Blundering to Glory: Napoleon's Compaigns

Just because Napoleon scrambeled and won doesn't make him lucky in fact that's what makes him a great military leader. He was a detailed planner but he understood that no plan survives first contact and that adjustments need to be made on the fly. The side that can make the quicker and faster adjustments wins. I think the author should have stayed away from words like "Blundering" in the title because it gives the impression that he was lucky but nothing could be farther from the truth. If Napoleon was lucky you could say he made his own luck. The ability to quickly adapt plans especially when your moving large armies is predicated on detailed planning and a well trained chain of command and staff system - all the responsibility of the man in charge. This book, from this perspective, enhances the great reputation that Napoleon has and deserves.

The extent and nature of Napoleon's genius will always be a matter of debate and controversy. Owen Connelly has added fuel to the fire in an interesting way. He is in fact trying to stir the pot, not least with the provocative title of this work. In the process, he has turned out his usual well-written, clear and concise work. This book is a great outline of Napoleon's campaigns, whether or not one agrees with his conclusions. I have put it to good use assigning it in my courses, and my students always enjoy it. They get a good, quick overview of Napoleonic warfare. Owen Connelly (an American) is one of the most knowledgable and objective living historians of the Napoleonic period.

It is a real gem of a volume, and although I have many other books on the Napoleonic Wars I have used it as a reference source countless times. The writing is very good, all trivial matters have been excluded and the maps although simple are numerous and informative. This book is the perfect choice for someone who wants to learn a lot about the wars of Napoleon without spending weeks to read the massive volumes of the other experts on the subject (Chanlder etc.)It gives the essence of Napoleon's operational art and reveals many little known aspects of his campaigns, like his excellent defensive maneuvers under desperate conditions in France in 1814.

I first read this little gem in 1992 & I've just finished my 4th enjoyable reading. Personally, I can't think of a more readable, economical, introduction to the Napoleonic wars. Following an introductory chapter on Bonaparte, each chapter examines a separate campaign (Italy, Austerlitz, Spain, Russia etc). Professor Connely's lifetime of scholarship in this field is well reflected throughout to include a comprehensive bibliography and a very good bibliographic essay examining works published since the first edition of this book. Whether you agree or disagree with his thesis (Napoleon the opportunist) this work is well worth the price. I also recommend Connelly's FRENCH REVOLUTION/NAPOLEONIC ERA, a short but well-done college text examing the military, political and cultural events of that period. Prior to attacking David Chandler's massive opus The CAMPAIGNS of NAPOLEON, also seeDavid Gates' The NAPOLEONIC WARS, Charles Esdaile's Thr WARS of NAPOLEON & Gunther Rothenberg's ART of WAR in the AGE of NAPOLEON.All three are available in paperback. Happy reading!

The author of this book is an American university professor. This is a little unusual, in that most English-language history dealing with Napoleon is either a translation of something or British. Connelly wrote a book on Napoleon's family some time ago, but never before (that I know of) ventured into military history. That makes this book unusual too. But most unusual of all is the author's view of Napoleon on the battlefield. Connelly presents Napoleon as a soldier very concious of his own appearance in history, always looking in the mirror to make sure his coat's straight and his shoes are shined. He gives examples of Bonaparte's ego: the official Imperial account of the Battle of Marengo was rewritten several times to make sure everyone understood that the original surprise wasn't Napoleon's fault, and the late reinforcements commanded by General Desaix (which decided the battle in the French favor) had nothing to do with the French victory. The author refers to Napoleon as the "scrambler" and makes much of his energy and aggressiveness, which he credits with a great deal of Napoleon's reputation. An entertaining and lively reinterpretation of the great general's battlefield victories that should provoke discussion among any group of Napoleonic buffs