"Books about generals?" Topic

They don't have to be exclusively about that, but any titles to recommend that goes into the lives, personalities and interesting events of the various personalities, generals and marshalls of the Napoleonic war OTHER than Boney and Nosey?

Chandler's tome on the Marshals is pretty good:

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for a lighter take, RF Delderfeld's Napoleon's Marshals is the book that got me into the period .

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Looks very good in both cases!

Any suggestions for the likes of Bagration, Kutusov and Blucher?

Second R.F. Delderfield, recievied as a Christmas present when 8 years old, which launched me into a lifetime of Napoleonics, from Historex to Victrix. Good read. There is Peter Young's Napoleon's Marshals, a little dry, but good plates for it's time. The Osprey series Napoleon's Commanders for generals, good background and plates.

I recently read David Johnsons "Napoleon's Cavalry and its leaders", and I thought it was a great introduction to some of France's more famous cavalry generals. An easy and fun read, and very beginner friendly which was a bonus for me.

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This is outstanding. In five volumes from what I remember:
Ramsay Weston Phipps. The Armies of the First French Republic and the Rise of the Marshals of Napoleon I, Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1926–39.

Blucher – link

Anyone read it?

It has been a while since I read them, but Roger Parkinson wrote: The Hussar General (Blucher) and The Fox of the North (Kutusov).

They are both from the 70's, so should be viewed with some caution as a lot of work has been done since then, but they at least fit the bill of being about a couple of the generals you mention.

There are biographies of Marshals/Generals Berthier, Davout, Vandamme, Moore, Ross, Dumas, and Brown that are either recent or still in print.

The Armies of the First French Republic mentioned above is also excellent and highly recommended.

There' a good bio of Barclay de Tolly called "The General" by Michael Josselson (1980).

I really enjoyed "Once There Were Titans: Napoleon's Generals and Their Battles, 1800-1815"

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Show the depth of talent that the French had in their command structure.

The only real problems with Phipps is that, one, as he wasn't an historian, but merely an interested soldier, his work isn't referenced, as far as I can remember. Which means that his work, although comprehensive and detailed is hard to check up on for verisimilitude, and find out where he got his interesting facts from. The other issue is his political bias, natural, I suppose, for a soldier of his time and background.

Only the first volume was written by Ramsay Phipps himself, then he died and family members continued to write the volumes according to drafts of Phipps and his library, yes indeed I agree with Chouan that it is difficult to check up on for verisimilitude as well as for bias (future pro Napoleon military usually treated very benign) – still it kindled my interest into that period very much.

a very good read on Bernadotte – one of the most vicitmized and most successfull persons in the Napoleonic period is by

Plunket Barton : Bernadotte – two volumes

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seemingly volume 3 wasn't alas published

Delderfield's was one of my first Napoleoic books but really liked The Russian Officers Corp of the Revolutionary and Napoleoic wars by Alexander Mikaberidze, covers the Russians very well. Would like a book on the Prussians like that.

VW,

Thank you very much for the book recommendations. I have ordered both of them this morning.

I am looking forward to see what they say about Bernadotte's conduct in 1806 and 1809.

Sincerely,
K

Delderfield is an old favorite. I first read it in 1971.

David Johnson's two books on Napoleon's cavalry are both good and interesting, especially the story about Marulaz and how he became mayor of his home town after the wars.

Really liked "Once There Were Titans", also Delderfield's, mentioned above several times. I am now re reading "The Emperor's Friend" about Lannes, which I think is quite good. John Miller

That's the best biography of any general of the period that I have read. The author did an excellent job with the subject.

Brechtel198: Yes, I agree. I only regret that I didn't remember the author's name when she posted comments the other day. John Miller

And thanks for the kind comments on Titans. It is deeply appreciated.

I gather the request was to go beyond French and the Marshals.

Could I suggest Uffindell's "Great Generals of the Napoleonic wars and their Battles 1805-1815"?

Slightly daft title, but excellent book.

Weasel

Of possible interest-

Wellington's Peninsular War Generals and their Battles by T.A.Heathcote

The Czar's General Alexey Yermolov (edited by Alexander Mikaberidze)

The Memoirs of Baron von Muffing

The Iron Marshal by John Gallaher (Marshal Davout)

Prince Eugene at War 1809 by Robert Epstein

Napoleon's Viceroy by Carola Oman

The Emperor's Friend: Marshal Jean Lannes by Margaret Scott Chrisawn

Rapp The Last Victor

Weasel

Forgot to mention-

Napoleon's Enfant Terrible, General Dominique Vandamme by John Gallaher

An example about Austrian napoleonic generals:

- "Radetzky: Imperial Victor and Military Genius" 1st , Kindle Edition, by Alan Sked

The Art of Victory:The life and Achievements of Field Marshall Suvorov by Philip Longworth

Napoleon's Great Adversaries: Archduke Charles and the Austrian Army by Gunther Rothenberg