"Marshal Louis N. Davout And The Art Of Command " Topic

Anyone have read this book?

See here
link

If the answer is yes, comments please?

Thanks in advance for your guidance.

Amicalement
Armand

FREELY available here:

link

As are a tonne of other monographs, dissertations and reports.

(I love you, Tango…but you have been posting a lot of "click bait" lately. A bit more homework on your part would help).

Couldn't agree more Andrew. A little more circumspection would be appreciated.

yep, that is always a great site. Loads of stuff to wind your way thru.

"(I love you, Tango…but you have been posting a lot of "click bait" lately. A bit more homework on your part would help)."

His inquiry was if anyone had ready the book as it is obvious he is soliciting a review and not trying to sell a book. A little more thinking on your part would help.

Well… first of all… my threads rarely became from home…(smile)… so, the time to check some links are very little… (smile)…. second… as our fellow member have said… I only ask for a review … (smile).

Amicalement
Armand

My friend Armand, I read it a couple of years ago.

I would recommend it with this precondition: start with reading what the author concludes is the art of command beginning at page 110 (116 in the pdf), and make a note for yourself what this is; then read from the start and assess yourself if Davoust showed that he mastered it. I don't think that the author provides that good analysis and shows "evidence" that Davoust had all the requirements of a master of command, but maybe I am expecting too much from a Master's thesis. However, I certainly agree with the authors conclusion, that Davoust mastered the art of command, but that is because I have read a lot of other books about Davoust and made up my mind based on much more than this thesis.
I think it is an easy read, completed in a couple of evenings. It refreshed me on the start of the 1809 campaign, and reading about Davoust, the best of Napoleon's marshals (and my "favourite" marshal), is easy to recommend. However, if you already have read Davout's biography, other works concentrating on him or his corps' and look for more in-depth analysis on him and his campaigns, maybe you should look elsewhere. Bottom line; I would anyway read from page 110 until the end, because the author makes a good argument and summary on the art of command. Then you can decide whether the style of writing suits you and your interest is still there :)

Btw Armand, thanks for your "Napoleonic themed recce". A lot of interesting stuff you find :)

Bless him, he does get it seriously wrong occasionally…but rarely…and that just reflects the perils of what is out there on the internet.

On balance, we would be lost without him and can afford to be selective with his postings.

Just for once, let us not consign him to the dawghause (how is that spelt actually in US parlance?)

Who said anything about Tango going to the Dawghouse?

Thaks my friend!. (smile)

Amicalement
Armand

"Who said anything about Tango going to the Dawghouse?…"

Oh!. No!… I forget to TAG Davoust!… (smile)

Amicalement
Armand

Try also Davout et l'Art de la Guerre by Daniel Reichel

The best bet on Davout is in his own words and those of his subordinates:

Operations du 3d Corps, 1806-1807: Rapport du Marechal Davout, Duc d'Auerstadt.

The English translation is available by Scott Bowden in Napoleon's Finest: Davout and his 3rd Corps, Combat Journal of Operations 1805-1807.

Both are superb and give an excellent picture of how a corps in the Grande Armee operated.

Sad he never wrote his memories…

Thanks Kevin!

Amicalement
Armand

there is a lot in his correspondace – which is available free for download and the book by Reichel sounds very interesting

Thanks my friend!.

But I would like to read what were in his deeply mind about his campaings… relationship with other Marshals … Napoleon… his last battle at the gates of Paris… etc etc etc.

Amicalement
Armand

This is simply another one of those ubiquitous Command/Staff College brief monographs that officers are required to put out. I haven't read this one, but the one on Lannes I reviewed on Amazon. It was not pretty.

Exclusively secondary/abridged English sources we all read in middle school.