Napoleon's Enfant Terrible

Napoleon's Enfant Terrible

Author: John G. Gallaher

Publisher: University of Oklahoma Press

Published: 2008

Total Pages: 388

ISBN-13: 9780806138756

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A dedicated career soldier and excellent division and corps commander, Dominique Vandamme was a thorn in the side of practically every officer he served. Outspoken to a fault, he even criticized Napoleon, whom he never forgave for not appointing him marshal. His military prowess so impressed the emperor, however, that he returned Vandamme to command time and again. In this first book-length study of Vandamme in English, John G. Gallaher traces the career of one of Napoleon's most successful midrank officers. He describes Vandamme's rise from a provincial youth with neither fortune nor influence to an officer of the highest rank in the French army. Gallaher thus offers a rare look at a Napoleonic general who served for twenty-five years during the wars of the French Revolution and Napoleonic Empire. This was a time when a general could lose his head if he lost a battle. Despite Vandamme's contentious nature, Gallaher shows, Napoleon needed his skills as a commander, and Vandamme needed Napoleon to further his career. Gallaher draws on a wealth of archival sources in France--notably the Vandamme Papers in Lille--to draw a full portrait of the general. He also reveals new information on such military events as the Silesian campaign of 1807 and the disaster at Kulm in 1813. Gallaher presents Vandamme in the context of the Napoleonic command system, revealing how he related to both subordinates and superiors. Napoleon's Enfant Terrible depicts an officer who was his own worst enemy but who was instrumental in winning an empire.


Book Synopsis Napoleon's Enfant Terrible by : John G. Gallaher

Download or read book Napoleon's Enfant Terrible written by John G. Gallaher and published by University of Oklahoma Press. This book was released on 2008 with total page 388 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: A dedicated career soldier and excellent division and corps commander, Dominique Vandamme was a thorn in the side of practically every officer he served. Outspoken to a fault, he even criticized Napoleon, whom he never forgave for not appointing him marshal. His military prowess so impressed the emperor, however, that he returned Vandamme to command time and again. In this first book-length study of Vandamme in English, John G. Gallaher traces the career of one of Napoleon's most successful midrank officers. He describes Vandamme's rise from a provincial youth with neither fortune nor influence to an officer of the highest rank in the French army. Gallaher thus offers a rare look at a Napoleonic general who served for twenty-five years during the wars of the French Revolution and Napoleonic Empire. This was a time when a general could lose his head if he lost a battle. Despite Vandamme's contentious nature, Gallaher shows, Napoleon needed his skills as a commander, and Vandamme needed Napoleon to further his career. Gallaher draws on a wealth of archival sources in France--notably the Vandamme Papers in Lille--to draw a full portrait of the general. He also reveals new information on such military events as the Silesian campaign of 1807 and the disaster at Kulm in 1813. Gallaher presents Vandamme in the context of the Napoleonic command system, revealing how he related to both subordinates and superiors. Napoleon's Enfant Terrible depicts an officer who was his own worst enemy but who was instrumental in winning an empire.

Napoleon's Paper Kingdom

Napoleon's Paper Kingdom

Author: Sam A. Mustafa

Publisher: Rowman & Littlefield

Published: 2017-09-05

Total Pages: 375

ISBN-13: 1538108313

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Placing the creation of Westphalia within the context of the larger German story of the Napoleonic Wars, this groundbreaking book offers the only complete history of Napoleon’s grand experiment to construct a model state in Germany. In 1807, in the wake of two years of victories over the Austrians, Prussians, and Russians, Napoleon redrew the map of central Europe by fashioning a new German state. Dubbing it the Kingdom of Westphalia, he appointed his 23-year-old brother Jerome as its king. Sam A. Mustafa shows how Westphalia became a proving ground for the allegedly liberating and modern concepts of the French Revolution, brought by foreign conquest and enforced by a powerful new centralized state. Over the next six years, the inhabitants of this region experienced fundamental and often jarring changes in almost every aspect of their lives. They witnessed a profound clash of French and German culture, as well as new ideas about law, nationality, and politics. And yet, for all of its promise on paper, Westphalia ended up despised by most of its people, who cheered at its collapse and in many cases helped to bring it down. What went wrong with this early example of what we would today call “nation building” and how did Germans react to the changes? Napoleon’s Paper Kingdom is the first book in the English language to provide a comprehensive investigation of this fascinating chapter of the Napoleonic Wars.


