Hi all - I've been undertaking a course of reading about all of Napoleon's campaigns, seeking an overview from Chandler and Petrie, then a deep dive by other authors who specialize in a given campaign.
I've now reached 1813, and am reading Michael Leggiere's two volumes on the campaign in Germany. Vol I, the Franco-Prussian War of 1813, and Vol II, The Defeat of Napoleon. Vol I covers Lutzen, Bautzen and ends at the summer armistice; Vol II ends at the end of the armistice and covers battles including Grossbeeren, Katzbach and concludes with Leipzig. He also wrote a volume on 1814, which I have added to the stack.
Thus far (about a third of a way into Vol II) I'm incredibly impressed. Leggiere tells the story largely from the perspective of the Prussians (he has done a bio of Blucher). Great use of sources and a first-rate writer with an eye for the key detail and a great sense of drama. The only criticism is that the maps aren't that great, but easily to supplement his work with books by Nafziger and the Esposito atlas. Highly recommended for Prussians, I think, and well worth your time.
(Also, I read Gill's three volumes on 1809 and was a bit disappointed. While he has certainly read everything there is to read about 1809, the writing was tedious. He covered every single skirmish as well as the great battles, but gave all of them equal weight in his narrative, which I found a bit of a drawback. His obvious worship of Bonaparte and disdain for Charles was a bit annoying after a while. He could have been slightly more subtle, in my opinion. And his insistence on calling France and the Rheinbund states "allies" was a weird affectation. Please correct me if I'm wrong, but it's hard to imagine that the Confederation states were willing accomplices in Bonaparte's schemes, witness how quickly they fled the Imperial cause in 1813.)
_________________ Lieutenant James Holloway 20th East Devonshire Regiment of Foot XI British Brigade VI Division III Peninsular Corps
We have always been, we are, and I hope that we always shall be detested in France. -- Sir Arthur Wellesley, Duke of Wellington
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