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Napoleonic | War of 1812
Mexican-American War | Crimean War |
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Recommended Book List. Below is a listing of recommended books from historical events within the time period of 1800 to 1860. All of the sources listed are in English, with links connecting you to that title's information at Amazon's online book store.
And yeah, I need to break this page up into three or more sections... all in good time. My wife is sick tonite, so deal with it. ;-Þ
Please feel free to e-Mail me with your recommendations if
you'd like to see a particular favorite added.
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Here are some good books on the Napoleonic War. Yep, a little heavy on the Ospreys... I like 'em, they're good primers on everything! And by the way... if a book doesn't show in the window to the left (and instead, there's an ugly orange amazon.com ad there), right-click on the orange box and then choose "reload frame" -- it's a @#*$%#@^ amazon.com bug ;-(
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Napoleon's Lost Fleet: Bonaparte, Nelson, and the Battle of the Nile by Laura Foreman, Ellen Blue Phillips, Franck Goddio -- On August 1, 1798, Admiral Horatio Nelson and the British navy sailed into Abukir Bay, Egypt. After months of searching the Mediterranean Sea, Nelson finally had the French fleet cornered. Disregarding naval convention, Nelson readied his fleet for battle even though it was nearing evening. By the end of the next day, the French fleet was in tatters and Napoleon's flagship, the enormous Orient, had exploded with such fury that fewer than 100 of the 1,000 or so men aboard her survived. Nelson and his "Band of Brothers" had achieved a spectacular victory in what Patrick O'Brian called "the best naval battle of the millennium."
Napoleon's Lost Fleet recounts the story of the Battle of the Nile and the underwater archaeological expedition to the remains of the Orient in Abukir Bay. Lavishly illustrated, full of informative sidebars, the book careens around from topic to topic like Nelson chasing the French fleet around the Mediterranean--highlighting Napoleon, Josephine, Egyptian art, naval life, Nelson, and even Emma Hamilton. Short shrift is given to the valiant Comte de Brueys, the French admiral, who dreaded meeting the English fleet but was stranded waiting for orders from Napoleon--100 miles away in Cairo. Those caveats aside, Napoleon's Lost Fleet is a remarkably handsome volume, and the history--though haphazardly presented--is sound and accessible. Naval historians will find little new here, but armchair sea dogs and Aubrey-Maturin fans will enjoy the anecdotes, maps, and salty narrative. Anglophiles may wish to adopt an alternate title: Nelson Trounces the French, Act 1.
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How to Make War by Napoleon Bonaparte, Yann Cloarec (Editor), Keith Sanborn (Translator), Napoleon -- How To Make War lists the general's 111 maxims for combat, something he knew quite a bit about. The 1973 collection also contains an essay by translator Sanborn. The 1934 Letters volume corals his correspondence with family members and other soldiers and politicos. |
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1812 The Great Retreat: Told by the Survivors by Paul Britten Austin -- This excellent volume, superbly documented, paints a realistic, grim, and completely readable picture of the Grande Armee's retreat from Moscow. Much new information has been uncovered and used, and this is one of the best books on the subject available today in English. The third of three books by the same author on the Russian campaign, it tells the tale of one of the most tragic and gripping events of the Napoleonic Wars.
The retreat was gruesome. During it, Napoleon reached his nadir as a soldier, but somewhere, possibly during one of the running fights with Cossacks or other Russian irregulars, he regained his identity and courage, and got the remnants of his army out of Russia, the survivors he later proudly nicknamed his 'men of bronze.'
Without a doubt, the French and allied survivors were the toughest men in the Grande Armee by virtue of their getting out of Russia. The best and proudest moment for all concerned, except the Russians of course, was the assault crossing of the Berezina River, the last obstacle facing the Grande Armee on its way home.
Chased by two, and the river line held by another Russian army, the professionalism and stark fighting qualities of Napoleon's soldiers sorted themselves out and they executed a flawless operation, defeating two Russian armies and outrunning a third. Building the bridges they needed as they went, they fought their way across against almost overwhelming numbers of men and guns, the French and their trusted allies, Swiss, Germans, and Poles, outfighting their Muscovite opponents and leaving Russia as victors.
This story has many eyewitnesses, doctors, privates, generals, colonels, and one French actress. They tell of the horror and suffering, of high deeds, and the hopelessness of the snow covered vastness that is Russia in the winter.
