Early modern warfare Books

Book SynopsisNapoleon is an out-and-out masterpiece and a joy to read' Sir Antony Beevor, author of StalingradA landmark new biography that presents the man behind the many myths. The first writer in English to go back to the original European sources, Adam Zamoyski's portrait of Napoleon is historical biography at its finest.Napoleon inspires passionately held and often conflicting visions. Was he a god-like genius, Romantic avatar, megalomaniac monster, compulsive warmonger or just a nasty little dictator?While he displayed elements of these traits at certain times, Napoleon was none of these things. He was a man and, as Adam Zamoyski presents him in this landmark biography, a rather ordinary one at that. He exhibited some extraordinary qualities during some phases of his life but it is hard to credit genius to a general who presided over the worst (and self-inflicted) disaster in military history and who single-handedly destroyed the great enterprise he and others had toiled so hard to constructTrade Review'A pacy and characteristically unintimidated picture of how and why Napoleon achieved what he did and then succeeded in screwing it all up …. 600 pages of narrative history will seldom pass so easily' David Crane, Spectator 'Adam Zamoyski refreshingly downsizes the Corsican commander-in-chief' Nicky Haslam, Spectator ‘Always elegant in style and original in analysis. Zamoyski, a master of the sources and of the culture and politics that created his subject, produces a fresh, nuanced, beautifully written, gripping and outstanding biography of Napoleon that reveals him to be a triumph of luck and accident as much as the invincible genius of the legend’ Simon Sebag-Montefiore, author of The Romanovs and Jerusalem: The Biography ‘Napoleon is an out-and-out masterpiece and a joy to read’ Sir Antony Beevor, author of Stalingrad ‘A lifetime’s diligent research and profound thinking about Napoleon and his times has gone into this hugely readable, highly enjoyable and well-balanced biography. Zamoyski is at the top of his game as a biographer’ Andrew Roberts, Visiting Professor, Department of War Studies, King’s College, London ‘Adam Zamoyski has retold a story that we thought we knew and made it fresh: stripping away two centuries of mythology, discarding the apocryphal stories and legends, he finally brings us the real Napoleon’ Anne Applebaum, author of Red Famine: Stalin’s War on Ukraine

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Book Synopsis'An excellent read, a page-turner of real quality. Raise your drinking horns in a toast! Theodore Brun has earned his place in the mead hall' BEN KANE'A fever dream of dark lusts and an ancient evil. A Savage Moon drips with passion, betrayal, loyalty and loss. A wonderful book!' MATTHEW HARFFY 'A heart pounding mix of action, adventure and historical detail. The prose is riveting and the battle scenes thrilling!' PETER GIBBONSAn epic, spellbinding Viking fantasy of blood and battle, weaving together history, fantasy and ancient myth. Perfect for fans of The Northman and Game of Thrones. Byzantium, 718ADThe great siege is over.Crippled warrior, Erlan Aurvandil, is weary of war. But he must rally his strength to lead a band of misfit adventurers back to the North, to reclaim the stolen kingdom of his lover, Lilla Sviggarsdottir. For this, they need an army. To raise an army, they need gold.Together they plot a daring heist to steal the Emperor's tribute to his ally. Barely escaping with their lives, they voyage north, ready for the fight. But when fate strands them in a foreign land already riven by war, Erlan and Lilla are drawn inexorably into the web of a dark and gruesome foe.As blades fall and shadows close in, only one thing for them is certain: a savage moon is rising. And it demands an ocean of blood.Praise for Theodore Brun:'A masterly debut... If Bernard Cornwall and George R.R. Martin had a lovechild, it would look like A Mighty Dawn. I devoured it late into the night, and eagerly await the sequel' THE TIMES'Gripping. Gut-wrenching' ERIC SCHUMACHERTrade ReviewA Savage Moon is a full-blooded and superbly descriptive novel, bringing to vivid life the Byzantine empire and the Viking world. Along with its rich themes of treachery and intrigue, love and sacrifice, loyalty and honour, there is plenty of bloodshed for Viking fans. It is an excellent read, a page-turner of real quality. Raise your drinking horns in a toast! Theodore Brun has earned his place in the mead hall. -- Ben Kane, bestselling author of the Spartacus seriesA heart pounding mix of action, adventure and historical detail. The prose is riveting and the battle scenes thrilling! -- Peter Gibbons, author of the Blood and Blade trilogy on A Savage MoonA thrilling read filled with dark twists and strange fates -- Donovan Cook, author of the Ormstunga Saga series on A Savage MoonA fever dream of dark lusts and an ancient evil. A Savage Moon drips with passion, betrayal, loyalty and loss. A wonderful book! -- Matthew Harffy, author of the Bernicia Chronicles on A Savage MoonA Savage Moon is vast in scope, but the ending is personal and climactic, a tale of friendship, love, trust and, for one of the characters, renewal, set against a backdrop of almost indescribable savagery. It's sure to appeal to fans of historical fiction and historical fantasy. -- M J Porter, author of Eagle of Mercia, on A Savage MoonSuperb. A Burning Sea is another vivid, enthralling read, yet again proving that Theodore Brun is a force to be reckoned with in both historical fiction and historical fantasy. * Giles Kristian on A Burning Sea *Brilliant. Theodore Brun might just be historical fiction's next big thing. * Adam Lofthouse on A Burning Sea *Gripping. Gut-wrenching. Visceral. Highly recommended * Eric Schumacher on A Burning Sea *A masterly debut. ... If Bernard Cornwell and George RR Martin had a lovechild, it would look like A Mighty Dawn. I devoured it late into the night, and eagerly await the sequel. * Antonia Senior on A Mighty Dawn *Evocative prose and the brutality of the Viking world, it's all here, woven with a deft touch into a tremendous tale. * Giles Kristian on A Mighty Dawn *

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Book SynopsisOut of print for many years, this is a brand new edition of the definitive companion to the acclaimed Aubrey-Maturin series of novels, written by the author himself.What was daily life in Nelson''s navy really like, for everyone from the captain down to the rawest recruit? What did they eat? What songs did they sing? What was the schedule of watches? How were the officers and crew paid, and what was the division of prize-money?These questions and many more are answered in Patrick O''Brian''s elegant narrative, which includes wonderful anecdotal material on the battles and commanders that established Britain''s naval supremacy.The meticulously researched text and imagery together provide an unparalleled insight into life during wartime in the Napoleonic era, and offer a wonderfully evocative companion to the world of Jack Aubrey and Stephen Maturin.Trade Review‘The greatest historical novelist of all time’ The Times ‘There is nothing in this century which rival Patrick O’Brian’s achievement. His novels embrace with loving clarity the full richness of the 18th-century world’ Amanda Foreman ‘…full of the energy that comes from a writer having struck a vein… Patrick O’Brian is unquestionably the Homer of the Napoleonic wars.’James Hamilton- Paterson ‘In a highly competitive field … a real first-rater.’Mary Renault

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Book SynopsisNiccolò Machiavelli provides a remarkably uncompromising picture of the true nature of power, no matter what era or by whom it is exercised. Part of the Macmillan Collector’s Library, a series of stunning, clothbound, pocket-sized classics with gold-foiled edges and ribbon markers. These beautiful books make perfect gifts or a treat for any book lover. This edition features an afterword by Oliver Francis.Drawing on examples from the ancient Greeks and Romans and from Machiavelli’s contemporaries, The Prince offers – some believed with satirical intent – advice on how a ruler should preserve his power, conduct and warfare, and maintain his reputation. Machiavelli not only influenced many of the great statesmen of his age, but was also one of the founding fathers of modern political thought. The Prince, written in 1513 and published in 1532, is one of the most famous pieces of writing of all time.Trade ReviewFew books have attracted such an influential readership as The Prince -- Michael Arditti * Telegraph *Machiavelli was showing how to achieve power and hold on to it -- Lesley McDowellAt a time when pious drivel, feckless rhetoric and fatal arrogance too often rule the affairs of us all, a realist dollop of Machiavellianism might well be added to the cauldron of post-modern statecraft -- Ronald K. L. Collins * Washington Independent Review of Books *