Book Synopsis Napoleon's Paper Kingdom by : Sam A. Mustafa

Download or read book Napoleon's Paper Kingdom written by Sam A. Mustafa and published by Rowman & Littlefield. This book was released on 2017-09-05 with total page 375 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Placing the creation of Westphalia within the context of the larger German story of the Napoleonic Wars, this groundbreaking book offers the only complete history of Napoleon’s grand experiment to construct a model state in Germany. In 1807, in the wake of two years of victories over the Austrians, Prussians, and Russians, Napoleon redrew the map of central Europe by fashioning a new German state. Dubbing it the Kingdom of Westphalia, he appointed his 23-year-old brother Jerome as its king. Sam A. Mustafa shows how Westphalia became a proving ground for the allegedly liberating and modern concepts of the French Revolution, brought by foreign conquest and enforced by a powerful new centralized state. Over the next six years, the inhabitants of this region experienced fundamental and often jarring changes in almost every aspect of their lives. They witnessed a profound clash of French and German culture, as well as new ideas about law, nationality, and politics. And yet, for all of its promise on paper, Westphalia ended up despised by most of its people, who cheered at its collapse and in many cases helped to bring it down. What went wrong with this early example of what we would today call “nation building” and how did Germans react to the changes? Napoleon’s Paper Kingdom is the first book in the English language to provide a comprehensive investigation of this fascinating chapter of the Napoleonic Wars.

Napoleonic Wars

Napoleonic Wars

Author: Frederick C. Schneid

Publisher: Potomac Books, Inc.

Published: 2012

Total Pages: 114

ISBN-13: 1597975788

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The essential bibliography of the Napoleonic Wars


Book Synopsis Napoleonic Wars by : Frederick C. Schneid

Download or read book Napoleonic Wars written by Frederick C. Schneid and published by Potomac Books, Inc.. This book was released on 2012 with total page 114 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The essential bibliography of the Napoleonic Wars

Napoleon's Defeat of the Habsburgs Volume III

Napoleon's Defeat of the Habsburgs Volume III

Author: John H. Gill

Publisher: Frontline Books

Published: 2010-06-15

Total Pages: 383

ISBN-13: 1783033541

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“A very impressive piece of work, and it is unlikely to be surpassed for many years . . . A very valuable guide to Napoleon’s last great victory” (HistoryOfWar.org). With this third volume, John Gill brings to a close his magisterial study of the war between Napoleonic France and Habsburg Austria. The account begins with both armies recuperating on the banks of the Danube. As they rest, important action was taking place elsewhere: Eugene won a crucial victory over Johann on the anniversary of Marengo, Prince Poniatowski’s Poles outflanked another Austrian archduke along the Vistula, and Marmont drove an Austrian force out of Dalmatia to join Napoleon at Vienna. These campaigns set the stage for the titanic Battle of Wagram. Second only in scale to the slaughter at Leipzig in 1813, Wagram saw more than 320,000 men and 900 guns locked in two days of fury that ended with an Austrian retreat. The defeat, however, was not complete: Napoleon had to force another engagement before Charles would accept a ceasefire. The battle of Znaim, its true importance often not acknowledged, brought an extended armistice that ended with a peace treaty signed in Vienna. Gill uses an impressive array of sources in an engaging narrative covering both the politics of emperors and the privations and hardship common soldiers suffered in battle. Enriched with unique illustrations, forty maps, and extraordinary order-of-battle detail, this work concludes an unrivalled English-language study of Napoleon’s last victory. “Sheds new light on well-known stages in the battle . . . he has covered more than just an epochal battle in a magnificent book that will satisfy the most avid enthusiasts of Napoleonic era military history.” —Foundation Napoleon


