The Napoleonic Wars 1803-1815

Napoleon may eventually have met his Waterloo, but his influence never has. It still permeates Europe and even influences the US political outlook. But why should a discredited, defeated and humiliated emperor remain so influential nearly 200 years after his death? Historian David Gates points to 1803-1815 as the defining years for an answer, considering Napoleon's earlier campaigns mere preludes for the real thing. Strategic detail abounds in what is a scholarly study and not an especially easy read. Gates tries to get into the minds of Napoleon and his adversaries but points out that the wars were about far more than military exploits. It is impossible to understand the nature of European conflicts in that age without taking account of the economic, cultural and social backgrounds against which they were set. Arguing against the common view that Napoleon was a master of improvisation, Gates holds that the emperor plotted each campaign to its finest detail and adhered to the battle plan come what may. He knows his subject to an astonishing degree, unearthing information that other historians have either missed or failed to see the significance of. His analysis of the causes and effects of the conflict and his appraisal of the military ventures on both sides are a model of objectivity. This may not be the last word on such a crucial part of history but it won't be easily bettered. (Kirkus UK)