Napoleon: a History of the Art of War Vol. II

from the Beginning of the French Revolution to the End of the 18th Century [Ill. Edition]

Includes over 200 maps, plans, diagrams and uniform prints
Lt.-Col. Theodore Ayrault Dodge was a soldier of long and bloody experience, having served with the Union Army of the Potomac during the American Civil War losing one of his legs during the battle of Gettysburg. After the end of the war he settled down in retirement to write, he produced a number of excellent works on the recently ended Civil War and his magnum opus “A History of the Art of War”, tracing the advances, changes and major engagements of Western Europe. His work was split into twelve volumes, richly illustrated with cuts of uniforms, portraits and maps, each focussing on periods of history headed by the most prominent military figure; Alexander, Hannibal, Caesar, Gustavus Adolphus, Frederick the Great and finally Napoleon. Napoleon and the period which he dominated received such care and attention that Dodge wrote four excellent, authoritative and detailed volumes on him.
This second volume explores the beginning of Napoleon’s ascension to the title of Emperor of the French and his defeat of all of the powers of Europe to his apogee of power in 1807. Napoleon’s thunderous campaign in Italy in 1800, his lightning campaign that culminated at Austerlitz in 1805 see the Emperor in his full pomp scattering his Austrian and Russian foes. Concluding this volume are his campaigns against the Prussians and Russians in 1806 and 1807, despite defeating his enemies roundly in battle his own finely trained Grande Armée was starting to be bled to death.
A well written, expansive and excellent classic.