Napoleon Bonaparte entered the World stage in 1793 at the siege of Toulon. This book covers the period of 1796 to 1815, from Napoleon's classic victories in Italy up to the point of his defeat at Waterloo. Napoleon created twenty-six Marshals in all and the tapestry of the book is wound around these men, their inter-personal relationships, their successes together, their constant bickering and their eventual failure. With Marshal jostling with Marshal for power and influence; to say nothing of aggrandisement, it is surprising that Napoleon succeeded to the extent that he did.
The book tells the complete story of the Napoleonic Wars, but using the Marshals as the pivot around which the narrative unfolds it presents a different and interesting focus, enabling the reader to see Napoleon from an unusual angle. The book proceeds chronologically providing a first-class read and a superb account of the Napoleonic Wars.
This new edition is illustrated with contemporary portraits and engravings. Although A. G. Macdonell was best known as a journalist and satirist, he was extremely well-educated and had a passion for history, especially the Napoleonic period. Having been a gunnery officer in the First World War he was able empathise with his subject, the little gunner corporal, to a degree that is not shared by armchair historians.