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Book Synopsis''I think I could be a good woman if I had five thousand a year.''Becky Sharp is sharp, calculating, and determined to succeed. Craving wealth and a position in society, she charms, hoodwinks, manipulates everyone she meets, rising in the world as she attaches herself to a succession of rich men. Becky''s fortunes are contrasted with those of her best friend Amelia, who has none of Becky''s wit and vitality but whose gentle-heartedness attracts the devotion of the loyal Dobbin. Set during the Napoleonic wars, Vanity Fair follows Becky as she cuts a swathe through Regency society. Thackeray paints a panoramic portrait of the age, with war, money and national identity his great subjects. The battle for social success is as fierce as the battle of Waterloo, and its casualties as stricken. The satire is at once biting and profound, sparing none in a clear-eyed exposure of a world on the make. Thackeray''s scepticism of human motives borders on cynicism yet Vanity Fair is among the funniest novels of the Victorian age. This new edition includes all Thackeray''s original illustrations. ABOUT THE SERIES: For over 100 years Oxford World''s Classics has made available the widest range of literature from around the globe. Each affordable volume reflects Oxford''s commitment to scholarship, providing the most accurate text plus a wealth of other valuable features, including expert introductions by leading authorities, helpful notes to clarify the text, up-to-date bibliographies for further study, and much more.Trade ReviewWe are more immersed in war now than we have ever been; we experience it and are affected by it remotely even when our country isn't actively participating. By focusing on how war affects the people who aren't heroes, Thackeray has given us the greatest novel about Waterloo, and one that is just as relevant 200 years later." * Telegraph online, Jonathan McAloon *

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Book Synopsis''A compulsive page-turner ... a triumph of brilliant storytelling ... an instant classic that is an awesome, remarkable and exuberant achievement'' Simon Sebag Montefiore Winner of the Wolfson History Prize and shortlisted for the Duff Cooper PrizeIn the summer of 1812 Napoleon, the master of Europe, marched into Russia with the largest army ever assembled, confident that he would sweep everything before him. Yet less than two years later his empire lay in ruins, and Russia had triumphed. This is the first history to explore in depth Russia''s crucial role in the Napoleonic Wars, re-creating the epic battle between two empires as never before. Dominic Lieven writes with great panache and insight to describe from the Russians'' viewpoint how they went from retreat, defeat and the burning of Moscow to becoming the new liberators of Europe; the consequences of which could not have been more important.Ultimately this book shows, memTrade ReviewA compulsive page-turner ... a triumph of brilliant storytelling ... an instant classic that is an awesome, remarkable and exuberant achievement -- Simon Sebag Montefiore * Evening Standard *Radically alters our assumptions about how Napoleon was beaten -- Andrew Roberts * Daily Telegraph, Books of the Year *(He creates) an historic canvas that is both overwhelming and meticulous ... he inevitably touches the nerve points of modern power politics. * The Economist *A compulsive read. This master storyteller and scholar has written an instant classic that is awesome, remarkable and exuberant. -- Simon Sebag Montefiore * The Scotsman *An essential reference ... the Princess would have approved. * The Spectator *(An) erudite, monumental piece of historial research ... it's a great tale with a clear argument, baked by an impressive array of sources and detail. -- Charles Clover * Financial Times *A superbly crafted book -- Alexander M. Martin * TLS *A lucid and detailed account -- Geoffrey Hosking * London Review of Books *

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Book SynopsisAs the wars of Napoleon ravage Europe, chaos and fear reign and the darkness that once clung to the shadows has been emboldened. Supernatural creatures vampires, werewolves, ghouls, and worse take advantage of the havoc, striking out at isolated farms, villages, and even military units. Whether they are pursuing some master plan or simply revelling in their newfound freedom is unknown. Most people dismiss reports of these slaughters as the rantings of madmen or the lies of deserters, but a few know better The Silver Bayonet is a skirmish wargame of gothic horror set during the Napoleonic Wars. Each player forms an elite band of monster hunters drawn from the ranks of one of the great powers. Riflemen, swordsmen, and engineers fight side-by-side with mystics, occultists, and even those few supernatural creatures that can be controlled or reasoned with enough to make common cause. The game can be played solo, co-operatively, or competitively, with players progressing tTrade ReviewHorror games set in Napoleonic Europe, I'm pretty pumped for this. I think it's gonna be a lot of fun -- Ash Barker * GMG Reviews *“McCullough has proved his pedigree with his games so far… an interesting option for those of a more historical persuasion and those who like their horror and fantasy.” -- , * OnTabletop *The rules are refined, matches are tense and tight, and the narrative side of the game can be as focused or supplemental as you like. Most importantly, this might be the best jumping-on point for those totally new to small skirmishers. -- , * Wargamer *

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Book SynopsisFrom Roger Knight, established by the multi-award winning The Pursuit of Victory as ''an authority ... none of his rivals can match'' (N.A.M. Rodger), Britain Against Napoleon is the first book to explain how the British state successfully organised itself to overcome Napoleon - and how very close it came to defeatFor more than twenty years after 1793, the French army was supreme in continental Europe. How was it that despite multiple changes of government and the assassination of a Prime Minister, Britain survived and eventually won a generation-long war against a regime which at its peak in 1807 commanded many times the resources and manpower?This book looks beyond the familiar exploits (and bravery) of the army and navy during the French Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars. It shows the degree to which, because of the magnitude and intensity of hostilities, the capacities of the whole British population were involved: industrialists, farmers, shipbuilders, gunsmiths and gunpowder manufacturers. The intelligence war was also central; but no participants were more important, Knight argues, than the bankers and international traders of the City of London, without whom the armies of Britain''s allies could not have taken the field.ROGER KNIGHT was Deputy Director of the National Maritime Museum until 2000, and now teaches at the Greenwich Maritime Institute at the University of Greenwich. In 2005 he published, with Allen Lane/Penguin, The Pursuit of Victory: the life and achievement of Horatio Nelson, which won the Duke of Westminster''s Medal for Military History, the Mountbatten Award and the Anderson Medal of the Society for Nautical Research. The present book is a culmination of his life-long interest in the workings of the late eighteenth-century British state.''Superb'' - SpectatorTrade ReviewA wonderfully disorienting read ... for [Knight] the real heroes of the struggle against Napoleon are not Wellington or Nelson or Collingwood or Cochrane but the clerks and administrators and 'silent men of business' who put Britain's armies in the field and kept her ships at sea and her allies in funds and ultimately won the war ... there is scarcely a wasted sentence here, not a duff page, not a chapter ... that does not bring you very close to the realities of a total war -- David Crane * Spectator *

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Book SynopsisAmerica''s most acclaimed historian presents the intricate story of the year of the birth of the United States of America. 1776 tells two gripping stories: how a group of squabbling, disparate colonies became the United States, and how the British Empire tried to stop them. A story with a cast of amazing characters from George III to George Washington, to soldiers and their families, this exhilarating book is one of the great pieces of historical narrative.