Book Synopsis Napoleon's Defeat of the Habsburgs Volume III by : John H. Gill

Download or read book Napoleon's Defeat of the Habsburgs Volume III written by John H. Gill and published by Frontline Books. This book was released on 2010-06-15 with total page 383 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: “A very impressive piece of work, and it is unlikely to be surpassed for many years . . . A very valuable guide to Napoleon’s last great victory” (HistoryOfWar.org). With this third volume, John Gill brings to a close his magisterial study of the war between Napoleonic France and Habsburg Austria. The account begins with both armies recuperating on the banks of the Danube. As they rest, important action was taking place elsewhere: Eugene won a crucial victory over Johann on the anniversary of Marengo, Prince Poniatowski’s Poles outflanked another Austrian archduke along the Vistula, and Marmont drove an Austrian force out of Dalmatia to join Napoleon at Vienna. These campaigns set the stage for the titanic Battle of Wagram. Second only in scale to the slaughter at Leipzig in 1813, Wagram saw more than 320,000 men and 900 guns locked in two days of fury that ended with an Austrian retreat. The defeat, however, was not complete: Napoleon had to force another engagement before Charles would accept a ceasefire. The battle of Znaim, its true importance often not acknowledged, brought an extended armistice that ended with a peace treaty signed in Vienna. Gill uses an impressive array of sources in an engaging narrative covering both the politics of emperors and the privations and hardship common soldiers suffered in battle. Enriched with unique illustrations, forty maps, and extraordinary order-of-battle detail, this work concludes an unrivalled English-language study of Napoleon’s last victory. “Sheds new light on well-known stages in the battle . . . he has covered more than just an epochal battle in a magnificent book that will satisfy the most avid enthusiasts of Napoleonic era military history.” —Foundation Napoleon

Napoleon, France and Waterloo

Napoleon, France and Waterloo

Author: Charles J. Esdaile

Publisher: Pen and Sword

Published: 2016-11-30

Total Pages: 289

ISBN-13: 1473870828

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So great is the weight of reading on the subject of the Waterloo campaign that it might be thought there is nothing left to say about it, and from the military viewpoint, this is very much the case. But one critical aspect of the story has gone all but untold – the French home front. Little has been written about the topic in English, and few works on Napoleon or Revolutionary and Napoleonic France pay it much attention. It is this conspicuous gap in the literature that Charles Esdaile explores in this erudite and absorbing study. Drawing on the vivid, revealing material that is available in the French archives, in the writings of soldiers who fought in France in 1814 and 1815 and in the memoirs of civilians who witnessed the fall of Napoleon or the Hundred Days, he gives us a fascinating new insight into the military and domestic context of the Waterloo campaign, the Napoleonic legend and the wider situation across Europe.


Book Synopsis Napoleon, France and Waterloo by : Charles J. Esdaile

Download or read book Napoleon, France and Waterloo written by Charles J. Esdaile and published by Pen and Sword. This book was released on 2016-11-30 with total page 289 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: So great is the weight of reading on the subject of the Waterloo campaign that it might be thought there is nothing left to say about it, and from the military viewpoint, this is very much the case. But one critical aspect of the story has gone all but untold – the French home front. Little has been written about the topic in English, and few works on Napoleon or Revolutionary and Napoleonic France pay it much attention. It is this conspicuous gap in the literature that Charles Esdaile explores in this erudite and absorbing study. Drawing on the vivid, revealing material that is available in the French archives, in the writings of soldiers who fought in France in 1814 and 1815 and in the memoirs of civilians who witnessed the fall of Napoleon or the Hundred Days, he gives us a fascinating new insight into the military and domestic context of the Waterloo campaign, the Napoleonic legend and the wider situation across Europe.

Napoleon and the Operational Art of War

Napoleon and the Operational Art of War

Author:

Publisher: BRILL

Published: 2016-02-02

Total Pages: 569

ISBN-13: 9004310037

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In Napoleon and the Operational Art of War, the leading scholars of Napoleonic military history provide the most authoritative analysis of Napoleon’s battlefield success and ultimate failure in a work that features the very best of campaign military history.


Book Synopsis Napoleon and the Operational Art of War by :

Download or read book Napoleon and the Operational Art of War written by and published by BRILL. This book was released on 2016-02-02 with total page 569 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: In Napoleon and the Operational Art of War, the leading scholars of Napoleonic military history provide the most authoritative analysis of Napoleon’s battlefield success and ultimate failure in a work that features the very best of campaign military history.

