David G. Chandler's 'The Campaigns of Napoleon': A Comprehensive Analysis of the Military Strategies of the French Emperor

Stephen: Excellent review of campaigns, with minor focus on political aspects.

United States on Oct 02, 2023

Erik Grinolds: This is a really good history of Napoleon and his campaigns. Great starting point to the study of the Napoleonic Wars.

United States on Aug 31, 2023

Matthew Welker: I got this book just after Christmas 2020. Yet here I am 2.5+ years having finally finished. Now why it took so long has nothing to do with the quality of the book. I’ve picked up other reading interests & to be fair, the book is a monster in size. I believe Campaigns of Napoleon constitutes three volumes, but this book has it all packed into one. The core material comes out to just under 1100 pages, but I’d say it comes out to roughly 1000 pages of reading material as there’s break pages between parts, illustrations, and maps.

While I’ve never read it & want to read it, this is likely on the level of Shelby Foote’s The Civil War. A must read for any fans of the subject. While the book is very academic, I still found it super gripping & interesting. Chandler does an exception job explaining the lead ups, the battles, & aftermath. As it’s the section most fresh in my mind at the time of writing, the 2nd to last section on Waterloo was just a masterclass. Plus Chandler’s assessments/analysis was great, unbiased. & simple to grasp with how blunt he was which I loved.

So if you’re someone looking to get into the nitty gritty of the...

United States on Aug 20, 2023

Nostromo: I am stunned that this a virtually mint condition book, and looks like the 1st. edition that I owned almost 40 years ago. Printed in China, it includes the foldout maps and is cloth ( not paste ) bound. It is still the best one volume history of the Napoleonic wars available.

United States on Aug 04, 2023

stanretoma: Having read a few books about Napoleon, this was my first read about the military tactician. Glad I bought it (Kindle), not finished but well written, easy to read and almost addictive! Enjoying it immensely.

United Kingdom on Jul 26, 2023

Sparrow Kelly: Remarkably comprehensive and even-handed and including an excellent collection of maps, this is the definitive work on the subject.

United Kingdom on Dec 18, 2022

Christian Schwinghammer: David Chandlers klassiska standardverk/tegelsten från 1966 om Napoleonkrigen med huvudfokus på Napoleon och Frankrike håller fortfarande i sin detaljrikedom och exakta genongångar av krigets olika skeenden. Ett måste för militärhistoriskt intresserade när det kommer till de stora omvälvningarna och konsekvenserna under 1700-talets slut och fram till 1815. Detta nytryck från 1995 är just ett nytryck av orginalboken, så ingenting tillagt, ingenting ändrad.

Ett extra + till svenska Amazon som var mycket serviceinriktade när postgången av paketet tyvärr mötte sitt Waterloo. De skickade ett nytt exemplar som kom fram inom en vecka efter strulet... Tack.

Sweden on Jul 28, 2022

M.W.BettsM.W.Betts: I had waited for quite some time to buy this wonderful book. It first caught my eye while I was studying in York 2011 - 2014 but it was very expensive in the book shop in York where I first saw it. I finally bought it this last week and have just recieved it and it is in fantastic condition and the price was much lower than it has been these previous few years. I am very very happy with the purchase and can't thank the seller enough. I look forward to spending much time reading it and being able to refer to it hopefully for many years to come.
As far as the late Mr Chandlers work goes on this subject there is none better or as great in its scope, a true masterpiece of historical significance.
Thank you kindly ".

United Kingdom on Oct 31, 2019

TV Producer (UK): Quite simply, the best book in the English language (and possibly all languages) on the subject of Napoleon. There is no better work I know of in any medium. Chandler's brilliance lies in the always accessible minutiae, laid out in battle after battle after battle, which allows you to get a true insight into what made Napoleon such a military genius. Rather than someone telling you he was great, this work takes you through the detail so that you come to grasp and really understand Napoleon's amazing talents for yourself. It can't be recommended too highly and is certainly compulsory reading for anyone seriously interested in the subject.
Incidentally, it makes other biographies (eg. Andrew Roberts's much-vaunted recent one) look amateur.

United Kingdom on Feb 08, 2015

gmemphis: I bought this book after finishing a biography of George Washington, who is often compared to his contemporary, Napoleon, vis-à-vis their respective quality as military strategists, generals, & national leaders. Why did Napoleon fall into the trap that Washington avoided - clinging to an archaic model of political leadership? I don't know if the book answered that question or not (probably not).

Getting through all the campaigns took time, & as others have stated some of the maps were not user friendly. Nevertheless, deciphering them was well worth the effort. Never before have I understood - or cared to understand - the importance of coordination between cavalry, infantry, and artillery.

The drama of the gradual buildup to Imperial ascension (including the instructive blunder in Spain) followed by the disastrous Russian campaign with its formidable geographic distances and obstacles, disintegration of overextended supply lines, failure to disregard sunk costs, dogged belief in an unsupported interpretation of the motives and intentions of Tsar Alexander, and finally, the refutation of the myth of defeat by "general winter" more than repaid the price of the...

United States on May 13, 2007