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Book Synopsis''A Napoleonic triumph of a book, irresistibly galloping with the momentum of a cavalry charge'' Simon Sebag Montefiore''Simply dynamite'' Bernard CornwellFrom Andrew Roberts, author of the bestsellers The Storm of War and Churchill: Walking with Destiny, this is the definitive modern biography of Napoleon.Napoleon Bonaparte lived one of the most extraordinary of all human lives. In the space of just twenty years, from October 1795 when as a young artillery captain he cleared the streets of Paris of insurrectionists, to his final defeat at the (horribly mismanaged) battle of Waterloo in June 1815, Napoleon transformed France and Europe. After seizing power in a coup d''état he ended the corruption and incompetence into which the Revolution had descended. In a series of dazzling battles he reinvented the art of warfare; in peace, he completely remade the laws of France, modernised her systems of education and administration, and presided over a flourishing of the beautiful ''Empire style'' in the arts. The impossibility of defeating his most persistent enemy, Great Britain, led him to make draining and ultimately fatal expeditions into Spain and Russia, where half a million Frenchmen died and his Empire began to unravel.More than any other modern biographer, Andrew Roberts conveys Napoleon''s tremendous energy, both physical and intellectual, and the attractiveness of his personality, even to his enemies. He has walked 53 of Napoleon''s 60 battlefields, and has absorbed the gigantic new French edition of Napoleon''s letters, which allows a complete re-evaluation of this exceptional man. He overturns many received opinions, including the myth of a great romance with Josephine: she took a lover immediately after their marriage, and, as Roberts shows, he had three times as many mistresses as he acknowledged.Of the climactic Battle of Leipzig in 1813, as the fighting closed around them, a French sergeant-major wrote, ''No-one who has not experienced it can have any idea of the enthusiasm that burst forth among the half-starved, exhausted soldiers when the Emperor was there in person. If all were demoralised and he appeared, his presence was like an electric shock. All shouted Vive l''Empereur! and everyone charged blindly into the fire.''The reader of this biography will understand why this was so.Trade ReviewSimply dynamite ... Roberts's fine book encompasses all the evidence to give a brilliant portrait of the man -- Bernard Cornwell * Mail on Sunday *Masterly ... a huge, rich, deep, witty, humane and unapologetically admiring biography ... gloriously enjoyable -- Dan Jones * Daily Telegraph *

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Book SynopsisOver 200 full-colour plates of cavalry and infantry uniforms detailed, together with lace patterns and buttons

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Book SynopsisThe first of two ground-breaking, prize-winning volumes on the Waterloo campaign, this book is based upon a detailed analysis of sources old and new in four languages. It highlights the political stresses between the Allies and their resolution, examining the problems of feeding and paying for 250,000 Allied forces assembling in Belgium during the undeclared war', and how a strategy was thrashed out. Hussey investigates the neglected topic of how the slow and discordant Allies beyond the Rhine hampered the plans of Bl cher and Wellington, thus allowing Napoleon to snatch the initiative from them. Napoleon's operational plan is analysed (and Soult's mistakes in executing it) and accounts from both sides help provide a vivid impression of the fighting on the first day, 15 June. The volume ends with the joint battles of Ligny and Quatre Bras the next day.Trade Review"John Hussey's magnum opus on the Waterloo campaign is a magisterial work which is unlikely ever to be beaten for detail and objectivity. This book. which is only the first volume and takes us up to the eve of the battle. goes comprehensively and thoroughly into the minds of the commanders and staff through contemporary source documents. In this way readers are able to judge for themselves regarding many of the controversies. The book is beautifully written, well mapped, and it will be the authoritative book on Waterloo for all time."--Major-General Sir Evelyn Webb-Carter, KCVO, Chairman 'Waterloo 200' "beautifully written and exhaustively researched; John Hussey's book will hold the field for a very long time."--Professor Sir Hew Strachan "Volume I of Waterloo: The Campaign of 1815 is a brilliant tour de force, not least for its comprehensive coverage of matters that so many histories of warfare either ignore or skate over. Key facts, all of which impinge on command and control of an army or formation, need to be understood if one is really to comprehend what commanders had to cope with. I suspect they are simply not factored in by the vast majority of commentators and historians."--Major-General Julian Thompson, CB, OBE "This book is a gem. Every chapter is filled with new information I have not seen before. It is a must-read for hose who are interested in the tumultuous events of 1815."--Robert Burnham, editor-in-chief, The Napoleonic Series "It will be decades before this book is superseded as the Best account of those extraordinary events of 1815."--Professor Andrew Roberts, author of Napoleon the Great "The strategic and multinational focus of this first of two volumes on the Waterloo campaign makes it stand head and shoulders above the mass of books that only look at the battles; this will be one of the most important histories ever written in English on the events of 1815."--Dr. Gregory W. Pedlow, author of On Waterloo: Clausewitz, Wellington and the Campaign of 1815 "This new study of the 1815 campaign presents a fresh and meticulously researched account of one of the most climactic battles in history. Its breadth of scope is comprehensive, importantly including the political perspective and how it impacted upon the military operations. Its sources are exhaustive and the mastery of its analysis compelling. It forms an essential guide to all aspects of the final campaign of two of the nineteenth century's greatest commanders, Napoleon and Wellington."--Philip Haythornthwaite, author of Waterloo Armies and The Napoleonic Source Book "John Hussey's study of the Waterloo campaign with its multiple armies and multiple battles is monumental and magisterial. The final word on Waterloo will never be written but this work is a close run thing."--Dr. John Peaty, FRGS FRHistS "These two volumes represent a comprehensive study of the events of 1815 that surpasses all previous studies of the subject. Future historians will be hard pressed to improve upon such a work! ... Every stage of the story of 1815 is handled in great detail with the author having used many sources, and every chapter presents new information and tells the story of events in such a way that this work is a veritable encyclopaedia of the subject... If your family want to know what you want for Christmas, then make sure these two books are at the top of your wish list."--The Waterloo Journal "This volume has set the new gold standard against which to measure books about 'Waterloo'. I cannot recommend it too highly."--Clash of Steel "Hussey's first volume is without peer for its overall treatment of the Water-loo campaign. It is simply unfathom-able to imagine anyone holding them-selves out as a serious student of Na-poleonic history to pass this work by, for in terms of scope, readability and a simple-but-comprehensive account for many facets of the campaign, this book is without peer."--ARMOR "...it is pretty much a slam dunk... The author has used sources in four languages to tell this amazing story... If you are looking for a one volume history of Napoleon's escape from Elba to the twin battles of Quatre Bras and Ligny, this is it. I cannot wait for the release of Volume II, and the author's telling of the battles of Waterloo and Wavre."--A Wargamers Needful Things

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Book SynopsisCreated during the Peace of Amiens, the nineteen regiments of cuirassiers that existed during the course of the 1e Empire were, after the Imperial Guard, perhaps the most famous and recognisable soldiers of the epoch. This book explores the long gestation of clothing and equipping the cuirassiers, the development of the arm from twelve regiments to twenty-one – if we include the carabiniers from 1811 – and how their clothing evolved across the period. As well as assessing the curiassiers, the story of the evolution of the uniforms of the carabiniers is also told. Much ink has been spilt on the two regiments and their uniforms, yet, as with the cuirassiers, precious little archive research has been carried out. This is one of a series of ground-breaking books which will be the defacto study of this perennially popular subject for historians, researchers, wargamers, re-enactors and artists. Using archive records to ‘set the record straight’, as well as contemporary illustrations and original items of uniforms, the author sets out to describe the uniform of every regiment of Napoleon’s army. Using archive sources found in the Archives Nationales and Service Historique du Armee de Terre in Paris, the author’s unrivalled research over a period of twenty years, will reveal exactly how, for the first time in over 200 years, Napoleon’s army was mounted, clothed and equipped. Having been granted to access to over 1,000 archive boxes, the author assesses how the regulations were adopted in practice. This vast resource, as yet untapped by the majority of researchers and historians for understanding the Napoleonic era in general, include the many regimental archive boxes preserved in the French Army archives. These sources provide, potentially bias free empirical data from which we can reconstruct the life story of a regiment, its officers and above all its clothing. What did trumpeters wear? Did cavalry regiments really have sapeurs? We answer these questions and present the reality of how regiments were dressed derived from diaries, letters, inspection returns, regimental accounts and even cases of fraud. For the first time, this unique series of books discusses the wide ranging 1806 uniform regulation and the more famous Bardin regulation which applied to all arms of the Army and explores the way in which regiments on campaign adopted and adapted their uniforms. For the first time since the days of Napoleon, we can say exactly what was worn by the French army.

