The Compact Guide: The Napoleonic Wars

by Richard Holmes

This outstandingly vivid and accessible book, written by one of Britain's leading historians, provides the essential overview of Napoleon's career. Beginning in revolutionary France with a brilliant young Lieutenant who still styled himself Napoleone di Buonaparte, Holmes examines every facet of his subject's military career: his astonishing victories at the Battle of the Pyramids, Marengo, Jena and Austerlitz, through to defeat and exile under the immense weight of the great powers who were determined to stop the man who would be emperor of Europe.

Genres: History, Nonfiction

137 pages, Kindle Edition

Published August 8, 2019

About the author

Librarian Note: There is more than one author in the GoodReads database with this name.

Reviews

[Joe · Rating 4 out of 5]

Nice compact guide that details events of the Napeolonic wars. I think it would have stood to gain from the inclusion of maps and or battle maps to help visualise events better.

You can use this as a springboard to push off deeper into the subject.

[Claire · Rating 4 out of 5]

Quick and easy to read. Insightful and concise. Good to dip into too. A really good overview of the Napoleonic Era.

[Lorna Holland · Rating 3 out of 5]

Full review now up on the blog: https://www.thewritinggreyhound.co.uk...

The Napoleonic Wars is a non-fiction book giving a concise yet comprehensive overview of Napoleon, his life, and his military campaigns. It's clear that the author is extremely knowledgeable about the subject and his research really shines through the pages of the book.

The book is broken down into short chapters, making the information easy to digest. This also makes it the perfect book to dip into every now and again.

In addition to providing plenty of information about Napoleon himself, the book also gives short biographies about some of the other key players of the period. From Napoleon's family to his allies, enemies and more, a lot of useful background information is given to support each chapter of the book.

Overall, this book is both interesting and insightful. It's packed full of information and gives a great overview of Napoleon and the impact he has had on France and Europe more widely.

[Alex · Rating 3 out of 5]

I enjoyed it but felt that it was almost too brief for a non-familiar such as myself to get a grip on the Napoleonic wars.

For example I’ve been reading another book on medieval warfare which better explains unfamiliar concepts such as territories/terminology (shortly to be added to my Goodreads), and so whilst succinctness is a blessing in one form with this book, in another it is a major pitfall.

Nevertheless it’s a good quick read and let’s face it, it’s called the Compact Guide for a reason.

[Todd Price · Rating 4 out of 5]

Holmes has written a concise account of the history of the Napoleonic wars. From Napoleon’s rise during campaigns in Italy in the 1790’s, to his invasion of Egypt, through the transformative campaigns of the early 19th Century, to the Peninsular Wars, his ill-fated invasion of Russia, and the bitter end at Waterloo. It also incorporates a biography in miniature, while touching on aspects of social, religious, economic, and political 19th Century European history. An excellent outline of the Napoleonic Era is provided, which is well worth the time investment, considering the brevity of the text.

[Mark Barrett · Rating 3 out of 5]

I was not sure at first at all about this book. It felt a little school-text-book to me. I usually prefer a more prose approach to my historical accounts. But as I got further into it I started to enjoy it. The character profiles add a lot to the telling of the story of the Napoleonic wars as does the well chosen artwork. The text tends towards factual lists of troop movements and doesn’t give enough humanity to the battles. All in all, a fairly enjoyable whistle stop romp through the period.

[Oscar · Rating 4 out of 5]

A nice & brisk overview of the period let down by the fact that, even when directly quoting from primary and secondary sources, the book features no references.

[Paul Taylor · Rating 2 out of 5]

Really rather disappointing. It is too pared down and fails give a strategic overview. The text is also annoyingly interrupted by brief biographies of various individuals.

[Oliver · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great overview of the Napoleonic Wars. Provides a general overview of Napoleon's life and the makeup of Europe throughout the era. The character profiles are particularly interesting snapshots of key figures, keeping the reading experience engaging.

It is a rather brief scratching of the surface of each topic area, as each page moves through time. Nevertheless, an excellent tool to dabble in and out of when studying the Napoleonic Wars.

[Rashad Bates · Rating 5 out of 5]

A great compliment to any Napoleon book. I love the visuals!!!!