This book is excellent, and along with its two partners, deserves wider reading. It is a superb reference for study or fun, and all three have now been produced in one volume.
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1815, The Waterloo Campaign: The German Victory: From Waterloo to the Fall of Napoleon by Peter Hofschroer -- 25 illustrations, 25 maps 6 x 9 Demonstrates the decisive German contribution to victory at Waterloo Unpublished German eyewitness accounts and regimental reports Covers the battles of Waterloo, Wavre and the taking of Paris.
Peter Hofschrer, in this second volume of his masterly study of 1815, challenges the accepted version of events at the battle of Waterloo. He demonstrtaes convincingly that Allied victory was due not to steadfast British infantry repelling the French, but to the timely arrival of Prussian troops who stole victory from Napoleon and sealed the fate of the last Grande Arme.
Drawing on previously unpublished accounts, Hofschrer gives not only the Prussian perspective of their march to Waterloo and decisive attack on Napoleons flank, but also details of the actions fought by some of the 25,000 Germans in Wellingtons British armymore than a third of the Dukes force. A gripping narrative of astonishing detail captures such key episodes of Waterloo as La Haye Sainte, Papelotte, Hougoumont and the Prussian struggle with the Imperial Guard for Plancenoit. In addition, Hofschrer examines the battle at Wavre, the Allied offensive into France, the taking of Paris and the sieges across northern France.
1815: The Waterloo Campaign -- The German Victory is a definitive work on an epic confrontation by one of todays leading military writers.
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The Age of Revolution: 1789-1848 by Eric J. Hobsbawm -- This magisterial volume follows the death of ancient traditions, the triumph of new classes, and the emergence of new technologies, sciences, and ideologies, with vast intellectual daring and aphoristic elegance. Part of Eric Hobsbawm's epic four-volume history of the modern world, along with The Age of Capitalism, The Age of Empire, and The Age of Extremes. |
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Britain and the Defeat of Napoleon 1807-1815 by Rory Muir -- Placing Britain`s defeat of Napoleonic France in a wholly modern perspective, this book presents a new assessment of the last years of the long war and reveals that the British economy and political system were as essential to victory as military might and tactical brilliance. Rory Muir`s comprehensive account of the era shows how politicians, the press, the crown, civilians, soldiers, and commanders together achieved the victory. |
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David (Art and Ideas) by Simon Lee -- Writing on the French Revolution, Karl Marx famously commented that the heroes of the revolution "performed the task of their time in Roman costume and with Roman phrases." The one painter who was almost single-handedly responsible for clothing the revolution in the mantle of the classical past was Jacques Louis David (1748-1825), one of the most controversial painters to have emerged from this turbulent period in the history of modern France. Although David's austere classical style has fallen out of fashion in recent years, Simon Lee's study David does a fine job of rescuing the artist from antiquarian curiosity, and placing him right back at the heart of revolutionary France.
Lee charts the rise of David from relative mediocrity as a highly academic painter to his enthusiastic support for the Revolution of 1789, culminating in his remarkable painting Marat Breathing His Last (1793). Arrested and narrowly avoiding execution in the political backlash following the overthrow of Robespierre, David turned his back on politics to concentrate on his art, only to find himself catapulted back into the political limelight with his fervent embrace of Napoleon Bonaparte. This loyalty formed the foundation of some of David's most imposing paintings, from the equestrian portraits of Napoleon to the pomp of The Coronation of the Emperor and Empress. But once again, David's political hopes were dashed with Napoleon's defeat at Waterloo in 1815, which led the painter into self-imposed exile in Brussels, where he died a decade later.
Despite Lee's rather wooden prose, this is a thorough, detailed, and generously illustrated study of a fascinatingly contradictory, patrician, but technically brilliant painter.