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Book Synopsis''The English Civil War is a joy to behold, a thing of beauty this will be the civil war atlas against which all others will judged and the battle maps in particular will quickly become the benchmark for all future civil war maps.'' - Professor Martyn Bennett, Department of History, Languages and Global Studies, Nottingham Trent UniversityThe English Civil Wars (163851) comprised the deadliest conflict ever fought on British soil, in which brother took up arms against brother, father fought against son, and towns, cities and villages fortified themselves in the cause of Royalists or Parliamentarians. Although much historical attention has focused on the events in England and the key battles of Edgehill, Marston Moor and Naseby, this was a conflict that engulfed the entirety of the Three Kingdoms and led to a trial and execution that profoundly shaped the British monarchy and Parliament. This beautifully presented atlas tells the whole story of Britain's revolutionary civiTrade ReviewThis superb work provides a visually stunning guide to Britain’s civil wars from the opening Bishops’ War to the rule of Cromwell’s major generals. Based on the latest historical and archaeological research, the 156 detailed maps show not only the better known large battles and sieges, but also numerous smaller engagements and key political events. Essential for comprehending the full extent of the war and for understanding it conduct and outcome. * Professor Peter Wilson, Chichele Professor of the History of War, University of Oxford *There has long been a need for a good atlas of the English Civil War, and Nick Lipscombe, who has already fully met the need for one for the Peninsular War, now does so again. Effective and clear maps are ably combined with a text that reflects Lipscombe’s understanding of weapons characteristics, the complexity of battle, and the nuances of command. An important work that deserves wide attention. * Professor Jeremy Black, author of World War Two in 100 Maps *Nick Lipscombe’s The English Civil War is a joy to behold a thing of beauty, but much more than that book is clearly of no small importance. I am convinced that this will be the first port of call for all enthusiasts and scholars looking for a cartographic interpretation of the civil wars. This will be the civil war atlas against which all others will judged and the battle maps in particular will quickly become the benchmark for all future civil war maps. * Professor Martyn Bennett, Department of History, Languages and Global Studies, Nottingham Trent University *Without doubt one of the most foremost reference sources on the Civil Wars available today. * Tim Williamson, History of War *An absolutely essential volume for anyone interested in the period. -- Duncan Evans * The Armourer *The Atlas is an excellent work, which is a must for anyone who has any interest in the War of the Tree Kingdoms. -- Chris May * Battlefield *...An expert commentary and analysis, by a good historian linked into the Battlefields Trust. Highly recommended. * Miniature Wargames *This is a wonderful volume, hugely impressive in its breadth and depth, very attractive in its cartography and presentation, which makes a weighty contribution to the history of the civil war in every sense. -- Professor Peter Gaunt * University of Chester for The Protector's Pen *Table of ContentsForeword Preface Chronology – The Wars of The Three Kingdoms, 1639–52 Legend to Maps Introduction – Origins of Conflict Civil War Armies, Fighting Components and their Tactics 1 – The Early Stuarts and the Divine Right of Kings, 1603–37 2 – The Bishops’ Wars, 1639–40 3 – Rebellion in Ireland, 1640–42 4 – The Road to Civil War, 1641–42 5 – The Campaign and Battle of Edgehill, June to October 1642 6 – Advance to London, October to November 1642 7 – Nationwide Struggle, December 1642 to March 1643 8 – The Nation Divides, Mid-March to end of May 1643 9 – Events in The South-West, March to June 1643 10 – The Struggle for the North and Centre, June to August 1643 11 – The Struggle for Bristol and the South-West, June to August 1643 12 – Operations in the North, September to December 1643 13 – Events in Devon, September to the end of 1643 14 – The First Battle of Newbury, September 1643 15 – Irish Cessation and the Scottish Covenant, 1643 16 – The Scottish Invasion, Early 1644 17 – Nantwich And Newark: The Battles for Central England, January to March 1644 18 – Wales: The Conquest of Pembrokeshire, January to March 1644 19 – Waller’s Operations in the South, January to April 1644 20 – The Great Siege and Battle in Yorkshire,April to August 1644 21 – The Oxford Campaign, May to August 1644 22 – Events in the South-West, April to August 1644 23 – War in the Centre: the Second Battle of Newbury, August to November 1644 24 – Wales, Scotland and the North of England, August to the end of 1644 25 – A Time to Reflect: the end of 1644 26 – Nationwide Developments, Early 1645 27 – The Great and Decisive Battle at Naseby, 14 June 1645 28 – Taunton and Langport: Events in The South-West, January to July 1645 29 – Scotland in 1645: Montrose’s Royalist Campaign 30 – Post-Naseby, Part 1: Wales and the South, to the end of 1645 31 – Post-Naseby, Part 2: the North, to the end of 1645 32 – Sweeping up the South-West, January to April 1646 33 – The end of the First Civil War, 1646 34 – Wales, Scotland and Ireland in 1646 35 – Ireland 1647: Beyond Redemption 36 – The King’s Intransigence, 1647 37 – War Reignites in Wales, 1648 38 – War Reignites in England, 1648 39 – The Battle of Preston: the Death Blow to Royalism, 1648 40 – The ‘Endgame’: Regicide, 1649 41 – Cromwell and Parliament’s Army in Ireland, 1649–52 42 – The Invasion of Scotland, July 1650 to September 1651 43 – Worcester, 1651: The Final Battle 44 – The Interregnum, 1649–60 Notes to Maps Appendices Glossary Bibliography

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Book Synopsis''A superb little book that is micro-history at its best'' Washington Post''The brevity of this remarkable book belies the amount of work that went into it. One can only marvel at how well Professor Simms has gone through the original sources - the surviving journals, reminiscences and letters of the individual combatants - to produce a coherent and gripping narrative'' Nick Lezard, GuardianThe true story, told minute by minute, of the soldiers who defeated Napoleon - from Brendan Simms, acclaimed author of Europe: The Struggle for SupremacyEurope had been at war for over twenty years. After a short respite in exile, Napoleon had returned to France and threatened another generation of fighting across the devastated and exhausted continent. At the small Belgian village of Waterloo two large, hastily mobilized armies faced each other to decide the future of Europe.Unknown either to Napoleon or Wellington the bTrade ReviewThe brevity of this remarkable book belies the amount of work that went into it. One can only marvel at how well Professor Simms has gone through the original sources - the surviving journals, reminiscences and letters of the individual combatants - to produce a coherent and gripping narrative -- Nick Lezard * The Guardian *A superb little book that is micro-history at its best -- Paul O’Keeffe * Washington Post *Mr. Simms's fluent and meticulously researched narrative provides enough context to engage not only specialists, but also readers unfamiliar with the broader historical background...by focusing upon a particular episode, rather than the bigger picture, Mr. Simms manages to reflect the grim reality of Waterloo better than some more comprehensive surveys -- Stephen Brumwell * The Wall Street Journal *[Simms] tells more about realities of boots-on-the-ground combat than any other Waterloo book I have encountered. A five-gun read. -- Joseph C. Goulden * Washington Times *

