How Far from Austerlitz?: Napoleon 1805-1815

Alistair Horne's "How Far From Austerlitz" traces the career of Napoleon from the apogee of his glory as victor of the battle of Austerlitz in 1805 to his final defeat and exile to St. Helena in 1815. Horne, a marvellously gifted writer and practiced popular historian, provides a highly readable account accessible to the general reader and the historical buff alike. Horne opens with a quick review of Napoleon's dramatic rise to power and to the circumstances that led him and the Grande Armee to Austerlitz in 1805. The account of the battle itself reveals Napoleon at the peak of his powers as a political leader and general; the aftermath makes clear his failings as a diplomat and strategic thinker. The ten years between Austerlitz and Waterloo would be marked by increasingly costly and less decisive battles and by an inability to orchestrate a general peace in Europe. Napoleon, as portrayed by Horne, is his own worst enemy in this endeavor. Repeated success in battle feeds a growing meglomania that makes him incapable of the kind of "soft" peace that might have been available to him. Napoleon will overreach himself in Spain, and more dramatically, in Russia, ultimately depriving himself of the forces necessary to defeat the coalitions he called into being by his invasions. Horne's narrative is enourmously readable; Napoleon's fall is presented as the Greek tragedy of a gifted leader undone by his pride. Horne has the good journalist's sense for place and for people. The book is punctuated with thumbnail sketches of the various personalities who played key parts in the drama of 1805-1815, including Napoleon's marshals, his family, the other crowned heads of Europe, and his various military opponents. This book is highly recommended to the general reader with an interest in Napoleon and his era.

"You couldn't hear me if I told--so loud the cannons roar."This history borrows its title from from Kipling's "St Helena Lullaby" and tells the tale of a man ruined by success. Bonaparte's dazzling triumph in December, 1805 persuaded him of his own invincibility - and doomed him to everlasting defeat. An intriguing approach to the Napoleonic era, an excellent writer (Horne the Great) and a poignant behind-the-scenes tale as well. Horne, formerly of British Intelligence (WW2), was for years denied access to the battlefield of Austerlitz (now in Czech Republic) until the fall of the Iron Curtain.

For someone just starting out in a study of the Napoleonic Era, "How Far From Austerlitz?" is an amazingly easy and engaging book to read. There are no endless statistics, no long percise accounts of how much powder a 12 pounder cannon used, no long commentaries on this Marshal or that. Instead the book is a quick run through Napoleon's career. The book opens many doors for the reader, which will lead to further study. It is not intended to be the "End all be all" tome concerning Napoleon. It is an introduction to the era an nothing more. What makes this book better than other introductionary works about Napoleon is Horne's anecdotes. The book is filled with interesting anecdotes, stories, and facts which are far more memorable than the weight in kilograms of a French Officer's kit. In turn, Horne's anecdotes makes the book memorable if not very detailed or in depth. Furthermore Horne's personal opinions about Napoleon and his corrolations with contemporary times, such as World War Two, made the book much more lively. It does not matter what one thinks about his opinions, the fact his book has opinions makes it more intriguing than other more statistical, but lifeless works.

Alistair Horne's book is poor in it's approach to the political and social aspect of the Napoleonic saga.His comments on french internal politics are puerile and superficial.At times he seems to be at lost when confronting the post-revolutionary political scene in France,he certainly has none of the insight of a Jean Tulard.Nonetheless it is very good military history.His comments on the Grand Armée are very good and very instructive.The description of the battle of Austerlitz is masterful and the highlight of the book.All in all it is an exellent read.

Having read many books on Napoleon I felt that this book was a good introductory look at the man. Certainly other books go into greater detail, but for a student just becoming familiar with Napoleon this is a great start. It covers a little of everything in Napoleon's life; social, personal, and militarily. Alistair Horne is also an entertaining writer who finds the high points and clearly illustrates them in plain terms. He makes valid comparisons of battle with pre-Napoleonic wars to post-Napoleonic ones. Overall, he sets the table and further study is required to learn more about Napoleon's career. For example, very little is mentioned about his days as First Consul and the reforms he made. This is simply because the book started in 1805. Another example is the deep anxiety and yearning for legitimacy Napoleon had over being accepted by other European sovreigns. Horne mentions this but no in depth study is attempted. Finally,as stated before, this is not an advanced book on Napoleon but an excellent start to the newcomer and the old-hack will enjoy Horne's witty style and maybe a new twist or two concerning major events.