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Uniforms & Equipment
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British Redcoat (2) 1793-1815 (Warrior 20) by Stuart Reid -- In 1783 the British army struggled home from North America in a shattered condition. It had acquitted itself well, but its regiments were now woefully understrength, and it was not until 1789 that they were again fit for service. Little more than three years later, Republican France declared war, and, apart from two short periods, the army was to be heavily engaged around the globe for the next 23 years. Beginning where Warrior 19 British Redcoat 1740-93 ends, Stuart Reid shows how the army was re-organised, re-equipped, re-trained and led from the bitter struggle in the West Indies to the final reckoning at Waterloo. |
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British Rifleman 1797-1815 (Warrior 47) by Philip Haythornthwaite -- The rifle corps of the British Army during the Napoleonic Wars are among the most recognisable of all the soldiers of that era: their distinctive dark green uniforms are as familiar as some of their exploits. They have achieved considerable fame through the large numbers of memoirs written by members of the rifle corps as well as through modern fiction, most notably the Sharpe series. Apart from their reputation as a corps d'elite, the riflemen were, in their time, at the very cutting edge of military technology and tactical theory. Philip Haythornwaite here uses fascinating first hand accounts and detailed research to give a 'soldier's-eye view' of the British Rifleman, his life and work. |
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Wellington's Foot Guards (Elite 52) by Ian Fletcher -- The Guards fought in every major British campaign on the continent during the Napoleonic Wars. They carved their place in history under commanders such as Sir John Moore and Wellington from Corunna and Talavera during the Peninsula War to their legendary defence of the Chateau of Hougoumont throughout the battle of Waterloo. Ian Fletcher examines the uniforms and insignia of the Guards as worn both on campaign and on ceremonial duties in this worthy addition to the Elite series, which features a wealth of accompanying illustrations including 12 full page colour plates by Bill Younghusband. |
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Napoleon's Commanders (1) ca.1792-1809 (Elite 72) by Philip Haythornthwaite -- On the Napoleonic battlefield victory or defeat could still depend on the skills, reactions and personalities of individual commanders. Even under a genius such as Bonaparte the dispersal of his armies on campaign, and the lack of fast communications, left command and control of the different corps and divisions in the hands of his marshals and generals. This first in a pair of Elite titles describes in concise but colourful detail the careers and personalities, and illustrates the appearance, of more than two dozen of Napoleon's leading colleagues and subordinate commanders in the Revolutionary Wars and the Napoleonic campaigns up to 1809. |
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Napoleon's Commanders (2) ca.1809-15 (Elite 83) by Philip Haythornthwaite -- On the Napoleonic battlefield victory or defeat could still depend on the skills, reactions and personalities of individual commanders. Even under a genius such as Napoleon the dispersal of his armies on campaign, and the lack of fast communications, left command and control of the different corps and divisions in the hands of his marshals and generals. This second in a pair of Elite titles describes in concise but colourful detail the careers and personalities of more than two dozen of Napoleon's leading subordinate commanders in the armies of the later Empire, from c1809 to the Hundred Days campaign of 1815. Their individual appearance, and the typical uniforms of a variety of staff officers, are reconstructed in 12 dazzling colour plates. |
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Austrian Commanders of the Napoleonic Wars 1792-1815 (Elite 101) by David Hollins -- Throughout the Revolutionary and Napoleonic wars, France's most consistent enemy on land was the Austrian Empire. Austria's huge armies played a central part in the several coalitions against France, from the 1790s, to the Austerlitz campaign of 1805, the closely-balanced battles of 1809, and the final upsurge of 1813-14. Contrary to the myth of rigid aristocratic conformity, the generals who led those armies were as diverse in origin and character as their regiments - some were princes of the blood, and some ex-rankers promoted for talent and courage. This text gives concise but fact-packed accounts of the careers of more than 30 of these men, illustrated with portraits and meticulous colour plates. |
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Spanish Guerrillas in the Peninsular War 1808-14 (Elite 108) by René Chartrand -- Constant Spanish guerrilla activity so drained the resources and diverted the attention of the French military that Wellington was able to advance against and overcome a numerically superior enemy. So many French soldiers were being used to counter the guerrillas and the threat that they posed that less than a third of the French army could be tasked with confronting Wellington. This book brings to life, for the first time, the formation, tactics and experiences of the Spanish guerrilla forces that fought Napoleon's army. Using much previously unpublished material, it offers a vivid description of the guerrilla and his lifestyle. |
