| Blackhorse MP | 24 Sep 2023 8:53 a.m. PST |
Just wondering if there was a one-volume history that covers the Napoleonic Wars from start to finish? Or failing that, maybe a small series that covers the period. I've developed a bit of interest in the period but not to the point where I'm looking to add a sizable number of books to my already over-burdened bookshelves. Thanks for any input. |
rustymusket  | 24 Sep 2023 8:56 a.m. PST |
David Chandler's "Campaigns of Napoleon" is the best single volume that I can think of and I have owned a lot of Napoleonic books in english. |
| 14Bore | 24 Sep 2023 9:05 a.m. PST |
Campaigns of Napoleon was one of my first books on the Napoleonic Wars |
| arthur1815 | 24 Sep 2023 9:24 a.m. PST |
Campaigns of Napoleon focuses on those campaigns where N himself was present, so does not cover most of the Peninsular War. If you are not particularly interested in the Iberian theatre, that may not matter to you. Much also depends, of course, on the level of detail you require. You might find The Napoleonic Wars: A Global History by Alexander Mikaberidze, OUP, 2020 sufficient for a general overview. |
| JMcCarroll | 24 Sep 2023 9:40 a.m. PST |
David Chandler does cover the Peninsular War in another book.
I do recommend both books! |
| Ed von HesseFedora | 24 Sep 2023 4:18 p.m. PST |
I've always thought the West Point volume on the Napoleonic Wars was a good overview. |
| CamelCase | 24 Sep 2023 4:24 p.m. PST |
If I was going to read one book…Campaigns of Napoleon (Chandler) best read that covers everything without bogging down into extreme detail. Great read, I couldn't put it down. |
| MDDriessen | 24 Sep 2023 4:28 p.m. PST |
Elting's West Point Napoleonic Atlas for my money is incomparable. Poster maps on every page. |
 McKinstry  | 24 Sep 2023 4:55 p.m. PST |
I'm opting for Chandler but I will admit to a certain prejudice as it was among the first I read and to this day, one I consider among the most readable. |
| khanscom | 24 Sep 2023 6:32 p.m. PST |
Ditto the Chandler book; "The Napoleonic Wars" by Gunther Rothenberg is also pretty well done. |
| T Corret | 24 Sep 2023 7:16 p.m. PST |
Perhaps the Durant's Age of Napoleon? It covers more of the social aspects of the period. |
| raylev3 | 24 Sep 2023 7:48 p.m. PST |
+6 for Campaigns of Napoleon by Chandler but its focus is on Napoleon…. If you're looking for something that "covers it all" in addition to Napoleon, to include the revolutionary period, then I'd recommend, "The War of Wars: The Great European Conflict, 1793-1815." |
 Old Contemptible | 24 Sep 2023 9:41 p.m. PST |
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| Allan F Mountford | 25 Sep 2023 1:15 a.m. PST |
Another vote for Chandler's 'Campaigns'. I see it is available as a Kindle download for £9.99 GBP, which is astonishingly good value for 1370 pages.
As an aside, there is more detail in the narrative to about 1807 as I understand the publisher began imposing some pressure on the author to complete to a deadline.
Also, there were tentative plans to write 'Campaigns II', an updated version using multiple authors in the early 2000s, but these plans were shelved upon Chandler's death in 2004. |
 Silurian | 25 Sep 2023 5:30 a.m. PST |
As an alternative to the excellent "Campaigns", I'm reading "The Napoleonic Wars: A Global History" by Alexander Mikaberidze at the moment. Well written and just the right amount of detail for a good overview. |
| Dave Jackson | 25 Sep 2023 6:25 a.m. PST |
was going to recommend that as well, Silurian… |
| Blackhorse MP | 25 Sep 2023 11:57 a.m. PST |
I must say Chandler looks like the way to go…however the 1000+ page aspect of it is a bit daunting. And it's a little pricey, although I did find it for $35 USD at Abebooks.com, which is eminently doable. BTW I can't recommend Abe enough, I've gotten a pile of good/very good used books from them for between $5 USD-10 total, delivered to my door. I did check out each of your recommendations, and decided to go with THE WARS OF NAPOLEON(WEST POINT MIL HIST SERIES) which seems like a solid intro to the subject. Plus it's just $6.36 USD total, to my door(from Biblio, not Abe). Unless I find the Napoleonic era to be not to my taste I'll most likely spring for Chandler at a later date. Thanks again for all the input. |