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Book Synopsis''Vibrant and illuminating ... [Dywer] tells a fascinating tale'' The Times''Refreshing scholarship Energetic, readable and filled with colourful detail Napoleon: Passion, Death and Resurrection is a thoroughly enjoyable book which divides well the reality of exile from the legend that sprang from it'' Literary ReviewThis meticulously researched study opens with Napoleon no longer in power, but instead a prisoner on the island of St Helena. This may have been a great fall from power, but Napoleon still held immense attraction. Every day, huge crowds would gather on the far shore in the hope of catching a glimpse of him. Philip Dwyer closes his ambitious trilogy exploring Napoleon's life, legacy and myth by moving from those first months of imprisonment, through the years of exile, up to death and then beyond, examining how the foundations of legend that had been laid by Napoleon during his lifetime continued to be built uTrade ReviewVibrant and illuminating ... [Dywer] tells a fascinating tale -- Lawrence James * The Times *Refreshing scholarship … Energetic, readable and filled with colourful detail … Napoleon: Passion, Death and Resurrection is a thoroughly enjoyable book which divides well the reality of exile from the legend that sprang from it -- Ambrogio A Caiani * Literary Review *Remarkable ... a satisfying, psychologically convincing account ... Even-handed and authoritative, this fascinating and highly enjoyable book will be an eye opener even to those who think they know the subject well -- Praise for 'Napoleon: The Path to Power 1769-1799' * Sunday Times *The work that Dwyer was placed on earth to write ... We are clearly in the presence of what will be a monumental work ... meticulously researched and well-written -- Praise for 'Napoleon: The Path to Power 1769-1799', Andrew Roberts * Literary Review *A very fine book, which explains Napoleon’s extraordinary rise to power and equally meteoric fall, with great erudition, skill and verve -- Praise for 'Citizen Emperor: Napoleon in Power 1799-1815' * Spectator *Exemplary scholarship ... A book of meticulous research and beautifully detailed descriptions of Napoleon’s military adventures, brings home the full horrific cost of the march on Russia -- Praise for 'Citizen Emperor: Napoleon in Power 1799-1815' * New Statesman *

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Book SynopsisAlmost a quarter of a million lives were lost as King and Parliament battled for their religious and political ideals in the English Civil War. England was divided between Cavaliers and Roundheads engaged in bitter struggles from Preston to Lostwithiel, Pembroke to York. Armies were on the march, villages were decimated and great dynasties destroyed: fathers and sons, uncles and cousins were pitted against each other in defence of their loyalties. The civil war led to the execution of a king, the beginnings of sectarian division in Ireland, savage clan warfare in Scotland and the roots of English socialism.Tristram Hunt avoids adding to the many, mostly transitory interpretations of the civil war and instead offers a timeless narrative based on the first-hand accounts of those who witnessed these traumatic events. In doing so he brings out the voices of the civil war generation - those who lost sons, who witnessed massacres and who fought for an ideal. In this book we see th

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Book SynopsisAn extremely revealing account of army life under Napoleon.

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Book SynopsisThe defeat of Napoleon's French army by the combined forces of Wellington and Blucher at Waterloo on 18 June 1815 was a turning point in world history. This was the climax of the Napoleonic Wars, and the outcome had a major influence on the shape of Europe for the next century and beyond. The battle was a milestone, and it cannot be properly understood without a detailed, on-the-ground study of the landscape in which it was fought-and that is the purpose of David Buttery's battlefield guide. This thoroughgoing, lucid, easy-to-follow guide is a fascinating introduction for anyone who seeks to understand what happened on that momentous day, and it will be an essential companion for visitors to the battlefield in Belgium.

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Book SynopsisNapoleon Bonaparte was one of the most influential rulers in European history. Renowned as a military commander, he was also a great statesman, administrator, lawmaker and builder - and his civic achievements outlived and arguably eclipsed his victories on the battlefield. Yet while there are a host of biographies and studies of his military and political career, few books have been written about his connections with Paris, the capital of his empire, where many remarkable buildings and monuments date from his time in power. That is why David Buttery's highly illustrated guidebook to Napoleon's Paris is such a timely and valuable addition to the literature designed for visitors to the city. Many of the most famous sites in the city were built or enhanced on Napoleon's instructions or are closely associated with him and with the period of the First French Empire - the Arc de Triomphe, the Louvre, the H tel des Invalides, Mus e de l'Arm e, Notre Dame Cathedral, P re-Lachaise Cemetery among them. David Buttery's guide covers them all in evocative detail. His work is essential reading for every visitor to Paris who is keen to gain an insight into the influence of Napoleon on the city and the tumultuous period in French history in which he was the dominant figure.Trade ReviewButtery charts the building of the monuments, the restoration of the palaces, the paving of the streets, and all the intricate transformations that go into giving a city a global reputation. Butt he also looks at the ways Paris commemorated her patron, the statues scattered across the city, the museums dedicated to him and his soldiers, even the cemeteries where those warriors were laid to rest. Talking of fallen warriors, Buttery is especially good at showing how Paris was affected by those final battles of Napoleon’s regime in 1814 and 1815, and at showing how Napoleon’s capital has been changed by more recent events, be it war or the grand ambition of town planners. There is plenty of practical information in this magnificent book, so for those concerned about opening times and transport links, you can leave your Lonely Guide or Rough Planet behind. There are some lovely mapped walks here which are particularly nice and which allow the visitor to wander with intent. There are also some great asides on the imperial palaces and sites scattered just beyond the city limits. In short, it is really the only book the Napoleonic enthusiast needs when in the capital of France. - Jonathan North Finally, a guidebook for Napoleonic History enthusiasts! The book is divided into ten chapters, the first two provide a short history of Napoleon and his plans for the city of Paris. The next seven chapters talk about the different places and sites to see. In general, each chapter gives a short overview of about the site and then it gives practical information, such things as where it is located, what Metro stops ¬=are near it, where to park for the optimistic driver, opening hours, cost of tickets to get in, a map highlighting the things the author recommends, whether is food available, etc. One of the most important things he includes is a web address for the reader to find out current information on what exhibits are there, possible changes to the hours they are open, and the current ticket prices. This is a must have guide for those visiting Paris. I wish I had it when I was last there. – Robert Burnham, The Napoleon Series

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Book SynopsisWinner of the Society for Military History Distinguished Book Award 2011The horrific series of conflicts known as the Thirty Years War (1618-48) tore the heart out of Europe, killing perhaps a quarter of all Germans and laying waste to whole areas of Central Europe to such a degree that many towns and regions never recovered. All the major European powers apart from Russia were heavily involved and, while each country started out with rational war aims, the fighting rapidly spiralled out of control, with great battles giving way to marauding bands of starving soldiers spreading plague and murder. The war was both a religious and a political one and it was this tangle of motives that made it impossible to stop. Whether motivated by idealism or cynicism, everyone drawn into the conflict was destroyed by it. At its end a recognizably modern Europe had been created but at a terrible price.Peter Wilson''s book is a major work, the first new history of the war in a Trade ReviewPeter Wilson is a brave man to undertake a new general survey of one of the most long-lasting, multi-dimensional and controversial wars of all time. It is a joy to report that, at least in this reviewer's opinion, Europe's Tragedy succeeds brilliantly ... His scholarship seems to me remarkable, his prose light and lovely, his judgments fair -- Paul Kennedy * Sunday Times *An ambitious and accomplished account, abreast of modern scholarship, has been overdue, and EUROPE'S TRAGEDY supplies it all admirably -- Blair Worden * Literary Review *A wonderfully comprehensive and detailed account -- Tim Blanning * Daily Telegraph *Magisterial ... a wise, wide-seeking account, tenaciously researched -- Lauro Martines * The Times Literary Supplement *A history of prodicious erudition ... a definitive account has been needed, and now Peter Wilson has provided it -- Jeffrey Collins * Wall Street Journal *

