Wholesome History Reads Group discussion

Welcome!
This is a thread for talking about great books around the Napoleon-era. This is a fascinating time in history. Enjoy!

I'm currently reading Robert Asprey's second volume of his two book biography on Napoleon:


by Robert B. Asprey

The next Napoleonic book I want to read is this older publication. It's part of a two book account of Napoleon's campaign against Austria in 1809. I read the second volume first not knowing there was an early book:

Crisis on the Danube: Napoleon's Austrian Campaign of 1809 by James R. Arnold

Looks great! I need to read more bout Napoleon. There's probably lots of amazing info that's just waiting to be discovered!

You'd be surprised how many books there are on Napoleon and the Napoleonic wars.

I read this last year and would highly recommend for a insightful exploration of the planners - politicians and civil servants - who managed the war's supplies and logistics.

Don't mistake this as dull though as it reads just a well as any book on a Napoleonic battle; and of course getting victualled ships and supplied armies along with making sure the ports have the stuff and the items are made, bought and found for ships and soldiers alike is important.

by R.J.B. Knight

Another good recommendation Geevee which I fully endorse and may I also suggest this as another good book to view the period from the British perspective:

by Rory Muir

Written by an Australian as well and also the author of this excellent biography on Wellington:

by Rory Muir
(who was almost, almost as good as Napoleon!)

I jsut finished this one



Good introduction to the man and his battles from Austerlitz thru Waterloo

It is a very good introduction to Napoleon and that period Happy!

I've not read that Happy but Alistair Horne is excellent.

One of my favourite Napoleonic books is this title:



La Grande Armee by Georges Blond
Description:
Critics have called this 544-page study the tour de force of books on Napoleon's army. Early in his career, the author actually interviewed aging veterans and survivors of the Napoleonic wars. Retrace each step of the Emperor's Grande Armee. Rare combat prints, drawings, and sketches accurately depict military apparel and weaponry, while charts, theater of operations, maps, casualty lists and statistics add to this chronicle's clarity and value.

Nice. Thanks Rick!

IF anyone is interested, I finally typed up my thoughts on



https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

Good review Happy, thanks for taking the time to write it up and share the details.

I am going to have to try and read this book sometime soon, it arrived just today:


by Andrew Roberts

Looks good, Rick! Be sure to let me know what you think of it.

'Aussie Rick' wrote: "I am going to have to try and read this book sometime soon, it arrived just today:


by Andrew Roberts"

I've added it to my TBR

I really liked his

I think his book on Napoleon will be a very good account from my browsing though its contents so far.

I've just started reading this massive new book on Napoleon and so far it has been pretty good:

by Andrew Roberts

Sounds great! Glad you're enjoying it. I'll have to read it, too.

I recently finished this one on Waterloo



I thought it a good look at the battle from a non English perspective

I also finished Vol 1 of Asprey's bio of Napoleon



i thougth it was a good mix of the personal, poltical and military apects of his rise to power. It covers the time from his birth thru the Battle of Austerlitz.

Both books look good. Thanks Happy!

From Andrew Roberts Napoleon:

"An hour before nightfall, Napoleon visited Eylau. 'The streets were full of corpses,' Captain Francois-Frederic Billon recalled, 'what a horrible spectacle. Tears welled in the Emperor's eyes; nobody would have believed possible such an emotion from this great an of war, however I saw them myself, these tears ... The Emperor was doing his best to prevent his horse stepping on human remains. Being unsuccessful ... it's then that I saw him crying'."

The best book on this terrible battle is this title:

Crisis In The Snows Russia Confronts Napoleon: The Eylau Campaign 1806 1807 by James R. Arnold

'Aussie Rick' wrote: "From Andrew Roberts Napoleon:

"An hour before nightfall, Napoleon visited Eylau. 'The streets were full of corpses,' Captain Francois-Frederic Billon recalled, 'what a horrible spectacle. Tears we..."

Wow. That sounds amazing! Lots of emotion in that paragraph.

Just finished this folks and thought it very good:

Waterloo: The True Story of Four Days, Three Armies and Three Battles by Bernard Cornwell

My review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

Great review Geevee, your point about the colour plates is spot on as well.

Geevee wrote: "Just finished this folks and thought it very good:

[book:Waterloo: The True Story of Four Days, Three Arm..."

Nice review, Geevee! Thanks for the suggestion. Sounds like another book I need to find a copy of!

I think you'll like it.

New book hot off the press, I've just ordered my copy:


by James R. Arnold

'Aussie Rick' wrote: "New book hot off the press, I've just ordered my copy:


by James R. Arnold"

Awesome! Be sure to let us know what you think of it.

I will :)

I recently finished



It's a look at Napoleon's invasion of Russia and what disease, specifically typhus did to his army

My thoughts, if anyone is interested

https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

A word of warning - Talty can be a little graphic when describing the effects of Typhus and the aftermath of the battles.

Many Thanks, Happy. I do enjoy reading about Napoleon and I will add this to Mt. TBR.

Another great review Happy, thanks for sharing!

Awesome review Happy. Thank you! The book sounds interesting.

Wanda wrote: "Many Thanks, Happy. I do enjoy reading about Napoleon and I will add this to Mt. TBR."

I hope you like it. My TBR list never seems to get any shorter - too many good books!

If anyone is interested, my thoughts on Bernard Cornwell's Waterloo: The True Story of Four Days, Three Armies and Three Battles

https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

@happy Another awesome review. I always like reading yours. Great job!

Thank you

Finished Napoleon: The Man behind the Myth - easy and down to earth biography. Reveiw here for anyone interested.

How did it compare with Andrew Roberts' work? They are both pretty long....

Well ... I read Andrew Robert's book 5 years ago so I have no recollection anymore, but judging to my rating and review, they are both excellent. Apparently they are both objective which I really liked. I think Andrew Robert's account is a little bit more personal as he draws a lot on his letters. So if that is more to your taste I would certainly go for that one.

Boudewijn wrote: "Finished Napoleon: The Man behind the Myth - easy and down to earth biography. Reveiw here for anyone interested."

Nice review, thanks for sharing your thoughts with the rest of the group. I still have a copy of this book that I am yet to read, maybe sometime in 2021 :)

I've recently started reading the final volume in Michael Broers' trilogy on Napoleon:

Napoleon: The Decline and Fall of an Empire: 1811-1821 by Michael Broers

Aussie Rick, have you already watched the movie Napoleon? I saw it last week, not what I expected ...

I've seen the movie, and although I enjoyed the costumes and the battle scenes, like you, it's not what I expected!