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The Campaigns of Napoleon by David G. Chandler (1973, Hardcover)
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"The Campaigns of Napoleon" is an exhaustive analysis and critique of Napoleon's art of war as he himself developed and perfected it in the major military campaigns of his career. Napoleon disavowed any suggestion that he worked from formula "("Je n'ai jamais eu un plan d'ope rations")," but military historian David Chandler demonstrates this was at best only a half-truth.
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Napoleonic war was nothing if not complex--an ever-shifting kaleidoscope of moves and intentions, which by themselves went a long way towards baffling and dazing his conventionally-minded opponents into that state of disconcerting moral disequilibrium which so often resulted in their catastrophic defeat. The Campaigns of Napoleon is an exhaustive analysis and critique of Napoleon's art of war as he himself developed and perfected it in the major military campaigns of his career. Napoleon disavowed any suggestion that he worked from formula ("Je n'ai jamais eu un plan d'op rations"), but military historian David Chandler demonstrates this was at best only a half-truth. To be sure, every operation Napoleon conducted contained unique improvisatory features. But there were from the first to the last certain basic principles of strategic maneuver and battlefield planning that he almost invariably put into practice. To clarify these underlying methods, as well as the style of Napoleon's fabulous intellect, Mr. Chandler examines in detail each campaign mounted and personally conducted by Napoleon, analyzing the strategies employed, revealing wherever possible the probable sources of his subject's military ideas. The book opens with a brief account of Bonaparte's early years, his military education and formative experiences, and his meteoric rise to the rank of general in the army of the Directory. Introducing the elements of Napoleonic "grand tactics" as they developed in his Italian, Egyptian, and Syrian campaigns, Mr. Chandler shows how these principles were clearly conceived as early as the Battle of Castiglione, when Napoleon was only twenty-six. Several campaigns later, he was Emperor of France, busily constructing the Grande Arm e. This great war machine is described in considerable detail: the composition of the armies and the lite Guard; the staff system and the methods of command; the kind of artillery and firearms used; and the daily life of the Grande Arm e and the all-seeing and all-commanding virtuoso who presided over every aspect of its operation in the field. As the great machine sweeps into action in the campaigns along the Rhine and the Danube, in East Prussia and Poland, and in Portugal and Spain, David Chandler follows closely every move that vindicates--or challenges--the legend of Napoleon's military genius. As the major battles take their gory courses--Austerlitz, Jena, Fried-land--we see Napoleon's star reaching its zenith. Then, in the Wagram Campaign of 1809 against the Austrians--his last real success--the great man commits more errors of judgment than in all his previous wars and battles put together. As the campaigns rage on, his declining powers seem to justify his own statement: "One has but a short time for war." Then the horrors of the Russian campaign forever shatter the image of Napoleonic invincibility. It is thereafter a short, though heroic and sanguinary, road to Waterloo and St. Helena. Napoleon appears most strikingly in these pages as the brilliant applier of the ideas of others rather than as an original military thinker, his genius proving itself more practical than theoretical. Paradoxically, this was both his chief strength and his main weakness as a general. After bringing the French army a decade of victory, his methods became increasingly stereotyped and, even worse, were widely copied by his foes, who operated against him with increasing effectiveness toward the end of his career. Yet even though his enemies attempted to imitate his techniques, as have others in the last century and a half, no one ever equaled his success. As these meticulous campaign analyses testify, his multifaceted genius was unique. Even as the end approached, as David Chandler points out, his eclipse was "the failure of a giant surrounded by pygmies." "The flight of the eagle was over; the 'ogre' was safely caged at last, and an exhausted Europe settled doProduct Identifiers
PublisherScribner
ISBN-100025236601
ISBN-139780025236608
eBay Product ID (ePID)11862
Product Key Features
LanguageEnglish
TopicMilitary / Napoleonic Wars, Military / Strategy, Europe / France, Historical, Biography & Autobiography, History