Simply Napoleon

Simply Napoleon

Author: J. David Markham

Publisher: Simply Charly

Published: 2017-08-15

Total Pages: 156

ISBN-13: 1943657300

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“What a little gem! If you are looking for a quick biography of Napoleon, look no further. With lively narrative and good mastery of facts, Simply Napoleon will take you on a thrilling journey recounting Napoleon's rise to power from his humble beginnings on the island of Corsica to the emperor of much of Europe. Highly recommended for those wanting a brief refresher on one of the greatest European statesmen. This is both an entertaining and an enlightening read!” —Alexander Mikaberidze, Sybil T. and J. Frederick Patten Professor of History Department of History and Social Sciences at Louisiana State University in Shreveport The first emperor of France and one of the shrewdest military leaders of all time, Napoleon Bonaparte(1769–1821) eventually came to control much of Europe. In Simply Napoleon, authors J. David Markham and Matthew Zarzeczny tell Napoleon’s story, from his birth on the island of Corsica to his eventual imprisonment and death on the island of Saint Helena. They explain how the famed military commander’s unique combination of determination, intellect, and personal charisma allowed him to rise from a provincial village to become a powerful and authoritative ruler. While taking an overall positive view of Napoleon, Markham and Zarzeczny also make it a point to draw attention to his mistakes and their consequences, providing a balanced picture of this complicated figure who was both a product of his times and a man pointing the way to the future. Marked by first-rate scholarship, as well as a highly readable and accessible style, Simply Napoleon is an exceptional introduction to Napoleon and his times—a study that not only illuminates a key personality and period in modern history, but also helps us understand how modern Europe took shape.


Book Synopsis Simply Napoleon by : J. David Markham

Download or read book Simply Napoleon written by J. David Markham and published by Simply Charly. This book was released on 2017-08-15 with total page 156 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: “What a little gem! If you are looking for a quick biography of Napoleon, look no further. With lively narrative and good mastery of facts, Simply Napoleon will take you on a thrilling journey recounting Napoleon's rise to power from his humble beginnings on the island of Corsica to the emperor of much of Europe. Highly recommended for those wanting a brief refresher on one of the greatest European statesmen. This is both an entertaining and an enlightening read!” —Alexander Mikaberidze, Sybil T. and J. Frederick Patten Professor of History Department of History and Social Sciences at Louisiana State University in Shreveport The first emperor of France and one of the shrewdest military leaders of all time, Napoleon Bonaparte(1769–1821) eventually came to control much of Europe. In Simply Napoleon, authors J. David Markham and Matthew Zarzeczny tell Napoleon’s story, from his birth on the island of Corsica to his eventual imprisonment and death on the island of Saint Helena. They explain how the famed military commander’s unique combination of determination, intellect, and personal charisma allowed him to rise from a provincial village to become a powerful and authoritative ruler. While taking an overall positive view of Napoleon, Markham and Zarzeczny also make it a point to draw attention to his mistakes and their consequences, providing a balanced picture of this complicated figure who was both a product of his times and a man pointing the way to the future. Marked by first-rate scholarship, as well as a highly readable and accessible style, Simply Napoleon is an exceptional introduction to Napoleon and his times—a study that not only illuminates a key personality and period in modern history, but also helps us understand how modern Europe took shape.

Napoleon and Grouchy

Napoleon and Grouchy

Author: Paul L. Dawson

Publisher: Pen and Sword

Published: 2017-06-30

Total Pages: 446

ISBN-13: 1526700697

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One of the enduring controversies of the Waterloo campaign is the conduct of Marshal Grouchy. Given command of a third of Napoleons army and told to keep the Prussians from joining forces with Wellington, he failed to keep Wellington and Blcher apart with the result that Napoleon was overwhelmed at Waterloo. Grouchy, though, was not defeated. He kept his force together and retreated in good order back to France.Many have accused Grouchy of intentionally holding back his men and not marching to join Napoleon when the sound of the gunfire at Waterloo could clearly be heard, and he has been widely blamed for Napoleons defeat.Now, for the first time, Grouchys conduct during the Waterloo campaign is analyzed in fine detail, drawing principally on French sources not previously available in English. The author, for example, answers questions such as whether key orders did actually exist in 1815 or were they later fabrications to make Grouchy the scapegoat for Napoleons failures? Did General Grard really tell Grouchy to march to the sound of the guns? Why did Grouchy appear to move so slowly when speed was essential?This is a subject which is generally overlooked by British historians, who tend to concentrate on the actions of Wellington and Napoleon, and which French historians choose not to look at too closely for fear that it might reflect badly upon their hero Napoleon.Despite the mass of books written on Waterloo, this is a genuinely unique contribution to this most famous campaign. This book is certain to fuel debate and prompt historians to reconsider the events of June 1815.