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Napoleon's Imperial Headquarters (1) Organization and Personnel (Elite 115) by Ronald Pawly -- The 'military machine' by which Napoleon and his indispensable chief of staff Marshal Berthier commanded and controlled his huge armies on campaign numbered some 1,500 officers and men, organized in the different bureaux of his military and civilian 'households' and the army general headquarters. This essential tool of the Emperor's power was designed to provide him, even in a front-line camp, with all the information, technical support and comfort that he enjoyed in his palaces. This fascinating study details the entourage which enabled Napoleon to move hundreds of thousands of troops right across Europe. |
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Napoleon's Imperial Headquarters (2) On Campaign (Elite 116) by Ronald Pawly -- Following Elite 115 -- which described the composition of Napoleon's military and civil 'households', and Marshal Berthier's army general headquarters -- this title offers an intimate glimpse of the Emperor's entourage in the field. Centred on the Waterloo campaign in 1815, it draws comparisons with his earlier triumphs. From the testimony of his trusted servants, the text draws a vivid picture of his daily routines on the march. Of particular interest are new details of Napoleon's tented camp HQ from 1812; and a further selection of the striking uniforms worn by his closest attendants. |
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Imperial Guardsman 1799-1815 (Warrior 22) by Philip Haythornthwaite -- Napoleon's Imperial Guard was one of the most famous military formations in history. The Imperial Guard could perform ceremonial duties as well as any, but it was primarily as an élite combat formation of the army that it excelled. Although it would expand to represent a considerable portion of France's military establishment, it remained Napoleon's personal guard and was accorded care and attention which set its members above the rest of the army. In this book, Philip Haythornthwaite examines their lives, organisation and privileges, paying particular attention to how their experience differed from those of the regular French line units. |
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Austrian Grenadiers and Infantry 1788-1816 (Warrior 24) by David Hollins -- Aside from the Peninsula and Napoleon's 1807 campaign, Austrian troops played some part in every major campaign of the Napoleonic Wars. Unable to mobilize its population fully for both political and economic reasons, Austria recruited from territories as diverse as modern Belgium, the Czech Republic, central Romania and northern Italy. These soldiers fought on terrains as diverse as the Po valley and the Swiss mountains. This book traces the life and experiences of both the ordinary infantry and the veteran elite of the Grenadier battalions, covering everything from basic training and equipment, to the tactics and horror of the battlefield. |
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Russian Grenadiers and Infantry 1799-1815 (Warrior 51) by Laurence Spring -- This title provides a comprehensive and vivid account of life in the Russian infantry at the turn of the 19th century -- a time when the Russian army was arguably one of the most important in the world. Although hopelessly outdated at the outbreak of war in 1799, the army underwent radical changes and modernisation after Czar Paul I's murder. This book details recruitment and training procedures, tactics and equipment, and daily life both at home and on campaign. The experiences of the average soldier are examined, and several commonly held assumptions regarding his character and motivation are reassessed. |
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French Napoleonic Infantryman 1803-15 (Warrior 57) by Terry Crowdy -- This title draws on contemporary testimonies of life in Napoleon's army, documenting the reality of conscription, training, camp life and combat action for the common infantry soldier. In contrast to most works on this period, it calls into question the propagandist views expounded by numerous Bonapartists -- the romantic notion of La Gloire is very much tempered by some hard-hitting recollections of the horror and misery of military life 200 years ago. Packed with prints taken from contemporary sources and superb colour illustrations, it provides a concise, revealing and authentic portrait of life in the Grand Armée. |
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Prussian Regular Infantryman 1808-15 (Warrior 62) by Oliver Schmidt -- Following the disastrous defeats at Jena and Auerstadt by Napoleon in 1806, the Prussian armed forces were forced to regroup, and radical changes were instigated in all areas. The fighting spirit and ability of the infantry remained consistently high throughout this period, from the dark days of Jena, through the Wars of Liberation and on to victory under Marshal Blücher's command at Waterloo. This title follows a typical Prussian line infantryman through recruitment, training, the routines of daily life and duties, to experiences on campaign and in battle, in this decisive and dynamic period. |
