Ten books to read if you are interested in the Napoleonic Wars

Ten Books to read if you are interested in the Napoleonic Wars

Going a bit off topic, here is my highly subjective list of books about the Napoleonic Wars that I suggest. Ranking is not by quality, but by suggested reading sequence.

1) Napoleon's Wars by Charles Esdaile - Currently probably the best summary; from the British point of view. As you can guess from the title not very sympathetic of Napoleon.

2) The Art of Warfare in the Age of Napoleon by Gunther E. Rothenberg - a good overview, although a rather dry read.

3) Napoleon: Eine Biographie by Johannes Willms - well written and up to date; from the German point of view. I am not sure if an English translation exists.

4) With Musket, Cannon and Sword: Battle Tactics of Napoleon and His Enemies by Brent Nosworthy. A difficult read, but provides a very good review of the tactics used during the Napoleonic Wars.

5) The Campaigns of Napoleon by David Chandler. Still the best overview of military part of the Napoleonic Wars.

6) Swords Around A Throne: Napoleon's Grande Armee by John R. Elting. Very detailed and well written description of the organization, dress, way of life... of Napoleon's troops.

7) Russia Against Napoleon: The Battle for Europe, 1807 to 1814 by Dominic Lieven. Very good description of Russia's contribution to Napoleon's downfall. Also shows how troop organization and organizational adaptation made it possible for the Russian army to lead a campaign all the way to Paris.

8) The Peninsular War by Charles Esdaile - Up-to date and comprehensive description of the war in Spain and Portugal. More objective than 'Napoleon's Wars.

9) Napoleon's Last Campaign in Germany - 1813 by F. Loraine Petre. Pure nostalgia - I have this book for a long time and have always been interested in the 1813 war. Replace with any other book of Petre depending on your area of interest.

10) 1812: The Great Retreat by Paul Britten Austin. This book consists of eyewitness reports, tied together by short explanations - very well written, very readable. Not the best book about the war of 1812 (in my opinion that would be Moscow 1812 by Adam Zamoyski), but the best description of the suffering during this retreat. One day I'll read the author's first two volumes of the 1812 war.


What I am missing:
- The books on the list are between neutral and anti-Napoleon. It would be interesting to read a book of the quality of those written by Esdaile and Willms with a pro-French view.
- A book that concentrates on the role that the economic and financial conditions played during the Napoleonic Wars.
- A good and affordable Atlas of the Napoleonic Wars. I do have new version of the 'West Point Atlas for The Wars of Napoleon', which is helpful, but overall underwhelming.
- A book that provides an overview about the diplomatic (including clandestine) activities.
- A book that analyzes the question under which (if any) conditions Britain would have been willing to make a long-term peace with a France that dominates the continent.

I left out uniform books and eyewitness reports (with the exception of the 'edited' ones that make up 1812: the Great Retreat) - in either of this categories there is no outstanding volume that makes my 'top ten'.