"Wanted 1805 to 1807 books suggestions" Topic

I've just finished James Arnold's excellent "Crisis in the Snows" (highly recommended for gamers) but it only covers the 1806 campaign in Poland up to Eylau (is there a second volume being planned to Friedland???). I'm now awaiting delivery of Gills second volume on the 1809 Danube campaign but can anyone suggest something similar on the following campaigns:
1805 Danube
1806 Prussia
1807 Poland

I'm really looking for coverage of the minor battles for each of the campaigns mentioned (so Osprey are out). Text rather than pictures as I already have the H&C books and Dempsey's "Otto Manuscript" is in the post.

I've already got Chandler and I know there's Petre but I'd sooner find something with a more modern writing style.

Any suggestions gratefully received.

As I recall, there is a second volume planned covering the rest of the 1807 campaign

The Glory Years 1805-1807: Napoleon and Austerlitz by Scott Bowden covers the 1805 campaign. I had heard that there were plans to cover 1806 and 1807 but I've heard nothing since this book came out

''1805 Austerlitz'' by robert Goetz. Highly recomended but concentrates on the main battle and skips over the rest of the campaign. Full OOBs

A second for
''The Glory Years 1805-1807: Napoleon and Austerlitz'' by Scott Bowden. Highly recomended. This is the one you should go for. It's pretty comprehensive with OOB and accounts of all the small battles/encounters.

There is also the Historie and collections series that includes Austerlitz, Friedland/Eylau, Wagram, Borodino and 1814 campaign. Highly recomended.

''The Anatomy and Glory'' It's about the guard and covers their role during the whole period. Highly recomended.

I've also just recieved my copy of Gills second volume on 1809 thunder on the Danube. It's every bit as good as the first one.

I don't recall the author, but "Napoleon's Polish Gamble" is supposed to be good. Also George Nafziger has a book on the Austrian campaign in Poland during 1809. I'm not sure if he authored it or if he translated it, but his stuff is always good.

Regards, Bill

Anderson. Campaign of Jena 1806. 1913:

link

There are lots of books in languages other than English available for free on the Internet that are on point.

Here's another vote for the Bowden book for 1805.

The Hourtaille book on Jena-Auerstadt is very good for the 1806 campaign.

Some classics on the subject

F. Loraine Petre:
Napoleon's Comquest of Prussia 1806
Napoleons Campaign in Poland 1806-7

True they were written before 1914 and could use more maps and army organisation notes but they are good.

The First World War stopped Petre finishing the 1805 campaign.

''1805 Austerlitz'' by Robert Goetz is good and don't overlook Christopher Duffy's "Austerlitz"

"The Hourtaille book on Jena-Auerstadt is very good for the 1806 campaign." The Austerlitz book is a great resource for wargamers.

At the risk of a flame war – A second NOT for ''The Glory Years 1805-1807: Napoleon and Austerlitz'' by Scott Bowden. True it's accounts of all the small battles/encounters, too bad it's also heavily biaed – even Kevin Keeley who writes on the French agrees with that. I consider the work heavily reliant on French sources. Even then, injudiciously choosen to the point that Col. Elting disavows the use of Thiebalt in the forward. Completely at sea when discussing Allies, it is based on secondary sources missing some important ones, and often presenting footnotes that are irrelevant, anachronistic, or flatly contradictory to the text they preport to support. Egregious errors in the technical information.

Another reiew of this book states: "This book is one of the poorest books on the Napoleonic period to be published for a long time. It is written on the basis of original archival research and the preface tells us that the principal primary sources were 193 cartons of material from the French archives, from which he identifies individual documents. In the context of the allies he alludes to the Austrian Kriegsarchiv, unidentified "smaller archival collections throughout Germany", and "an extensive collection of regimental histories in the Russian army archives", which we are told are "in Saint Petersberg". On close examination, however, it is impossible to identify a single original allied source.

Chapter II to Part II describes the Russian army in 1805 and on p96 we are told that there were four standing armies. The footnote refers to Duffy's Russia's Military Way to the West p126. This actually describes a 1777 proposal by Count Aleksandrovich Rumyantsev, which was never adopted.

