Tactics and the Experience of Battle in the Age of Napoleon

There are books on tactical regulations (Imperial Bayonets, George F. Nafziger), there are books on Napoleonic campaignsand battles (plenty)... This one gives you a thourough understanding on the behavior of troops on the battlefield and during campaigns: what are the tradeoffs, what are the main problems in applying certain tactics, how would troops react to certain events and how globally would weapons, tactics and several kinds of troops and organizations perform on the battlefield. It is more a qualitative kind of work than a quantitative one and that's exactly what we (I at least) need, in complement to other kinds of works, to find out how armies were dealing their business during that era.This is not a pro-english study: this author warns us from the beginning that english accounts were more numerous at that time, which is true and he uses them (who would not). When he speaks of french troops, he often recognizes their unquestionable quality and preeminance in many aspects of their job (at least before the beginning of the well-known fall...).

My primary interest in this book was as a reference for wargaming the Napoleonic period. As such it is straight forward, enlightening, and full of common sense. It is not a general history of the period, nor is it a dramatic page turner. It is what it purports to be, and Muir does a damn good job of it.

I write this review in opposition to another review that berates the book as anglophile. That reader should have paid more attention to the opening remarks that clearly specified the limited scope of this book -- British sources. In addition, the author provides a valid reason for this limited scope -- the lack of resources from other than British sources.To be certain, this book is not about Napoleonic tactics. If this is your interest you'll find Haythornethwaite, Noseworthy, and Nafziger far better sources.The predominant focus of this book is on the (British) experience of battle during the Napoleonic wars. In this strict regard, it is a very worthwhile source -- certainly a great starting point for further research in this area.Obviously, next to being there, or participating in re-enactments that emphasize authenticity, the only source for us to understand the experience of a Napoleonic battle is from those who were there. Given this type of source (i.e., individuals), and realizing the limited perspective any one individual has on an entire battle, the value of this book is in the author's attempt to extract accounts of battle experience from a variety of documents.Please keep this information in mind as you consider purchasing this book and as you read this book.