Napoleon's Wars: An International History

Having read various biographies of Napoleon, including this one, I think some of the negative reviewers perhaps need to go back and look at this book again. Firstly, this is a book primarily concerned with Napoleon's diplomatic and political relations, rather than his military or administrative achievements (which were many and significant)and even French authors (eg Roger Caratini) have been critical of his approach in this field. Esdaile simply makes the point that there were a number of occasions when Napoleon could have had peace on favourable terms but failed to do so, which doesn't seem that controversial to me. Secondly, I think Esdaile gives a fairly balanced portrayal of why Britain was perceived as an unreliable ally and doesn't seek to gloss over their tendency to pick off lucrative colonies as opposed to anything else. Thirdly, he certainly doesn't over emphasise Britain's role compared with that of other players, such as Russia, in Napoleon's ultimate defeat - to me, one of the very strengths of this book is putting the British contribution in its proper context and not over-focusing on it. But Napoleon wouldn't have put so much effort into the Continental System if he hadn't himself recognised the importance of Britain's consistent opposition, so I don't think this is simply a case of 'pipe smoking British historians' smugly congratulating themselves as one reviewer seems to think. My big takeaway from this book (which is one of at least half a dozen that I've read on this subject) is that even after the Russian debacle, Napoleon could have had peace on terms that anyone else would have considered generous but rejected; in the end, it wasn't really the actions of Britain, Russia or anyone else but ultimately his own that caused his downfall. Maybe that's the lesson that his admirers find hard to accept - a man of genius in many areas undone by his own ego.

This is the best single-volume history of the Napoleonic wars that I have ever read. It is full of casually brilliant essays in which Esdaile uses just a few pages to explains complicated phenomena that have detained other authors for multiple volumes (the Peninsular War, the War of 1812). It is truly an international, and a global history, that gives sufficient weight to the Americas, North and South, and addresses the actions of every major and minor European power. I do think it is a shade overly Anglophilic. Esdaile reports Continental skepticism about English motives dutifully, but without, perhaps, complete belief. And his treatment of the appalling English "press gangs" against American sailors is tame considering the complete illegality and injustice of the practice-reminiscent of a later era's "superpower" defense of extraordinary detention.

Napoleon was a man who could not live without war. And, never has there been a man so skilled at war and so famous for his campaigns. One reason for this was probably his insatiable desire for fame and recognition. This excellent historical book not only looks at the good and bad sides of Napoleon, but also his campaigns and the dangerous wars that spread throughout Europe--all beginning from France's revolution. This book seeks to understand why the countries involved in all of the conflict were willing to go to such great lengths to fight each other, even with destructive results. Why were rulers willing to risk the chances of fighting either for or against France? If you read this book, you will learn the answers, as well as have a new perspective on this period of history. This book is sure to go down in the annals of literature as one of the most comprehensive looks at this troubling time period and this blood-thirsty warmonger. Reviewed by James Rojek

There are history books and there are history books. Then there are the very great books that distinguish themselves for the centuries, like Gibbon's The Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire. This is one of those. Nowhere else will you learn why Napoleon's management system failed so utterly, destroyed by flaws in his own personality, in a sharp lesson for every CEO who has ever lived, or will ever live. Esdaile shows how Napoleon was completely unable to master elementary fiscal and monetary management. What the Bank of England did to Louis XIV a century earlier slipped right by him, unseen, destroying him in his turn. Never once did he understand the economic and political combinations that were arrayed against him, let alone attempt to counter them in any coherent way. I will cite this book in all my future books on business and will recommend it to all my clients as they struggle with issues of size, profitable scale, and, of course, personality. Esdaile's writing is tight, focused, and spare. A few Anglicisms unusual in England even today do not mar the pace and the very high level of intellect that sparkles in each paragraph.

Napoleon's Wars paints the background against which this struggle occurred. One finds that nations in those days behaved pretty much like they behave today. England, Russia, Austria, Prussia, and Sweden each had many battles they were fighting with each other, with the Ottomans, and also with Napoleon. Napoleon often forced these nations to deal with France during this time, but war with France was not nearly the only conflict either simmering or boiling over in Europe during these years. These "sidebar" conflicts go far to explain the emergence and dissolution of the various Coalitions which eventually defeated France and led to the Treaty of Vienna. One comes away reassured that things were just as messy and unpredictable then as they are now. Which your reviewer finds reassuring.