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Book SynopsisA brilliantly researched and vividly written history of the English Civil Wars, from one of Britain''s most prominent Civil War historiansThe sequence of civil wars that ripped England apart in the seventeenth century was the single most traumatic event in this country between the medieval Black Death and the two world wars. Indeed, it is likely that a greater percentage of the population were killed in the civil wars than in the First World War. This sense of overwhelming trauma gives this major new history its title: God's Fury, England's Fire. The name of a pamphlet written after the king's surrender, it sums up the widespread feeling within England that the seemingly endless nightmare that had destroyed families, towns and livelihoods was ordained by a vengeful God that the people of England had sinned and were now being punished. As with all civil wars, however, God's fury' could support or destroy either side in the conflict. Was God angry at Charles I for failing to support the true, protestant, religion and refusing to work with Parliament? Or was God angry with those who had dared challenge His anointed Sovereign?Michael Braddick's remarkable book gives the reader a vivid and enduring sense both of what it was like to live through events of uncontrollable violence and what really animated the different sides. God's Fury, England's Fire allows readers to understand once more the events that have so fundamentally marked this country and which still resonate centuries after their bloody ending.

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Book SynopsisIncredible detail on every aspect of the infantrymans daily life, from weapons drill and unit organization to hygiene and cooking regulations, field punishments and hair styles etc.

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Book SynopsisA detailed analysis of the organization, uniforms and weapons of the French Imperial Guard created by Napoleon I. The author describes how this large military body evolved from the Consular Guard created by Bonaparte as early as 1799 and how this came to include dozens of different military units belonging to each branch of service (infantry, cavalry, artillery, specialist corps). The Imperial Guard was a 'miniature army' made up of veteran soldiers, who were dressed with the most spectacular and elegant uniforms ever seen on the battlefields of Europe. The Guard also included several 'exotic' non-French units that are also covered in the text: Egyptian Mamelukes, Polish and Lithuanian lancers, Tatar scouts, Dutch grenadiers and lancers. The way in which Napoleon employed the Guard in battle is discussed and also how it differed from the rest of the French Army in terms of military dress and weaponry.

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Book SynopsisWaterloo is one of the defining campaigns of European history. The name conjures up images of the terrible scale and grandeur of the Napoleonic Wars and the incredible, combined effort that finally ended Napoleon''s aspirations of power in Europe. Drawn from unpublished first-hand accounts and detailed illustrations, this comprehensive volume is the ideal resource for studying the intense fighting at the battles of Waterloo and Wavre, the final, decisive engagements of the Waterloo campaign. Those two battles are at the heart of this study, which explores the action at Mont St. Jean where Wellington managed to hold the French at bay until the arrival of the Prussians under Blücher saw the Allies secure a hard-fought victory at the dramatic climax of the ''100 days''.Table of ContentsOrigins of the campaign /Chronology /Opposing commanders /Opposing armies /Orders of battle /Opposing plans /The campaign /Aftermath /The battlefields today /Further reading /Index

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Book SynopsisAn illustrated overview of the Hundred Years War, the longest-running and the most significant conflict in western Europe in the later Middle Ages. There can be no doubt that military conflict between France and England dominated European history in the 14th and 15th centuries. The Hundred Years War is of considerable interest both because of its duration and the number of theatres in which it was fought. Drawing on the latest research for this new edition, Hundred Years War expert Professor Anne Curry examines how the war can reveal much about the changing nature of warfare: the rise of infantry and the demise of the knight; the impact of increased use of gunpowder and the effect of the war on generations of people. Updated and revised for the new edition, with full-colour maps and 50 new images, this illustrated introduction provides an important reference resource for the academic or student reader as well as those with a general interest in late meTable of ContentsIntroduction Background to War Warring Sides Outbreak The Fighting The World Around War How the War Ended Conclusion and Consequences Chronology Further Reading Index

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Book SynopsisCharles Esdaile's new guide to the Battle of Waterloo presents the experience of the soldiers who took part in the battle in the most graphic and direct way possible - through their own words. In a series of walks he describes in vivid detail what happened in each location on 18 June 1815 and he quotes at length from eyewitness accounts of the men who were there. Each phase of the action during that momentous day is covered, from the initial French attacks and the intense fighting at Hougoumont and La Haye Sainte to the charges of the French cavalry against the British squares and the final, doomed attack of Napoleon's Imperial Guard. This innovative guide to this historic site is fully illustrated with a selection of archive images from the War Heritage Institute in Brussels, modern colour photographs of the battlefield as it appears today and specially commissioned maps which allow the visitor to follow the course of the battle on the ground.

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Book SynopsisA highly illustrated and detailed study of one of the most important campaigns in the colonization of the Americas, the Spanish conquest of the vast Inca Empire.On November 16, 1532, the Inca emperor Atahualpa was the most powerful man in South America, having emerged victorious from a three-year civil war. Now his authority was absolute over millions of subjects living the length of an empire that stretched 2,500 miles from the towering mountains of the Andes, to the verdant rainforest of the Amazon, to the arid plains of the Pacific Coast. However, a group of strangers, comprising just 169 men and 69 horses led by the Spanish conquistador Francisco Pizarro, soon entered his empire from the north. Despite having 80,000 men at his disposal, Atahualpa was seized and imprisoned. Pizarro burned with the same ruthless ambition as his cousin, Hernán Cortés, who had taken Tenochtitlan, and understood that by seizing the autocrat at the top of the social structure, the stateTable of ContentsORIGINS OF THE CAMPAIGN - Arrival of the conquistadors - The capture of Atahualpa - Advance on Cuzco CHRONOLOGY OPPOSING COMMANDERS - Conquistador - Inca OPPOSING FORCES AND PLANS - Inca - Conquistador THE SIEGE OF CUZCO, 1536–37 - The end of the rebel Inca generals - Conquistador divisions and Manco’s uprising - The siege begins - The Inca assault, May 6, 1536 - The battle for Sacsayhuamán - Conquistador relief efforts - Quizo targets Lima - Ollantaytambo - Breaking the siege of Cuzco AFTERMATH BIBLIOGRAPHY INDEX

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Book SynopsisThe concluding volume of this work provides a fresh description of the climatic battle of Waterloo placed in the context of the whole campaign. It discusses several vexed questions: Bl cher s intentions for the battle, Wellington s choice of site, his reasons for placing substantial forces at Hal, the placement of Napoleon s artillery, who authorised the French cavalry attacks, Grouchy s role on 18 and 19 June, Napoleon s own statements on the Garde s formation in the final attack, and the climactic moment when the Prussians reached Wellington s troops near la Belle Alliance. Close attention is paid to the negotiations that led to the capitulation of Paris, and subsequent French claims. The allegations of Las Cases and later historians that Napoleon s surrender to Captain Maitland of the Bellerophon amounted to entrapment are also examined. After a survey of the peace settlement of 1815, the book concludes with a masterly chapter reviewing the whole story of the 1815 campaign.

