The Napoleonic Wars: The Rise And Fall Of An Empire

The Napoleonic Wars

by Gregory Fremont-Barnes, Todd Fisher, Bernard Cornwell (Foreword)

The Napoleonic Wars saw fighting on an unprecedented scale in Europe and the Americas. It took the wealth of the British Empire, combined with the might of the continental armies, almost two decades to bring down one of the world's greatest military leaders and the empire that he had created. Napoleon's ultimate defeat was to determine the history of Europe for almost 100 years. From the frozen wastelands of Russia, through the brutal fighting in the Peninsula to the blood-soaked battlefield of Waterloo, this book tells the story of the dramatic rise and fall of the Napoleonic Empire. This book contains material previously published as Essential Histories volumes 3, 9, 17 and 39.

Genres: History, Military History, Nonfiction, Military Fiction, Historical

352 pages, Paperback

First published April 27, 2004

Reviews

[John Somers · Rating 3 out of 5]

13/20.

[Rich · Rating 4 out of 5]

This hefty offering from Osprey flies low & fast through the period 1805-1815, so it doesn't spend very much time on any one topic. Having said that, the book does a nice job of what it sets out to do... which is offer a workmanlike overview of the wars of the Napoleonic Empire. It has very good maps, informative thumbnail biographies, and a lovely set of illustrations. One disappointment was the conclusion. While it gives a decent summary of what happened after Waterloo as the victorious powers carved up Europe, the summation of the military conflict focuses almost solely on the importance of the Peninsular War and Wellington & his armies in the ultimate defeat of Napoleonic France.

[Bruinrefugee · Rating 4 out of 5]

Consistent with other items in this series. The maps are very helpful and it does a good job explaining how Napoleon extended his influence (or conquered) even when he didn't try to annex a country. A personal frustration: it starts with hostiliies after Treaty of Amiens (1802) with limited lead-up; doesn't capture how Napoleon came to lead country. Needs to be read with a companion book, The French Revolutionary Wars, that probably should have been included as well.