"1809 Napoleonic Campaign - References?" Topic

I am really starting to warm up with the idea of having a Napoleonic 'pet' project – please refer to the other two threads in the last couple days – and so far I have identified the 1809 campaign as my favorite timeline.

I am determined to do the Austrians, giving them a new chance to reverse (!) history on the tabletop…As far as figures are concerned, I am still undecided between AB 15mm and it's 'relative' Fantassin Miniatures, the promised new 1809 range by NapoleoN 20mm, and the hints of a new TAG range in 28mm.

But, the question here is, what books offer an unbiased description of the 1809 campaign? Also, what's the best reference material for uniforms, etc? I do have all the relative Osprey books (which are very nice), but I need some more material, especially for the Austrians!

Any recommendations?

MANY Thanks…

Ioannis
wargames-etc.om

Links to previous threads regarding 1809 Austrians…

TMP link

TMP link

The 1809 campaign is my current project as well. I've relied on three books: Osprey's Eggmuhl 1809, Osprey's Aspern & Wagram 1809, and Hourtoulle's Wagram. The Hourtoulle (link) has extensive uniform plates for both sides.

Let's try that link again:

tiny.cc/AIYLL

The 3 books suggested by Scomac are essentials. Osprey's Aspern & Wagram 1809 is the most accurate source for OOB.

Also, if you can find Rothenberg's ''Napoleon's great adversaries : the Archduke Charles and the Austrian Army, 1792-1814''

And Scott Bowden's ''Armies on the Danube.''

Ioannis, The Hourtoulle (Histoire et Collections) book is all you will need for uniforms and a nice capsule history. I have a copy of Bowden's Armies on the Danube. If you can't locate a copy, I'd be happy to supply you with any information you might need. Just email me.

Aaron

I agree that the Hourtelle Book is rather superb. But I also have the Osprey books, and Scott Bowdens classic.

It is a great part of the era to game as it has both small/medium scraps and the bigger Aspern Essling/ Wagram and Napoleon is not always garenteed a win. I have gamed most in 15mm, Wagram in anything bigger a little impossible! My chaps are all AB, superb little chaps, with a few Fantassin- Generals etc.

Tally Ho!

For uniform reference have a scout around for these:-

Colonel John R. Elting's Napoleonic Uniforms: Vassals and Enemies Volume IV has a good selection of Herbert Knötel's illustrations of Austrian troops.

Ottenfeld and Tauber's DIE OSTERREICHISCHE ARMEE 1700-1867 Would cost you more than your army, but you might find someone who has scans of the plates.

There's also an Italian book L'Esercito Austriaco 1805/15 Fanteria by Marco Casareto which is in a similar format to the Osprey series

Seconded-aded Hourtelle Book-Wagram. Great uniform plates.

is Napoleon En Autriche by Moliere any good?

Have you looked at F.L.Petre "Napoleon against the Archduke Charles" unlike some he walked the battlefields. For orbats how about "A year at war 1809" by C.A.Sapherson.

If you can find it, you will need Gill's "With Eagles to Glory" to fill in the gaps regarding the Confederation of the Rhine troops. It has some uniform info but gives detailed battle participation information on the various nationalities. I bought it when it first came out and have bemoaned its loss with the most of the rest of library from last year's house fire. On Military Matters might have a copy.

Christopher Anders
Birmingham, AL

I'll second Gill's book; i found it terrific

MANY thanks, guys! These should keep me busy for quite some time…I do appreciate your help!

Jack Gills is also working on a two volumne study of the 1809 campaign the first volumn is due out in October. After his With Eagles to Gory this will be a must have.
William

A rare and ancient book (at least a second publishing during XXth Century) but full of information is Jean-Jacques Pelet's MÉMOIRES sur la Guerre de 1809 en Allemagne, avec les opérations particulières des corps d'Italie, de Pologue, de Saxe, de Naples et de Walcheren.
4 volumes, many maps and above all, written by someone who lived the "napoleonic battlefields".
Do whatever you can to catch a glimpse of this French text. It's worth a lot of effort.

