Army of Italy' was commanded by General Dumerbion and he acknowledged a great debt to his 25-year-old commander of artillery – Napoleon Bonaparte. The French Revolution had resulted in major changes in the military system, conscription created a national army and new tactics and initiatives allowed an officer of such promise as Napoleon to rise quickly through the ranks. By 1796 he was the general commanding the French in Italy and at the conclusion of fourteen months campaigning he was the decisive military personality of his age. Philip Haythornthwaite examines Napoleon's campaigns in Italy, and the uniforms of his soldiers are illustrated in eight colour plates by Richard Hook.

Genres: Military History, History, Nonfiction

48 pages, Paperback

First published March 25, 1993

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

[Manolo González · Rating 5 out of 5]

Cristal clear and brief explanation of the italian campaigns.

[Mastersonmcvoidson · Rating 3 out of 5]

A rather unusual entry in the Osprey Men at Arms series. Instead of being focused on the uniforms, it offers a short overview of the Italian Campaigns in the French Revolutionary Wars.

It starts with a brief account of both the French and Austrian armies respectively, moving on to the Italian Campaign of 1796. It covers the main battles and follows Napoleon on the campaign, but it only provides a very brief overview of things.

The uniforms are covered in the 8 colour plates that go along with the narrative in the Men at Arms series, but little information is given on them beyond that.

The book also covers the 1800 Italian Campaign and gives a brief account of Marengo, but nothing too detailed. It ends with brief mentions of campaigns in Italy during the Napoleonic Wars, but gives no analysis of any kind.

A short survey of the Italian campaigns without much of note, the small space prevents it from being a noteworthy campaign history and the very little attention given to the uniforms doesn't make this the best Men at Arms book either.

Final Rating: 5.5/10

[Sean Chick · Rating 4 out of 5]

An odd addition to the series, being that is more like a short survey of the fighting in Italy during the French Revolution and Napoleonic Wars. Most of the text is about the campaigns of 1796-1800 with a relatively detailed account of Marengo. It works well enough but there is little here on tactics, while the plates deal with the uniforms.

[Rich · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book covers a lot of ground as far as the narrative, so don't expect more than a very very general survey of the military campaigns. The eight pages of color plates, though, are excellent illustrations depicting French and Austrian uniforms of the period (as you'd expect from an Osprey Men-at-Arms title).