Napoleon's Marshals

WOW... Let me just say that first. When you finish this book, you too will be just as taken aback..OK, I like reading about the Napoleonic era, but with the exception of such books as Baron de Marbot and the fictional account of Brigadier Gerard ( based on Marbot, ) my reading list on the subject has been composed of books that concerned themselves primarily with Napoleon..I am so happy that I decided to get THIS book. It really was SUCH a thrilling read! It is certainly a book that one can become excited about. ( You know very well how often books about history can be rather dry, but this one will keep you riveted throughout. ) After having read it I am even more interested in these men and am eager to continue in my quest in seeking out information regarding their lives. At first I was trying to imagine how I would be able to keep track of all the different men involved in this account, but the writer does such an amazing job of helping one put names with backgrounds and names with deeds...I cannot explain how he does it, but trust me when I tell you that you will come away from this book feeling as if you personally knew all these men. To be able to see them from the start of the campaigns, as young men, to the very last days of their long lives feels like a priviledge indeed. Their backgrounds are so diverse, and each man has his own unique personality quirks; strengths, weaknesses, etc, which are in themselves interesting enough, but then you see how Napoleon was able to use each of them in his own capacity, and well,...I sat so often reading and shaking my head in amazement. Also I think this book gives a brilliant portrait of what it is like to live one's entire life as soldier in a time when the battlefield was SO OFTEN a part of one's daily life! There are so many anecdotes, and Delderfield does such a smashing job with his subject matter that you will feel as if you are in the midst of the action at all times.The book certainly gives a much broader perspective of Napoleon's reign and it is worth every page. If you are even remotely interested in this period of History I would highly recommend this book. It is a shame that I cannot properly express my high praise of it. Just buy it now.

Written as a narrative, Delderfield's "Napoleon's Marshals" follows the life events of the 26 Marshals of the Empire by intertwining their stories with that of the French Revolution and Napoleonic era as a whole. The book touches on every marshal, although some far more than others. His writing style is entertaining and one gets the idea that he knows what he is talking about. Delderfield has immense respect for these soldiers as he states in the intro to the book. He saw many of the battlefields when he was in Europe during the Second World War. He does not berate the marshals as many often do as being "incompetent" or blockheads, but rather gives them the due respect they are owed as soldiers (like those Professors in Oxford or Harvard could do that much better on the battlefield than Soult or Ney).The downside is that he spend much more time on the marshals that are more closely related to Napoleon. Many of the marshals in the Peninsula do not get as much attention paid to them as the marshals in Russia. Part of the reason may be the lack of information on them, but it is something noticeable. This book was also written a while ago so some of the source material has since been proved sketchy, but this is not enough to make the book even remotely inaccurate. Finally the book is just too small. At just over 200 pages he is devoting less than an average of ten pages a marshal. Therefore the information is limited. However if you are someone just getting into the subject it may be a great starter.

There are many, many books on Napoleonic military history, but this one was extraordinary in that it captured the personalities and feel of the Napoleonic era unlike so many other dry tomes that concern theselves with the maps and events on such-and-such a date. Delderfield really enables one to understand the personalities of Napoleon's marshals and how their relationships helped to guide the rise and fall of the empire.This book could be very good reading for those not even interested in the Napoleonic era, but rather those who lead organizations and must build talent for any endeavor. Napoleon identified and promoted the best men he could find - wherever they came from, and used each man's unique personality and talents to forge an army that conquered Europe. None of them were perfect, but his brilliant description of each marshal shows how the essence of true leadership is to use the best in each man, and subsidize his weaknesses with others' strengths. This book is not just a great Napoleonic history, but an extraordinary treatise on leadership as well as how to identify and manage extraordinary performers.

In writing a book about Napoleon's Marshals, I suppose the easiest way would be to divide their stories into individual chapters. Instead, the author skillfully weaves their stories concurrently into a really enjoyable little book. It may not satisfy really hard core students of Napoleon, but it is a wonderfully broad history of these men interspersed with facts about their upbringings, their personality quirks and how Napoleon employed them in battle. Some dry humor is sprinkled in as well. I recommend it.

Very interesting read!!!

Every five star review for this book has already reiterated my own thoughts and feelings. I feel there is not much that I can add, other than when I finished it, I had that short moment where I reminisced on what I had just read. Nearly all of the twenty-six marshals described in this riveting book were so utterly brave, that throughout my reading I felt a nostalgic sense of awe and pride that such titans of war once walked this earth.Even if you have just a smidgen of interest in the Napoleonic Wars, you must read this book; heck, if you enjoy reading anything about warfare, read it. It is well worth the time and money.

nO PROBLEMS VERY PLEASED

Interesting but thin on depth, card board characters, few real men

Quick delivery. Great book. The state it was in was a little less than I expected.

Thank you