Books - Napoleonic Wars
General Works
The Line upon a Wind, Noel Mostert. This is an excellent account of the greatest naval war of the age of sail. Mostert covers a wider range of topics than most books on this subject, while always remaining readable. There is a good section on the rise of American naval power and the War of 1812 [see more] |
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 Imperial Guardsman 1799-1815 , Richard hook, A beautifully illustrated book with some excellent colour plates and illustrations of equipment and men in action. A must for any figure collector or wargamer with a good deal of historical info on the French Elite formation of the Napoleonic wars |
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 British Cavalrymen: 1792-1815 , Philip Haythornthwaite, Richard hook, A well illustrated book with excellent information on cavalry training and tactics and engagements. The illustrations of formations are particularly useful to wargamers. [see more] |
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 The Cossacks 1799-1815, Laurence Spring. This detailed book looks at the famous Russian Cossacks during the period of the Napoleonic wars. History has given the Cossacks a very mixed reputation and this book helps dispel some of the myths. [see more] |
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Napoleon's Guard Cavalry, Emir Bukhari This 48 page Osprey scratches the surface of a fascinating subject, that of the elite of Napoleons Cavalry. The book is full of some superb black and white plates and 9 pages of full colour plates of some fantastically colourful and diverse uniforms. [see more] |
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Peninsular War
 The Spanish Ulcer, A History of the Peninsular War, David Gates. An excellent single volume history of the Peninsular War, which when it was published was the first really good English language history of the entire war since Oman. This is a well balanced work with detailed coverage of those campaigns conducted entirely by Spanish armies, as well as the better known British intervention in Portugal and Spain. |
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Aspern and Wagram
Aspern and Wagram, 1809, Ian Castle. An interesting Osprey campaign book covering some of the largest but often forgotten battles of the Napoleonic wars, including Aspern, Napoleon's first defeat on the battlefield. It is clearly written and of great use to those interested in the Austrian Army of the period [see more] |
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Austerlitz
Austerlitz 1805, Ian Castle An excellent introduction to one of the most famous battles in History and a classic of military deception and manoeuvring. Austerlitz was the battle which truly establishes Napoleons reputation. [see more] |
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 Austerlitz 1805 , David G.Chandler, A detailed and colourful book written by one of the accepted experts on the Napoleonic period. This book contains excellent 2D and 3D maps and a guide to wargaming the battle. |
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Badajoz
 Badajoz, 1812: Wellingtons Bloodiest Siege, Ian Fletcher. The town of Badajoz was much fought over during the Peninsular war and this detailed and lengthy osprey covers the siege of 1812 which was the hardiest fought and bloodiest of the war, in whose aftermath the British army displayed savagery and wanton destruction rarely seen as the British troops brutally sacked the town. [see more] |
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Corunna
Corunna 1809, Philip J. Haythornthwaite. A 96 page Osprey campaign book written by one of the leading authors on the Peninsular war. It is packed full of 3 D maps, colour artist plates and black and white images and some contemporary photographs of the battle area. It is better organised and laid out than many Ospreys which makes for better reading and includes orders of battle for the forces involved [see more] |
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 EggMuhl 1809, Ian Castle.
A very detailed account of this complex campaign with the usual high standard of 3 d battle maps, black and white and colour pictures and impressive battle scenes. Includes sections on war gaming the campaign and the battlefields today. Very useful for anyone looking at the Austrian army of the time and sheds light on events in Europe that are often over looked due to the Peninsular war. [SEE MORE] |
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Jena
Jena, 1806, David Chandler. A 96 page osprey campaign book with the usual winning combination of orders of battle, 3D and 2D colour maps, black and white plates and colour plates. This book covers the campaign which many feel was Napoleon's best and which the German high command took inspiration from when planning the Blitzkrieg of World War Two. [see more] |
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Leipzig
 Marengo 1800 , David Hollins, A well illustrated and colour book containing a vast amount of detail on this important early Napoleonic battle. Contains an extensive guide to wargamming the campaign |
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Salamanca
 Salamanca, 1812, Ian Fletcher. A comprehensive and easy to read study of what many consider the key battle in the Peninsular War. Once Wellington crushed the French at Salamanca, the British and their allies would have the upper hand in the long drawn out struggle to come. [see more] |
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Waterloo 1815 , Geoffrey Wooten,
A good introduction to one of the most important battles of European history. Well illustrated but lacking the depth of some of the studies on the market, a starting point for those interested. Lacks a section on wargamming the battle.