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French Revolutionary Infantryman 1791-1802 (Warrior 63) by Terry Crowdy -- This title, a prequel to Warrior 57 French Napoleonic Infantryman 1803-15, concentrates on the period from the storming of the Bastille in 1789 until Bonaparte's election as Consul for Life in 1802. The meticulously researched text provides an authentic portrait of military life during the Revolution and beyond, with excellent use of contemporary sources, including many illuminating and vivid quotations from the memoirs and letters of those who served during the 'Wars of Liberty'. It follows typical volunteers of 1791, through the early stages of the war, the Civil War in the west of France and into Bonaparte's second Italian campaign, culminating in the Battle of Marengo in 1800. |
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The Cossacks 1799-1815 (Warrior 67) by Laurence Spring -- During the Napoleonic Wars, the Cossacks were Russia's unique and plentiful supply of irregular cavalry. They were employed as skirmishers, raiders and scouts, and their tactics of harassment and harrying caused great problems for Napoleon's Grand Armée as it retreated through Russia in 1812. This title shows how, although labelled as rapacious, lascivious, mercenary and ill-disciplined on the field by their detractors, they laid claim to being the finest light cavalry in Europe. This book also details the various tribes that made up the Cossack nation, the social structure of Cossack life, and how they were organised and employed in war. |
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French Soldier in Egypt 1798-1801 -- The Army of the Orient (Warrior 77) by Terry Crowdy -- This book concentrates on the dramatic experiences of Napoleon's Army of the Orient in Egypt and the Holy Land. The fighting of the Mamelukes and Turks are covered in depth, detailing desert combat, siege warfare, cavalry skirmishes and the suppression of uprisings. It examines the French treatment of prisoners as well as the fate of captured Frenchmen, and describes caring for the wounded, outbreaks of bubonic plague, and the terrible retreat from Acre in 1799, in accounts by the men who were there. The experiences of infantry, cavalry and sea soldiers of Napoleon's Army of the Orient are brought vividly back to life. |
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Hungarian Hussar 1756-1815 (Warrior 81) by David Hollins -- The Hussar were the skilled, daring and flamboyant light cavalrymen first drawn for Hapsburg service, from what is now northern Croatia, Serbia, Slovakia and Hungary in the late 17th century. Before long, major European nations adopted Hussar formations, uniform and equipment. This title covers a dynamic and glamorous period, during which the Hussars were increasingly regulated within the Hapsburg army, and developments took place in clothing, weaponry and equipment, notably the introduction of short carbines and rifles. Battlefield tactics, campaign life, and famous episodes of derring-do are also given full treatment, making this a packed, colourful and fascinating study of the Hungarian Hussar. |
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Nelson's Navy (Elite 48) by Philip Haythornthwaite -- Despite the many celebrated victories of the British Army during the Napoleonic Wars, the role of the Royal Navy should never be overlooked. The 'wooden walls' formed the country's first and most important line of defence, and ranged throughout the world to protect Britain's trade-routes and in support of the land forces and overseas possessions. This book covers the huge variations in uniforms not just in the Navy but the Royal Marines and Infantry regiments which served alongside naval crews. It also looks at the organisation, training and recruitment of the force and corrects a number of misconceptions regarding impressment and training. |
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Privateers & Pirates 1730-1830 (Elite 74) by Angus Konstam -- Following the pirate scourge of the early 18th century, many sea captains took to privateering as a means of making money. A form of nationally sponsored piracy, it reached its peak during the American Revolution, when the fledgling American navy had to rely on privateers to disrupt British shipping between England and the rebellious colonies. Following peace in 1815, many former privateers turned to piracy, spawning the last great piratical wave, which would last for a decade. The world of these privateers and latter-day pirates comes vividly to life in this detailed exploration of their ships, crews, ports and battle tactics. |
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French Warship Crews 1789-1805 from the French Revolution to Trafalgar (Warrior 97) by Terry Crowdy -- This book gives a detailed and authentic account of the life and experiences of French warship crews from the Revolution up to Trafalgar. It describes the recruitment and composition of crews, the different duties performed and the living conditions they had to endure at sea. Their experiences of fighting the British are covered in depth; from preparing the ship for action, to the violent discharges of heavy calibre guns, the often gruesome realities of sea warfare are revealed through pictures and contemporary testimonies. |
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Nelson's Sailors (Warrior 100) by Gregory Fremont-Barnes -- The "wooden walls" of the Royal Navy formed the country's most important line of defence during the Napoleonic Wars, protecting Britain from Napoleon's intended invasion. This book examines the experiences of the average British sailor on board a ship-of-the-line during the age of Nelson, including the infamous press ganging, alcoholism and squalid conditions. These were brave men, thrown into the thick of battle, held together by a belief and a cause -- to prevent Napoleon and his men from invading their homeland. |
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