On pp98-99 we are given the strength of a Russian infantry battalion as "738 combatants". Turning to the reference in the footnote, von Stein's Geschichte des Russischen Heeres Vol1 p245, there are some tables to be found, but this part of Stein is concerned with the maintenance costs of various units in 1802, and 738 is actually the pay in roubles received by a lieutenant colonel in the dragoons and hussars.

On p100 Bowden discusses the composition of the Russian guard infantry. Using Stein as the source again, he alludes to an organization extant during the reign of Paul I. The page indicated in Stein contains nothing whatever to substantiate the assertion that a guard infantry regiment comprised two battalions of musketeers and one of grenadiers, or that the grenadier battalion was detached from each to form a three battalion `Guard Grenadier' regiment in the field. The `Guard Grenadier' regiment he refers to is nothing of the sort and is, in fact, the Leib-Grenadier regiment, the senior regiment of the line.
Chapter III to Part II dealing with the Austrians is more of the same.

On p124 footnote 15 refers to Gallina's Beiträge zur Geschichte des österreichischen Heerwesens, a work published in 1872, specifically `Suggestions for the drill and Evolutions of Foot'. Gallina wrote in German and no part of his work was given an English title; except by Gunther Rothenberg in his The Archduke Charles and the Austrian Army 1792-1814, at footnote 22 to p87.

There is even more compelling evidence of poaching from secondary sources on p324. In his account of the attack on Telnitz by Kienmayer, which he footnotes as coming from Stutterheim. Bowden has the 2nd Szeklers supported by the 1st Szeklers and Border (sic) Croats. Duffy, also using Stutterheim in his 1977 Austerlitz 1805, says the same thing, including the typograhical error that has the Broder Croats as the `Border' Croats.

Examination of Stutterheim, however, shows that the Austrian, a primary source who was on the spot, says that Kienmayer committed 1st Szeklers initially and that he then ordered General Carneville to advance with the remainder of his infantry. The remainder of his infantry, therefore, comprising 2nd Szeklers and Broder Croats, supported the 1st Szeklers, and not as Bowden and Duffy have it. The only explanation for this that I can think of is that Bowden copied from Duffy, claiming to have taken it from Stutterheim, but repeated Duffy's error. It could, I suppose, be a simple coincidence that Duffy and Bowden made the same transcription error, some 20 years apart.

On p432 the Soult issue crops up. Soult, it is said, suggested `Duke of Austerlitz' for himself, when titles were being dished out in 1808. Napoleon, apparently, refused him and Bowden deploys two dubious sources to support his contention that Soult did not deserve it. He then goes on to say that the suggestion that Napoleon deprived Soult of what he was due, is a British plot to make Wellington appear better than he was and adds a gratuitous insult to Paddy Griffiths and David Chandler! This is risible rubbish The orders of battle should be treated with care. Russian transliterations are a mess, largely Germanic in origin and presumably taken from Stein. In the case of the Austrians, where the numbers have been rounded off, of unclear provenance.

The Biography contains a list of the works which, presumably, were consulted in writing the book. These include Mercer's Journal of the Waterloo Campaign and Bowden's own Armies of Waterloo! On page 525 there is an entry by an author called Derselbe, who apparently wrote Die Schlacht bei Austerlitz. `Derselbe' actually means `the same' or `ditto' in German. The only explanation I can think of is that he has simply lifted the entry from somebody else's bibliography without knowing what it meant. This tends to raise questions about the provenance of large parts of this book and probably explains mistakes in information extracted from German material, such as Stein.
Finally the maps. Absence of scale bars and a compass rose make them useless. This book is badly researched, biased and wrong in so many details that is it just best ignored."

You miss out all the real excellent works of authors like

Alombert & Colin – Danube 185

and Foucart – Prussian and early Polish campaign of 1806 / 07.

And don´t forget: Ian Castle's Austerlitz: Napoleon and The Eagles of Europe.

cheers

At the risk of a flame war – it would have been much quicker & easier to say "I don't like Scott Bowden – don't buy his book"
I think anyone reading on the subject would be missing out a great deal if they didn't consider 'Napoleon & Austerlitz, The Glory years 1805-1807' by Scott Bowden.