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Book SynopsisTHE REAL GAME OF THRONES... The Wars of the Roses were a prolonged brawl over an inheritance by a deeply dysfunctional extended family. The inheritance in question was the throne of England; the story is one of unbridled ambition and murderous treachery. From the 1450s, when the mentally unstable Henry VI struggled to control the violent feuding of his magnates, through the rise and fall of Richard of York, to the chaos and bloodshed of the 1470s which followed Edward IV's accession and his secret marriage to Elizabeth Woodville, this is a saga of ambition, intrigue and bloodshed. Charting a clear course through the dynastic and factional minefield of the era, and offering an authoritative analysis of the battles that ensued, Hugh Bicheno's The Wars of the Roses is a compelling one-volume account of England longest and bloodiest civil war.Trade ReviewPRAISE FOR HUGH BICHENO: 'Bicheno has an enviable ability to convey the horror of war' Literary Review, on The Crescent and the Cross. 'Invigoratingly fresh... Rich, multi-layered' Sunday Telegraph, on The Crescent and the Cross. 'Gripping' -- John Keegan, on Razor's Edge

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Book SynopsisStephen Clarke lives in Paris, where he divides his time between writing and not writing.His Merde novels have been bestsellers all over the world, including France. His non-fiction books include Talk to the Snail, an insider's guide to understanding the French; How the French Won Waterloo (or Think They Did), an amused look at France's continuing obsession with Napoleon; Dirty Bertie: An English King Made in France, a biography of Edward VII; and 1000 Years of Annoying the French, which was a number one bestseller in Britain.Research for The French Revolution and What Went Wrong took him deep into French archives in search of the actual words, thoughts and deeds of the revolutionaries and royalists of 1789. He has now re-emerged to ask modern Parisians why they have forgotten some of the true democratic heroes of the period, and opted to idolize certain maniacs. Follow Stephen on @SClarkeWriter and www.stepTrade ReviewIndeed, as Stephen Clarke demonstrates in this cheeky book, they have spent two whole centuries 'indulging in outrageous denial' * Daily Mail *Clarke’s tone is larky, but his outrageously readable work is based on extensive research, with a wealth of enticing detail. * Daily Mail *This is Waterloo as stand-up, funny and caustic by turns * BBC History Magazine *

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Book SynopsisFor centuries Spain had been the most feared and predatory power in Europe - it had the largest empire and one of the world''s great navies to defend it. Nothing could have prepared the Spanish for the devastating implosion of 1805-14. Trafalgar destroyed its navy and the country degenerated into a brutalized shambles with French and British armies marching across it at will. The result was a war which killed over a million Spaniards and ended its empire.This book is the first in a generation to come to terms with this spectacular and terrible conflict, immortalised by Goya and the arena in which Wellington and his redcoats carved out one of the greatest episodes in British military history.Table of ContentsLisbon - the origins of the Peninsula War; Madrid - the Iberian insurrections, May-June 1808; Bailen - the summer campaign of 1808; Vimeiro - the liberation of Portugal, August 1808; Somosierra - Napoleon's revenge, November-December 1808; La Coruna - the campaign of Sir John Moore, December 1808-January 1809; Oporto - conquest frustrated, January-June 1809; Talavera - the fall of the Junta Central, July 1809-January 1810; Seville - the Bonaparte Kingdom of Spain 1808-1813; Pancorbo - the emergence of guerrilla war, 1808-1810; Cadiz - the making of the Spanish Revolution, 1810-1812; Torres Vedras - the defence of Prtugal, July 1810-March 1811; Albuera - stalemate on the Portuguese frontier, March-December 1811; Badajoz - the Anglo-Portuguese offensive of 1812; Burgos - the autumn campaign of 1812; Vitoria - the defeat of King Joseph, January-June 1813; Pyrenees - the invasion of France, July-November 1813; Bascara - peace and thereafter.

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Book SynopsisThe Founding Fathers is a concise, accessible overview of the brilliant, flawed, and quarrelsome group of lawyers, politicians, merchants, military men, and clergy known as the Founding Fathers--who got as close to the ideal of the Platonic philosopher-kings as American or world history has ever seen. R. B. Bernstein reveals Washington, Franklin, Jefferson, Adams, Hamilton, and the other founders not as shining demigods but as imperfect human beings--people much like us--who nevertheless achieved political greatness. They emerge here as men who sought to transcend their intellectual world even as they were bound by its limits, men who strove to lead the new nation even as they had to defer to the great body of the people and learn with them the possibilities and limitations of politics. Bernstein deftly traces the dynamic forces that molded these men and their contemporaries as British colonists in North America and as intellectual citizens of the Atlantic civilization''s Age of Enlightenment. He analyzes the American Revolution, the framing and adoption of state and federal constitutions, and the key concepts and problems that both shaped and circumscribed the founders'' achievements as the United States sought its place in the world. Finally, he charts the shifting reputations of the founders and examines the specific ways that interpreters of the Constitution have used the Founding Fathers. A masterly blend of old and new scholarship, brimming with apt description and insightful analysis, this book offers a digestible account of how the Founding Fathers were formed, what they did, and how generations of Americans have viewed them.Table of ContentsPreface ; 1 Words, Images, Meanings ; 2 Contexts: The History That Made the Founding Fathers ; 3 Achievements and Challenges: The History the Founding Fathers Made ; 4 Legacies: What History Has Made of the Founding Fathers ; Epilogue: The Founding Fathers, History, and Us ; Chronology ; Appendix ; References ; Further Reading ; Index

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Book SynopsisThe Napoleonic Wars have an important place in the history of Europe, leaving their mark on European and world societies in a variety of ways. In many European countries they provided the stimulus for radical social and political change - particularly in Spain, Germany, and Italy - and are frequently viewed in these places as the starting point of their modern histories. In this Very Short Introduction, Mike Rapport provides a brief outline of the wars, introducing the tactics, strategies, and weaponry of the time. Presented in three parts, he considers the origins and course of the wars, the ways and means in which it was fought, and the social and political legacy it has left to the world today. ABOUT THE SERIES: The Very Short Introductions series from Oxford University Press contains hundreds of titles in almost every subject area. These pocket-sized books are the perfect way to get ahead in a new subject quickly. Our expert authors combine facts, analysis, perspective, new ideas, and enthusiasm to make interesting and challenging topics highly readable.Table of ContentsIntroduction ; 1. Origins ; 2. Course ; 3. A revolutionary war ; 4. Soldiers and civilians ; 5. The war at sea ; 6. The people's war ; 7. Legacies ; References

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Book SynopsisOne of the lancers rode by, and stabbed me in the back with his lance. I then turned, and lay with my face upward, and a foot soldier stabbed me with his sword as he walked by. Immediately after, another, with his firelock and bayonet, gave me a terrible plunge, and while doing it with all his might, exclaimed, Sacré nom de Dieu! 'The truly epic and brutal battle of Waterloo was a pivotal moment in history a single day, one 24-hour period, defined the course of Europe's future.In March 1815, the Allies declared war on Napoleon in response to his escape from exile and the renewed threat to imperial European rule. Three months later, on 18 June 1815, having suffered considerable losses at Quatre-Bras, Wellington's army fell back on Waterloo, some ten miles south of Brussels. Halting on the ridge, they awaited Napoleon's army, blocking their entry to the capital. This would become the Allies' final stand, the infamous battle of Waterloo.In this intimate,Trade ReviewA blow-by-blow account of the fateful day. I couldn't put it down. * Independent *‘Gripping … The hour-by-hour account is packed with fascinating and often poignant vignettes' * Daily Express, 5 stars *Kershaw writes well and makes sense of the battle ... a clear and straightforward military view. * Literary Review *Shows us the battle at its grittiest and bloodiest, but through it all manages to maintain a grip on the bigger picture. * Scotsman *So where does this leave Robert Kershaw’s 24 Hours at Waterloo? Very simply, in a class of its own ... brings the events to life with judiciously chosen first-hand accounts ... there could be no better companion to the battlefield than Kershaw’s. * Spectator *