AuthorDavid G. Chandler
IllustratorYes
Dimensions
Item Height2.4in
Item Length9.3in
Item Weight66.5 Oz
Item Width6.6in
Additional Product Features
Publication Year1973
FormatHardcover
ReviewsThe Boston GlobeWriting clearly and vividly, [Chandler] turns dozens of persons besides Napoleon from mere wooden soldiers into three- dimensional characters., The New YorkerThe book is engrossing, and...amounts to a first-rate general account of Europe in the Napoleonic era....brilliant, unremittingly attentive to detail and sparkling with insights into a man, a nation, and an epoch., John BarkhamBook WeekIn every way...a pleasure to read...a remarkable work which comes as close to dissecting the ingredients of Napoleon's military genius as any I have read...[it is] that rare combination -- a book impeccable in its expertise, penetrating in its analysis, and attractive in its presentation. No matter how numerous your books on Napoleon, make room for this one., Eliot Fremont-Smith Books of the Times A massive and absorbing -- one is tempted to say definitive -- account and detailed analysis of the military career of Napoleon....The descriptions of the battles -- all the important ones, and all augmented by superb position maps -- have perhaps never been done with greater clarity., John Barkham Book Week In every way...a pleasure to read...a remarkable work which comes as close to dissecting the ingredients of Napoleon's military genius as any I have read...[it is] that rare combination -- a book impeccable in its expertise, penetrating in its analysis, and attractive in its presentation. No matter how numerous your books on Napoleon, make room for this one., St. Louis Post-Dispatch Few works equal the scope and scholarship of Chandler's The Campaigns of Napoleon ...a masterpiece in the truest sense of what military history ought to be., St. Louis Post-DispatchFew works equal the scope and scholarship of Chandler'sThe Campaigns of Napoleon...a masterpiece in the truest sense of what military history ought to be., The New York Review of BooksChandler can hold up his head with the best of them. His prose is as clear as his intellect....his scholarship is excellent...this is a fine book for the historian, the student, and the intelligent reader., The New York Review of Books Chandler can hold up his head with the best of them. His prose is as clear as his intellect....his scholarship is excellent...this is a fine book for the historian, the student, and the intelligent reader., Eliot Fremont-SmithBooks of the TimesA massive and absorbing -- one is tempted to say definitive -- account and detailed analysis of the military career of Napoleon....The descriptions of the battles -- all the important ones, and all augmented by superb position maps -- have perhaps never been done with greater clarity., The New Yorker The book is engrossing, and...amounts to a first-rate general account of Europe in the Napoleonic era....brilliant, unremittingly attentive to detail and sparkling with insights into a man, a nation, and an epoch., The Boston Globe Writing clearly and vividly, [Chandler] turns dozens of persons besides Napoleon from mere wooden soldiers into three- dimensional characters.
Book TitleCampaigns of Napoleon
Lccn66-012970
Dewey Decimal940.270924
Intended AudienceTrade
Lc Classification NumberDc151
Number of Pages1216 Pages
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Ratings and reviews
Most relevant reviews
- 23 Nov, 2021
A GREAT book!
I met the author back in the 1970's. The book was the best information available back then, and continues to be the best. I have another 1st printing that is autographed, along with pictures of Prof. David Chandler. RIP.Verified purchase: YesCondition: Pre-owned
- 17 Sep, 2019
Napoleonic Period "Bible" of Military Hisotry
This book is the definitive guide for wargaming the Napoleonic period. There is broad hisotrical context, but this book is not for the general reader or casual historian...this tome is a detailed, end-to-end resource covering campaigns, orders of battle, strategies and tactics, and "After Action Reports" of every major, and most minor, battles.Verified purchase: YesCondition: New
- 22 Dec, 2018
Disappointed with excellent book
Excellent descriptive book. Pity they left the original second-hand price on it. Took the shine off of the purchase.Verified purchase: YesCondition: Pre-owned
- 30 Aug, 2022
The Classic History of the Napoleonic Wars
Chandler's Campaigns of Napoleon is the classic history of the Napoleonic. The one all others are compared to. Highly recommended. Highly recommended.Verified purchase: YesCondition: Pre-owned
- 27 Apr, 2021
Must have for any military library.
.Verified purchase: YesCondition: Pre-owned