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 Napoleon's Commanders: Vol 1, Philip Haythornthwaite. Despite the emphasis on Napoleon, the scale of the Napoleonic Wars meant that his Marshals played a significant role in the early French successes. This volume covers the careers of the most important French commanders up till the Austrian campaign of 1809. [SEE MORE] |
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 A Dorset Rifleman: The Autobiography of Sgt. Williams Lawrence 1790-1869 , edited by Eileen Hathaway forward by Bernard Cornwell. An excellent book with updated information from the Hardback edition gives a real flavour of the Napoleonic Wars |
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| The Rise and Fall of Napoleon: Rise , Robert Asprey, Abacus, 2001, 608 pages. The first of a two volumn biography, this book takes Napoleon from his birth on Corsica, through the turbulant years of the revolution and to the brink of his great victory at Austerlitz. |
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| The Rise and Fall of Napoleon: Fall (UK)/ The Reign of Napoleon (US & Canada), Robert Asprey, Abacus, 2002, 512 pages. Continues the story of Napoleon from his great victory at Austerlitz through to eventual defeat and exile. Asprey's great strength is his study of Napoleon as a general. These two books give a great overview of the life of one of the most important men in history. |
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 Wellington: A Military Life, Gordon Corrigan. This in an excellent military biography of the Duke of Wellington. It focuses very heavily on Wellington the general, allows Corrigan to describe the wider campaigns in some detail, giving a good idea not only of what Wellington did, but also why he did it. [see more] |
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| Sharpe - The Complete Series , the definative collection of this excellent series which if not always totally historically accurate does give a great feel of the atmosphere of the Napoleonic wars in Spain. The series follows the rising career of Richard Sharpe and his trusty men as Sharpe is promoted from the ranks to rise to high position making friends and enemies and fighting battles along the way. |
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Austrian Grenadiers and Infantry 1788-1816 , David Hollins, Jeffrey Burn., A fascinating and highly detailed book on a neglected army of the Napoleonic wars. The book is full of colourful illustrations and historical detail and gives a fascinating insight into the Austrian Army of the period. [see more]
Dutch-Belgian Troops of the Napoleonic Wars, Otto Von Pivka, A colourful Osprey book looking at the uniforms and organisation of the Dutch-Belgium troops in the Napoleonic wars. The book feature nine pages of full colour plates which are of great use to modellers and war-game figure painters. [see more]
Napoleon's Cursed War, Popular Resistance in the Spanish Peninsular War. Ronald Fraser. A fascinating look at the Peninsular War from the Spanish point of view, tracing the development of the war from the early provincial revolts, through the years of military defeat and the succesful guerilla campaigns. Frasers's work brings to life the people who were willing to risk everything to free their country from Napoleon. [see more] 
History of the Peninsular War vol.1: 1807-1809 - From the Treaty of Fontainebleau to the Battle of Corunna, Sir Charles Oman. The first volume of Oman's classic seven volume history of the Peninsular War, this is one of the classic works of military history and provides an invaluable detailed narrative of the fighting in Spain and Portugal. This first volume covers the initial French intervention, the start of the Spanish uprising, the early British involvement in Spain and Portugal and Napoleon's own brief visit to Spain. 
A History of the Peninsular War vol.2: Jan.-Sept. 1809 - From the Battle of Corunna to the end of the Talavera Campaign, Sir Charles Oman. Part two of Oman's classic history falls into two broad sections. The first half of the book looks at the period between the British evacuation from Corunna and the arrival of Wellesley in Portugal for the second time, five months when the Spanish fought alone, while the second half looks at Wellesley's campaign in the north of Portugal and his first campaign in Spain. One of the classic works of military history. 
A History of the Peninsular War vol.3: September 1809-December 1810 - Ocana, Cadiz, Bussaco, Torres Vedras, Sir Charles Oman. Part three of Oman's classic history begins with the series of disasters that befell the Spanish in the autumn of 1809 and spring of 1810, starting with the crushing defeat at Ocana and ending with the French conquest of Andalusia and capture of Seville, then moves on to look at the third French invasion of Portugal, most famous for Wellington's defence of the Lines of Torres Vedras. 
A History of the Peninsular War vol.4: December 1810-December 1811 - Massena's Retreat, Fuentos de Onoro, Albuera, Tarragona, Sir Charles Oman. The main focus of this fourth volume in Oman's history of the Peninsular War is the year long duel between Wellington and the French on the borders of Portugal, which saw the British make a series of attacks across the border, most of which were repulsed by strong concentrations of French troops. Despite the apparent lack of progress, this was the period that saw the French lose the initiative to Wellington.
A History of the Peninsular War vol.5: October 1811-August 31, 1812 - Valencia, Ciudad Rodrigo, Badajoz, Salamanca, Madrid, Sir Charles Oman Part Five of Oman's classic history of the Peninsular War starting with a look at the French invasion of Valencia in the winter of 1811-12, before concentrating on Wellington's victorious summer campaign of 1812, culminating with the battle of Salamanca and Wellington's first liberation of Madrid. 
Leipzig 1813: The Battle of the Nations, Peter Hofschroer, Osprey, 1993, 96 pages. A very well regarded entry in the Osprey catalogue, covering not just the battle of Leipzig but the entire German campaign of 1813 that led to the final collapse of Napoleon's empire. [see more]
Napoleon's Commanders: Vol 2, Philip Haythornthwaite. The second volume of this set covers the last six years of the Napoleoninc Wars, from 1809 until the final defeat of Napoleon at Waterloo and focuses on those commanders who became famous during this period. [SEE MORE] 
