A review by markk
The Campaigns of Napoleon by David G. Chandler

5.0

Though nearly a half-century has passed since its initial publication, David Chandler's study of Napoleon Bonaparte's military campaigns remains unsurpassed -- and after reading it, it is easy to see why. Over the course of a thousand pages, Chandler charts Napoleon's military career, from his early years at the École Militaire to his final defeat in the Hundred Days campaign. Aided by a generous selection of maps, he details the maneuvers of every campaign and the course of every major battle, each of which he concludes with a convincing analysis of the factors involved in the result. While the campaigns themselves dominate the text, Chandler also analyses the armies involved, describing their organization, their weaponry, and their reputation on the battlefield. The combination provides readers with an encyclopedic account of Napoleon's wars, yet Chandler's writing reflects the flair and dash that came to be associated with his subject's battlefield exploits. The result is a work that, despite its age, remains the standard by which histories of Napoleonic warfare are judged.