General Napoleon Bonaparte - The Man, His Tactics during the Napoleonic Wars

Napoleon Bonaparte
One of the most brilliant of the tactical Generals

Campaigns of Napoleon:
The Mind and Method of History's Greatest Soldier
by David G. Chandler
Hardcover (1973)

Great overall view of Napoleon in the Battle field. Chandler in this book gives a clear and interesting account of Napoleon the General. The Italian campaigns are richly described and come to life. Later campaigns seem less detailed or interesting... one campaign after another can tire the reader a little. Good maps and great narrative make this book great for the novice (like myself) and the expert alike. After reading this work I have become an ardent admirer of the amazing person that Napoleon was. Chandler shows very well how Napoleon was the mind behind the Grand Armee, his presence alone making the French invincible. When he did waver and slackened so did all his men.

With Musket, Cannon and Sword:
Battle Tactics of Napoleon and His Enemies
by Brent Nosworthy
Hardcover (1996)

The best of the books on Napoleonic Battle Tactics. This was the first of Brent Nosworthy’s books I ever read and I was hooked from the first chapter. Like his earlier work on linear warfare this book is a gold mine of information that is easy to dig out the facts. Unlike most of the books I’ve read on tactics this book is anything but dry, Mr. Nosworthy tells you not only what the troops did but why they did it. He also very good about disguising between facts and opinion and when ever possible he uses contemporary sources to back up the opinions given. This is a the first study I’ve ever read that goes into the details as to why the British battle tactics were able to defeat the French. He does not, like so many works, say that it was the superiority of British firepower and professionalism of the troops. Mr. Nosworthy gives us a detailed look at both the technical and psychological differences between the to battle tactics and shows why the results were what they were.
Outstanding! A must for historians and wargamers. This book covers all aspects of tactical doctrine and practice at the battlefield level - which most authors ignore in favour of grand tactics. The detail is superb, but Nosworthy's prose never allows the attention to wander. Nosworthy's passion for the subject is evident in his rich and very readable style. This is no dry tome. The analysis is well presented and supported, and in some cases quite revolutionary. Unlike some with revisionist theories, Nosworthy is very fair to those who have gone before him, and he is very good at presenting several points of view before coming to a conclusion. I cannot recommend this book highly enough. If you are interested in Napoleonic warfare then this book must sit beside your copy of Chandler!

The Great Commanders:
Alexander, Caesar, Nelson, Napoleon, Grant and Zhukov
by Phil Grabsky, David G. Chandler
Hardcover (1995)

The Great Commanders is a masterly portrait of six men - Alexander the Great, Julius Caesar, Horatio Nelson, Napoleon Bonaparte, Ulysses S. Grant and Georgi Zhukov - whose military genius changed the course of world history. Providing a refreshing new opportunity to compare soldiers from such disparate backgrounds and periods, each chapter focuses on the life and achievements of one of the commanders, considering their motivation, overall strategy, tactical skill and the vital importance of each man's special personal qualities. What forces drove them? Did Nelson's legendary victory at Trafalgar in 1805 derive from his brilliance as a naval tactician alone? Does Marshal Zhukov's triumphant conquest of Berlin in 1945 justify the claim that he was the greatest general of the Second World War? Concentrating on one battle in particular for each commander, and using computer graphics to help explain the course of events, this penetrating study brilliantly illustrates the thinking, method and individual dynamism behind a great military campaign. Phil Grabsky's book accompanies the major television series on The History Channel.

Art of Warfare in the Age of Napoleon
by Gunther Erich, Rothenberg

Hardcover (1978)

Paperback (1981)

The Military Maxims of Napoleon
by Napoleon, George C., Sir D'Aguilar

Hardcover (1993)

Paperback (1995)

Mind of Napoleon:
A Selection of His Written and Spoken Words
by Napoleon, J. Christopher Herold
Paperback (1961)

The ablest of historic figures in his own words. Napoleon and Pascal are the two finest minds I have encountered and are unrivalled as students of the human heart. They are as penetrating as Dostoyevsky and more logical. This work and Pensees illuminate the human condition with unmatched clarity. Napoleon was an undisputed genius, and no man of comparable intellect had such a wide experience of life. Here he tells us what existence taught him about men, love, war, politics and God. Here is philosophy wrung from a life of unparalleled incident and as such the emperor is suitably humble, surprisingly likeable, and unflinchingly honest. 'A man is only a man, if circumstances are not favourable he is nothing'. 'All my life I have sacrificed everything - comfort, self-interest, happiness - to my destiny.' 'I have never doubted God. For if my reason did not suffice to understand him, yet my inner feeling accepted him.' 'Only a madman can die without a confessor.'

The Anatomy of Glory:
Napoleon and His Guard: A Study in Leadership
by Henry Lachouque, Anne Brown, John Elting
Hardcover (1997)

Imperial Bayonets:
Tactics of the Napoleonic Battery, Battalion and Brigade As Found in Contemporary Regulations
by George Natziger
Hardcover (1996)

Nafziger's compilation has usefulness if one wants to know the drill regulations.

Napoleon's Sword & Dagger

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