Don't all books have errors (typographical, mistaken research or use of secondary works etc)considering the amount of information he puts into his books i'm surprised you didn't find more (not that I have checked your facts), isn't that why we buy several books on the same or similar subject or are you another from the 'Germanic sources only club'?

As you say 'At the risk of a flame war'

PS who is Kevin Keeley? :¬)

– should have been Kevin Kiley – my fault for doing this post a work since Keeley is a fellow BoD member – and he's not into wagames ;-)

No flame war then? good, thank god, but talking of KK your post reminds me of some of his critiques of books by Noseworthy & Hollins, when i think all he wanted to say was (what i accused you of)..

As SHS says, look at Google books, some of the best books are now available for free download, look at any modern works bibliography and you will be able to find a lot of them for free, being able to read French, German etc would help though.

SHS – thanks for the attachement, much appreciated!

Well, Graf, as they say in Russian, "No sweatskii!" It looks like we might be back in business again. Urbique, and all that.

Big Al

Well thats good to know, but the other is very depressing news, I can only think that G. must have a seriously good reason to go so out of their way to stop us reading our own books.
Does Gloria still work? and for how long will she be so obliging?

For 1805 and 1807, I would suggest the Austerlitz book by Bowden and for 1807 the Crisis in the Snows book by Arnold.

Another excellent book that covers both 1805 and 1807 is the Napoleon's Finest book, which is a translated and greatly expanded edition Marshal Davout's after action report of the 3rd Corps. It has superb graphics, maps, OBs, and great text that has helped make it an instant classic.

Scott Bowden's translation of Bressonet on 1806 is due to come out soon, too, I think. I am really looking forward to that one.

Keeley indeed! ;-)

Sincerely,
Kevin

I second the upcoming translation of Bressonet on 1806. Got my copy on Order.

Nick

Thanks for the replies, helpful as ever.

Thinking back I had seen the Bowden book at a show but for some reason it hadn't registered. Anyway that and Anatomy of Glory is on the way now. I've also downloaded a couple of the Maude books.

Napoleons finest is obvioulsy rare as the only copies I've seen online are £150.00 GBP (about $225) which even I hesitate at. If I see a copy I may decide then.

Thanks again for the suggestions.

Actually, if I recall $225 USD is the original list price of Napoleon's Finest. It was released … 2 years ago (?) and was limited edition (1400 copies, mine is #13something).

The up coming 1806 campaign book in the series is $150 USD pre-order and expected to run between $200-250 once shipping.

Cheers,

The Bandit

How about Napoleon en Pologne, La Campagne de 1806-1807 by Natalia Griffon de Pleineville et Vladimir Chikanov. Great book if you can understand French.

It is a top quality production 600 pages long (21.6 x 30.4cms) covering the whole Polish campaign including detailed analysis of Eylau, Pultusk, Friedland, Braunsberg, Ostrolenka and the Siege of Danzig.

Plenty of great maps and over a 1000 colour illustrations and paintings, the vast majority of which, I have not seen before.

In the annexures it also has numerous contemporary Bulletins de Grande Armee, which are also interesting.

Plenty of Russian sources used.

I bought it direct from the publisher Le Livre Chez Vous for 115 Euro, including postage to Australia from France.

link

Type the title into the search engine on the website and that will take you to the book.

It's amazing what books you can get in French.

Their service was fantastic.

Description on Helion & Company

link

Their price is over the top.

I would add
The End of the Old Order
Napoleon and Europe, 1801-1805
by Frederick Kagan

link

I understand the author may involved in US politics somewhere, which may put some off (it would have for me if it came through in the text), but I thoroughly enjoyed the first book of what promises to be a series, and thought it had some great detailed descriptions of the campaign of 1805.

It also has some excellent background on the politics and diplomatics in the lead up to the engagements, as well.

I read it in my local book shop, and ended up buying it – it sparked me to start looking at the new works on the period again, which I stopped doing about 6 or 7 years ago.

and of course the general books most of us have/want
- Swords around the throne, Chandler, Noseworthy, Rory Muir, Nafziger, Gill, Arnold, Bowden, etc