Book Synopsis Napoleon and Grouchy by : Paul L. Dawson

Download or read book Napoleon and Grouchy written by Paul L. Dawson and published by Pen and Sword. This book was released on 2017-06-30 with total page 446 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: One of the enduring controversies of the Waterloo campaign is the conduct of Marshal Grouchy. Given command of a third of Napoleons army and told to keep the Prussians from joining forces with Wellington, he failed to keep Wellington and Blcher apart with the result that Napoleon was overwhelmed at Waterloo. Grouchy, though, was not defeated. He kept his force together and retreated in good order back to France.Many have accused Grouchy of intentionally holding back his men and not marching to join Napoleon when the sound of the gunfire at Waterloo could clearly be heard, and he has been widely blamed for Napoleons defeat.Now, for the first time, Grouchys conduct during the Waterloo campaign is analyzed in fine detail, drawing principally on French sources not previously available in English. The author, for example, answers questions such as whether key orders did actually exist in 1815 or were they later fabrications to make Grouchy the scapegoat for Napoleons failures? Did General Grard really tell Grouchy to march to the sound of the guns? Why did Grouchy appear to move so slowly when speed was essential?This is a subject which is generally overlooked by British historians, who tend to concentrate on the actions of Wellington and Napoleon, and which French historians choose not to look at too closely for fear that it might reflect badly upon their hero Napoleon.Despite the mass of books written on Waterloo, this is a genuinely unique contribution to this most famous campaign. This book is certain to fuel debate and prompt historians to reconsider the events of June 1815.

Storm and Sack

Storm and Sack

Author: Gavin Daly

Publisher: Cambridge University Press

Published: 2022-10-06

Total Pages: 327

ISBN-13: 1108872808

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During the Peninsular War, Wellington's army stormed and sacked three French-held Spanish towns: Ciudad Rodrigo (1812), Badajoz (1812) and San Sebastian (1813). Storm and Sack is the first major study of British soldiers' violence and restraint towards enemy combatants and civilians in the siege warfare of the Napoleonic era. Using soldiers' letters, diaries and memoirs, Gavin Daly compares and contrasts military practices and attitudes across British sieges spanning three continents, from the Peninsular War in Spain to India and South America. He focuses on siege rituals and laws of war, and uncovering the cultural and emotional history of the storm and sack of towns. This book challenges conventional understandings of the place and nature of sieges in the Napoleonic Wars. It encourages a rethinking of the notorious reputations of the British sacks of this period and their place within the long-term history of customary laws of war and siege violence. Daly reveals a multifaceted story not only of rage, enmity, plunder and atrocity but also of mercy, honour, humanity and moral outrage.


Book Synopsis Storm and Sack by : Gavin Daly

Download or read book Storm and Sack written by Gavin Daly and published by Cambridge University Press. This book was released on 2022-10-06 with total page 327 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: During the Peninsular War, Wellington's army stormed and sacked three French-held Spanish towns: Ciudad Rodrigo (1812), Badajoz (1812) and San Sebastian (1813). Storm and Sack is the first major study of British soldiers' violence and restraint towards enemy combatants and civilians in the siege warfare of the Napoleonic era. Using soldiers' letters, diaries and memoirs, Gavin Daly compares and contrasts military practices and attitudes across British sieges spanning three continents, from the Peninsular War in Spain to India and South America. He focuses on siege rituals and laws of war, and uncovering the cultural and emotional history of the storm and sack of towns. This book challenges conventional understandings of the place and nature of sieges in the Napoleonic Wars. It encourages a rethinking of the notorious reputations of the British sacks of this period and their place within the long-term history of customary laws of war and siege violence. Daly reveals a multifaceted story not only of rage, enmity, plunder and atrocity but also of mercy, honour, humanity and moral outrage.

Citizen Emperor

Citizen Emperor

Author: Philip Dwyer

Publisher: Yale University Press

Published: 2013-11-26

Total Pages: 817

ISBN-13: 030016243X

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Traces Napoleon's rise to power, early mistakes, and military campaigns, while considering the emperor's darker side and the lengths to which he went to establish himself as a legitimate ruler.


Book Synopsis Citizen Emperor by : Philip Dwyer

Download or read book Citizen Emperor written by Philip Dwyer and published by Yale University Press. This book was released on 2013-11-26 with total page 817 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Traces Napoleon's rise to power, early mistakes, and military campaigns, while considering the emperor's darker side and the lengths to which he went to establish himself as a legitimate ruler.