The Horizon Book of The Age Of Napoleon

Foolishly, I persevered & wasted time finishing Bryan Burrough's God-awful "Vendetta." I then immediately needed something to purge the disreputable American Express executives & the idiosyncratic & tragic Edmund Safra from my memory. I grabbed Age Of Napoleon, the hard-cover edition - which I had read for the first time just prior to the Vendetta odyssey, & read it again. It worked. And on this second reading,... Read Full Review

Herold approaches Napoleon in a very different manner, if compared to other authors. While it is true he does not concentrate on military strategy or on the battles per se, he gives us a very clear view of what was going on around in Napoleonic times. This history book concentrates more on ideas than on anything else. You're given a picture of what was happening all around the world, at least from an ideological perspective... Read Full Review

I am truly in love with this book. It is excellently written and immaculate in design and execution. This will give you the general picture of Napoleon and who he was.

This is a dated but still effective general survey of the period and the man. Contrary to what is claimed in some of the reviews, it is not particularly anti-Napoleon, especially compared to some more recent works, such as the big biography by Schom, which virtually boils over with hatred for Napoleon. Herold wants to admire Napoleon, but can't quite forgive him for his faults. The result is pretty balanced. Also,unless... Read Full Review

This is not a perfect book. That the author doesn't think Napoleon should be deified, however, is no reason to malign it--online or anywhere else. In fact, Herold presents a convincing picture of "Napoleonic" Europe. Besides characterizing Napoleon, his adversaries, and a whole supporting cast, the author portrays the economy, politics, and culture of the times. There is some oversimplification in Herold's book, and... Read Full Review