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Book SynopsisThe second of three volumes, this book represents the first English translation of the memoirs that rank among the best in the vast Napoleonic memoir literature. The author, Ilya Timofeyevich Radozhitskii, served with distinction during the wars against Napoleon and wrote down his reminisces shortly after the war based on the notes that he kept while campaigning. Born in 1788, Radozhitskii studied at the Imperial Orphanage, enlisted in the artillery unit in 1806, and steadily rose through the ranks, earning a reputation of a capable officer.Napoleon's invasion of Russia in 1812 changed his life. Serving as an artillery lieutenant, he saw action in virtually every major battle of that historic campaign. In 1813-1814, Radozhitskii took part in the War of the German Liberation and the invasion of France, serving with distinction at Bischofswerde, Bautzen, Katzbach, and Leipzig before finishing the war as a staff captain in Paris in 1814. Upon Napoleon's return in 1815, Radozhitskii was as

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Book SynopsisPierre-François Percy was Surgeon-in-Chief of Napoleon's Grande Armée. This is the first English translation of Baron Percy's notebooks, containing his interesting, revealing, and informative testimony of the Revolutionary and Napoleonic campaigns in which he played an active role, as the most senior surgeon in the French Army, from 1799-1807.In his journal, Percy writes intimately about his life on campaign. He recounts his experiences across Europe, particularly in Switzerland (Helvetia), Germany, and Poland. The journal shows Percy's delight at seeing his surgeons recognised for their work at Eylau, and his notes express his shock at the brazen corruption of military officials and the indiscriminate pillaging to which the French army frequently resorted. He recounts his audiences with Napoleon, during which his pleas for more resources and a more professional military surgical corps frequently fell on deaf ears. Details that may have seemed trivial to Percy's contemporaries about f

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Book SynopsisCompelling study of the British campaigns in India during the Napoleonic Wars. Focuses on the campaigns of Arthur Wellesley - later Duke of Wellington - and General Lake.

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Book SynopsisIn 1204, the great Angevin Empire created by the joining of the dynasties of Henry II of England and his queen, Eleanor of Aquitaine, was fragmenting. At its height, the family landholdings had been among the largest the world had ever seen. From the border of England and Scotland in the north to south of the Pyrenees, it seemed there was nowhere in Europe destined to escape Plantagenet control. Yet within five years of his accession, King John's grip on the family holdings was loosening. Betrayal against his father and brother, the murder of his nephew, and breaking promises made to his supporters were just some of the accusations levelled against him. When Philip II conquered Normandy, the chroniclers believed that an ancient prophecy was fulfilled: that in this year the sword would be separated from the sceptre. For the first time since 1066, England's rule over the ancestral land was over. For John, troubles on the continent were just the beginning of a series of challenges that would ultimately define his reign. Difficult relations with the papacy and clergy, coupled with rising dissent among his barons ensured conflict would not be limited to the continent. When John died in 1216, more than half of the country was in the hands of the dauphin of France. Never had the future of the Plantagenet dynasty looked more uncertain. As the following pages will show, throughout the first eighteen years of the reign of Henry III, the future direction of England as a political state, the identity of the ruling family and the fate of Henry II's lost empire were still matters that could have gone either way. For the advisors of the young king, led by the influential regent, William Marshal, 1st Earl of Pembroke, the effects of John's reign would be long and severe. Successful implementation of the failed Magna Carta may have ensured his son's short-term survival, yet living up to such promises created arguably a more significant challenge. This is the story of how the varying actions of two very different kings both threatened and created the English way of life, and ultimately put England on the path to its Lost Civil War.

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Book SynopsisHistories of the Light Division have tended to be incomplete, being based on memoirs of a few well known diarists, principally from the 95th Rifles. The authors of this book, the first volume of two, have sought memoirs from across the division, including the artillery, the King's German Hussars and others to complete a broader history of Wellington's elite division. Light infantry was not new a concept in 1803, but at Shorncliffe Camp Sir John Moore developed a progressive ethos, set of tactics and training for the newly converted light infantry regiments. With the 95th Rifles they were melded into a brigade that was to form the basis of the incomparable Light Division. From the outset of the Peninsular campaigns in 1808 they delivered results way beyond their scant numbers, but it was during the epic winter retreat to La Corunna that they showed their metal. Returning to the Peninsular months later, the irascible Brigadier Craufurd led the Light Brigade in terrible march to reach Wellington at Talavera; heavily laden and in the heat of summer. Over the winter of 1809/10, Craufurd,s battalions, now elevated to the status of a division, provided the army's outposts. This was work that Craufurd excelled in and actions abounded, including the Combat on the C a, where the division fought hard to escape Marshal Ney's trap. In 1810, with Wellington withdrawing to the Lines of Torres Vedra, the Light Division played a significant part in the battle of Bu aco Ridge, while the following year they drove Marshal Massena's army back into Spain having fought almost daily actions en route. This history of the Light Division is not simply a series of set piece battles but provides a wider picture of campaigning and what it was to be a light infantry soldier.

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Book Synopsis'Wonderfully imaginative' Bernard Cornwell, author of The Last Kingdom. The third exciting adventure of maverick spy Captain James Keane. Perfect for fans of Simon Scarrow and Bernard Cornwell.The intrepid band of warriors, led by Captain James Keane, have been given their toughest job yet. The Portuguese university city of Coimbra is in ruins. Infiltrating the streets are untrustworthy Spanish guerrilla fighters, local Portuguese out for revenge and rival spies determined to find the famous book of ciphers, hidden in the city and guarded by a dissident Jesuit group. James Keane and his men must prevent the book falling into enemy hands but also to discover which of the guerrilla groups can be trusted. But this means sometimes following their own instincts over Wellington's orders . . . can Keane capture the book without sacrificing his honour, position and reputation?Trade ReviewRichard Sharpe would be delighted to have James Keane on his side! Iain Gale's creation is awonderfully imaginative addition to the fascinating tales of Britain's defiance of Bonaparte - Bernard CornwellA cracking adventure story and a rattling good yarn - The SoldierThis exciting military adventure is ideal for any fans of Bernard Cornwell's Sharpe books - The Good Book Guide

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Book SynopsisTo give political legitimacy to his Empire, in just fifteen years Emperor Napoléon I created an enduring image of Napoléonic France as the contemporary equivalent of Imperial Rome. He did this by the deft use of iconography and what today would be called ‘branding’, which he applied to every aspect of his family, the government, the military, the monuments to his achievements, his palaces and their furnishings. The tangible remains of this grand, imperial ‘theatre’ has excited royal and other collectors ever since. The Imperial Impresario take a wholly new look at Napoléon and the First Empire by interpreting the era in theatrical terms: the players, the sets, the props, the costumes, the tours and the script, much of which has survived. The fully illustrated book includes a wide range of Napoléonica in royal, national, regimental and private collections, as well as lost treasures such as the Emperor’s campaign carriage, captured in the immediate aftermath of Waterloo and destroyed in a fire at Madame Tussaud’s in 1925. For readers coming to the subject for the first time, The Imperial Impresario is a fascinating and informative introduction to the Napoléonic era; for those already steeped in the period, it is an invaluable companion to existing books about Napoléon and his Empire.Trade Review‘This book provides a fascinating look at the by-products of the Napoléonic era.’ The Duke of Richmond and GordonTable of ContentsForeword by the Duke of Richmond Acknowledgements Timeline of the rise and fall of Napoléon Authors’ Note Introduction 1. Creating the Star Role 2. Other Starring Roles 3. Principal and Supporting Players 4. Props 5. Building and Dressing the Set 6. On Tour 7. Merchandise 8. Collectables 9. The Fan Club 10. The Final Curtain About the Authors Index

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Book Synopsis

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Book Synopsis

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