Just looking at Amazon UK, which says that Gill's new book – published supposedly on Nov 1st cannot now be despatched in time for Xmas, which would suggest a serious delay. I suppose this might be related to P&S taking over Greenhill. Strangely Vol 2 is showing on Amazon UK as due in March under Frontline Books (some hippy outfit in Leicester!).

Mémoires sur la guerre de 1809, en Allemagne, avec les opérations … by Jean Jacques Germain Pelet. 4 vols. 1824-1826:

Vol 1:
link

Vol 2:
link

Vol 3:
link

Vol 4:
link

Amazon UK does have a bit of form when it comes to wildly over-optimistic publishing dates.

Another French reference that is worth a serious read is Saski's Campagne de 1809 en Allemagne et en Autriche. Berger-Levrault, 1899-1902. 3 tomes.
It's been written under the tutelage of Service historique de l'État-Major. You might find it quite hard to get a grip on those books except in some university libraries (or Google Books?). I just broke my piggy bank to buy my own copy. I also saw somewhere Librairie Historique Clavreuil (Fabrice Tesseidre) is preparing a reprint for some 500 Euros.
It is essentially a work that puts together in a coherent way the content of French military archives refering to the prelude (tome 1) and the 1809 campaign itself (tomes 2 and 3).
I guess it would be THE work to cross reference with Krieg 1809 to get an idea of how some encounters were comprehended by each countenders.

Campagne de 1809 en Allemagne et en Autriche by Charles Gaspard Louis Saski. 3 vols. 1899-1902:

Vol 1:
link

Vol 2:
link

Vol 3:
link

Steven, are the 5 volumes of "Krieg 1809" (published in 1907) available for download from the web…and if so, can you provide the link/s? And thanks again for all the other links. Libraries are at a premium in some parts of Texas.

My friend,

I only know of the first two volumes being available for download. Although all four volumes have been scanned, the last two are not available for download due to copyright:

Krieg 1809: Nach den Feldakten und anderen authentischen Quellen bearbeitet in der Kriegsgeschichtlichen Abteilung des K. und K. Kriegsarchivs. 1907-1910:

Vol 1 – Regensberg (1907):
link

Vol 2- Italien (1908):
link
link

Vol 3 -. Neumarkt, Ebelsberg (1909). Wien, bearb. von M. Ritter von Hoen, Eberhard Mayerhoffer von Vedropolje und Hugo Kerchnawe.

Vol 4 – Aspern (1910). Wien, bearb. von M. Ritter von Hoen und Hugo Kerchnawe.

These volumes are from the incomplete Series:

Geschichte der Kämpfe Osterreichs. Kriege unter der Regierung des Kaisers Franz.

Thanks Steven!

Does anyone know about limiting downloads in Europe (Switreland) so that I can download to Pelet but not the Saski works ? Is there some "trick" I am missing ? Thanks for any help. – R

PS – Too bad these downloads often do not include properly the larger, "pull out" tables and, as important, the maps. – R

Ralph,

Many of the books are not downloadable outside the USA without the use of a proxy server. This is caused by a concern regarding copyright. My experience has been that the book eventually become downloadable everywhere.

Steve

You may try

one-forty dot two-forty-seven dot sixty dot one-twenty-six port eight-eight-eight-eight

Cheers! :o)

Ralph,

I am sorry, I had to leave before I could finish.

Regarding the incomplete copying of folding pages/plates, etc:

Materials are esentially copied by machine – with some human assistance. It does not, at present, appear they are able to change the area viewed to match the size of the larger sized material within a book. I agree that this can be frustrating at times. I am thankful that the vast majority of each book is copied. If the missing material is needed, it can be ordered from the holding library at cost. If missing pages are found, please use the form that lets the library know which pages are missing or not readable. They do, in fact, make new copies – but it may take some time to complete.

Steve

Thanks for the prompt information; now to try. – R