Unfortunately i feel this book lacked flow but it did contain significant information. Memoirs of the napoleonic wars by general aleksey ermolov, a twovolume edition of a. Awarded a personal chair in 2004, he is the author of numerous works on the revolutionary and napoleonic wars and the history of modern spain, including the spanish civil war 2018, wars of the french revolution. Guerillas, bandits and adventurers in spain, 18081814, 2004, etc. Charles esdailes major new work reframes our understanding of napoleon. An international history, 18031815 provides an interesting perspective on the cataclysmic events during the first decade and a half of the 19th century.
The author draws nicely on their scholarship to offer a broad, balanced account of the prolonged conflict known as the napoleonic wars 180315. In the most definitive account to date, respected historian charles esdaile. David gates estimated that 5,000,000 died in the napoleonic wars. I did see someone criticize the book here on amazon for poor proofing. He is the author of several books on history, including the peninsular war, the wars of. He has published many articles on the subject and his books include the russian officer corps of the revolutionary and napoleonic wars, czars general. As stated before, this is a book on international history in relation to napoleon s wars.
An international history, 18031815 by charles esdaile. Be the first to ask a question about napoleons wars. Debunking the myth of the napoleonic wars, which claimed that napoleon was a pacifistic victim of circumstances, comes a book that makes no attempt to hide his insatiable lust for military glory and, thus, power. Or a social and political visionary brought down by petty, reactionary kings of europe. Married with four young children, he lives near formby. First published in 1995 to great critical acclaim, the wars of napoleon provides students with a comprehensive survey of the napoleonic wars around the central theme of the scale of french military power and its impact on other european states, from portugal to russia and from scandinavia to sicily.
He is the author of popular resistance in the french wars. The central theme is the scale of french military power and its impact on other european states. Download for offline reading, highlight, bookmark or take notes while you read women in the peninsular war. Michel franceschi and ben weiders wars against napoleon. Fighting napoleon 9780300101126 by esdaile, charles j. Esdaile has been a member of staff in the department of history at the university of liverpool since 1989. Download for offline reading, highlight, bookmark or take notes while you read the peninsular war. Although napoleons aggression, egomania and lust for power were the main driving forces, writes esdaile, the wars also reflected complex issues involving relations among many european. Download it once and read it on your kindle device, pc, phones or tablets. I would like to note that esdaile writes like a professional.
He is professor of history at the university of liverpool, and has published several books, including works on the napoleonic wars, the prussian army at waterloo, women in the peninsular war. Napoleons wars by charles esdaile penguin books australia. Unlike other books like the wars against napoleon, this book looks at. This book focuses on the peninsular war, the incursion into spain and portugal undertaken by napoleon in 1808, and which he thought would cost him little, and take little time. Buy the wars of napoleon modern wars in perspective 1 by esdaile, charles j. As it expertly moves through conflicts from russia to spain, napoleon. Charles esdaile says 5,000,0007,000,000 died overall, including civilians. Listen to napoleons wars an international history, 18031815 by charles esdaile available from rakuten kobo. These numbers are subject to considerable variation. This is the best singlevolume 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. Esdaile argues that the napoleon we see today is the product of a very efficient propaganda machine begun on st.
The author has some interesting points however and provides lots of information about all the belligerents in the conflict and not just france and britain. Esdaile has 28 books on goodreads with 1978 ratings. No military figure in history has been quite as polarizing as napoleon bonaparte. He is the author of the wars of napoleon, the french wars, 17921815, the spanish army in the peninsular war, the duke of wellington and the command of the spanish army, 181214 and spain in the liberal age, 18081939. At every opportunity, when peace was possible and even achieved, napoleon chose to pick new fights and maintain a perpetual state of war. Charles j esdaile no military figure in history has been quite as polarizing as napoleon bonaparte. I want to get you involved in the discussion about the best books out there on the napoleonic wars. Esdaile, 9781400109647, available at book depository with free delivery worldwide. An international history, 18031815 01 by esdaile, charles isbn. Use features like bookmarks, note taking and highlighting while reading napoleon s wars. Esdaile looks at the napoleonic wars as a combination of complex factors that all played their role.
This is the story of the first half of those wars, when napoleon bonaparte. An international history by charles esdaile online at alibris. A more readable book on the napoleonic wars as a whole would be robert gates book the napoleonic wars. Another problem arising from esdaile s lofty overview speaking of which, he quotes napoleon. Women in the peninsular war ebook written by charles j.
A new history, and his international history of the napoleonic period, napoleons wars, are classic works on the subject. Napoleons wars audiobook by charles esdaile 9781400179640. Napoleon s wars an international history, 18031815 book. Esdaile notes the similarity of napoleons wars with germanys later bid to establish a colonial empire within europe. He does not specify if this number includes civilians or is just military. The best book on the napoleonic wars napoleonicwars. Charles esdaile s brilliant new history of the conflict makes plain the scope of the tragedy and its farreaching effects, especially the poisonous legacy that produced the spanish civil war of 19369. Professor charles esdaile is one of the leading historians of the napoleonic era and holds a personal chair at the university of liverpool. As for napoleon, his legacy became the nineteenthcentury decline of a france exhausted by. Buy the wars of the french revolution 1 by esdaile, charles j isbn.
The napoleonic wars 1803 1815 brought upheaval and destruction to europe on an unprecedented scale. Was he a monster, driven by an endless, ruinous quest for military glory. Charles esdaile lectures on the revolutionary and napoleonic wars, modern europe and the spanish civil war at the university of liverpool. Napoleons wars looks beyond the insatiable greed for glory to. The book introduces the reader to the rise of napoleon and the wider diplomatic and political. Mikhailovskydanilevskys russoturkish war of 18061812, lion of the russian army. What would you say is the best book on the napoleonic wars. Charles esdaile is senior lecturer in history at the university of liverpool. The focus of the book is, of course, napoleonic history. Read the fulltext online edition of the french wars 17921815 2001.
The main theme is that napoleon s wars were a product of a personal psychological and political need for continual military victories to maintain legitimacy. Browse the worlds largest ebookstore and start reading today on the web, tablet, phone, or ereader. Charles esdaile is an authoritative author on the era of napoleon. Buy the wars of napoleon modern wars in perspective 2 by esdaile, charles j isbn. Everyday low prices and free delivery on eligible orders. The wars of the french revolution, 17921801 offers a comprehensive and jargonfree coverage of this turbulent period and unites political, social, military and international history in one volume carefully designed for undergraduate students, through twelve chapters this book offers an introduction to the origins and international context of the french revolution as well as an indepth. The wars of napoleon 2nd edition charles j esdaile. Fuel for the comedic view of napoleon s wars as the working out of a heightrelated inferiority complex. In this definitive account, historian charles esdaile argues that the. This makes for a pleasurable read which is not tiresome.
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