atlases and maps

I first came in contact with A Military History and Atlas of the Napoleonic Wars when in the 5th grade. My brother, who graduated from West Point that year and used it as a textbook, gave it to me to read. While not understanding all of the military terms without the aid of a dictionary, I found the book fascinating, and it turned me into a definite admirer of both Napoleon and the Grande Armee. I later used it at West Point myself as by then it had been phased out as a text book. It is the one indispensable book available in English on the Napoleonic Wars, and it is the best operational study available in English. Superior to the much longer Campaigns of Napoleon by David Chandler, Col Elting based his study on largely primary sources and he tells us the story of the campaigns in a lively, witty style that lets you glide through the marching, fighting, and killing that was 23 years of almost constant horror, bloodshed, and high deeds. Strengths and losses are accurate, being a careful study of the best available sources, and the maps reflect the text. There is a good introduction to the book, covering weapons and tactics, and an excellent section at the rear of the book on the Marshals, outstanding general officers of all nations, as well as political figures. The greatest strength of the book, however, is the Recommended Reading List, which is annotated. The best, most reliable books are listed for the period, including much new scholarship which has been written since 1964 when the book was first published. The maps are superb, being meticulously prepared by the staff at West Point, and they are annotated to correct minor errors from the first printing. The format is large, as it was in the original. This is a perfect companion volume to Col Elting's Swords Around A Throne, and his four volume study on the uniforms of the period, Napoleonic Uniforms. Reliable, accurate, and one of the best books in English on the Napoleonic Wars, this book is a neccessary part of any library or collection on the period. If you own only one book on the Napoleonic Wars, this should be it.

I had heard through sources that this was an indispensable book and I purchased it with eager though guarded optimism, considering the price.

I was thoroughly pleased with my purchase. The book is huge by any standards and the layout; with lucid, terse text to the left and clear, concise maps to the right; is an historical reader's dream come true. Another feature I loved was the fact that towns and places were referenced in the text with a co-ordinate system that made finding them on the map that much easier.

To be sure, the text is not as highly detailed as those of books dedicated to singular battles or campaigns but this book is intended as a quick reference and in this it excells. Having only recently delved into reading about the Napoleonic Wars in depth, I was somewhat overwhelmed by the vast history and the wealth of material available to go along with it. Now I can have a passing knowledge of the greater part of this period and use this book as a "jump-off" point for further reading.

If you are new to the Napoleonic Wars or if you are looking for a condensed version of them, this book is definitely for you. I have used it as a supplement when reading magazine articles or other books. The maps are THAT good. Indeed, Peter Hofschroer used some of the maps in his volume on the Battle of Waterloo.

You will not go wrong purchasing this book if you need a concise reference for the Wars or if you love good maps. An added bonus is the section on leader biographies which make for very interesting reading.

Probably one of the easiest to read books on Napoleonic campaigns, its also one of the easiest to understand the campaigns as well. Unlike one of the earlier reviewers, I don't think this book is superior to David Chandler's Campaigns of Napoleon which is still the standard work but this book might proves to be a great supplement. John Elting's writing flow very nicely and he says a lot in a limited space. His opinions are always reflective of the true measure of the situation and he make difficult scenes easy. This book must be a standard issue in anyone's Napoleonic library.