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Books > History > European history > 1750 to 1900

The Memoirs of Roustam - Napoleon's Mamluk Imperial Bodyguard (Hardcover): Roustam Raza The Memoirs of Roustam - Napoleon's Mamluk Imperial Bodyguard (Hardcover)
Roustam Raza; Edited by Ara Ghazarians; Translated by Catherine Carpenter
R874 Discovery Miles 8 740 Ships in 12 - 17 working days
A St Helena Who's Who - A Complete Guide to the People on St Helena During Napoleon's Captivity (Paperback): Arnold... A St Helena Who's Who - A Complete Guide to the People on St Helena During Napoleon's Captivity (Paperback)
Arnold Chaplin
R516 R422 Discovery Miles 4 220 Save R94 (18%) Ships in 12 - 17 working days

A St Helena Who's Who details the island of St Helena and its administration, including military, naval and civil offices as well as the overall population in the 1820s and expenses. A must have for Napoleon historians, this comprehensive book chronicles the residents of Longwood, the 'Who's Who' of St Helena and what flag-ships were stationed there. As well as listing the regiments based on the island such as the 53rd Foot Regiment (2nd Battalion) and artillery and engineers, Napoleon's visitors to the island are recorded as well as the chronology of his death, the construction of his tomb and reports on the post-mortem examination. Also, Sir Hudson Lowe and the East India Company involvement in the island are exhaustively covered as are stories of military figures, marriages and the abolition of slavery.

Napoleon and Betsy - Recollections of Napoleon at St Helena (Hardcover): Lucia Elizabeth Abell Napoleon and Betsy - Recollections of Napoleon at St Helena (Hardcover)
Lucia Elizabeth Abell
R582 R480 Discovery Miles 4 800 Save R102 (18%) Out of stock

The story of Napoleon and Betsy Balcombe is an unusual and fascinating tale. A fallen Emperor who once controlled most of Europe makes friends with an impudent, pretty and spirited young English girl, just about the celebrate her thirteenth birthday. Betsy produced a book full of interest, but notwithstanding that the book wanders backwards and forward chronologically, the general tenor of the relationship between this young girl and Napoleon is beyond question, and it was of an unusual and extremely friendly nature. Napoleon's fall from an unprecedented position of power to humiliating confinement must have been an impossible burden to have lived with, and yet, despite this - or possibly because of it - Napoleon befriended this child and held genuine affection for her. Despite the naivety, the warmth of the friendship between the ex-emperor and little 'Mees' Balcombe shines through, and her text is well-worth providing in this new edition. Napoleon was at the Briars for eight weeks, but the family were very close to the community at Longwood, some two miles further up hill and inland, and visited weekly, sometimes more often.It was here, as Betsy matured and grew more responsible, that the friendship developed, to the extent that she assisted Napoleon with his attempts at English. She was daring as well as impudent and with an irrepressible sense of humour she unlocked the inner child in Napoleon that led to the famous friendship. He found her boldness amusing and occasionally alarming. It must have been a welcome diversion from his darker thoughts.

The Cambridge History of the Napoleonic Wars: Volume 1, Politics and Diplomacy (Hardcover): Michael Broers, Philip Dwyer The Cambridge History of the Napoleonic Wars: Volume 1, Politics and Diplomacy (Hardcover)
Michael Broers, Philip Dwyer
R4,595 R3,404 Discovery Miles 34 040 Save R1,191 (26%) Ships in 12 - 17 working days

Volume I of The Cambridge History of the Napoleonic Wars covers the international foreign political dimensions of the wars and the social, legal, political and economic structures of the Empire. Leading historians from around the world come together to discuss the different aspects of the origins of the Napoleonic Wars, their international political implications and the concrete ways the Empire was governed. This volume begins by looking at the political context that produced the Napoleonic Wars and setting it within the broader context of eighteenth century great power politics in the Age of Revolution. It considers the administration and governance of the Empire, including with France's client states and the role of the Bonaparte family in the Empire. Further chapters in the volume examine the war aims of the various protagonists and offer an overall assessment of the nature of war in this period.

Waterloo - The History of Four Days, Three Armies and Three Battles (Paperback): Bernard Cornwell Waterloo - The History of Four Days, Three Armies and Three Battles (Paperback)
Bernard Cornwell 1
R366 R303 Discovery Miles 3 030 Save R63 (17%) Ships in 12 - 17 working days

The Sunday Times Number 1 Bestseller 'A fabulous story, superbly told ... cannot be bettered' Max Hastings 'Some battles change nothing. Waterloo changed almost everything.' On the 18th June 1815 the armies of France, Britain and Prussia descended upon a quiet valley south of Brussels. In the previous three days the French army had beaten the British at Quatre-Bras and the Prussians at Ligny. The Allies were in retreat. The blood-soaked battle of Waterloo would become a landmark in European history, to be examined over and again, not least because until the evening of the 18th, the French army was close to prevailing on the battlefield. Now, brought to life by the celebrated novelist Bernard Cornwell, this is the chronicle of the four days leading up to the actual battle and a thrilling hour-by-hour account of that fateful day. In his first work of non-fiction, Cornwell combines his storytelling skills with a meticulously researched history to give a riveting account of every dramatic moment, from Napoleon's escape from Elba to the smoke and gore of the battlefields. Through letters and diaries he also sheds new light on the private thoughts of Napoleon and the Duke of Wellington, as well as the ordinary officers and soldiers. Published to coincide with the bicentenary in 2015, Waterloo is a tense and gripping story of heroism and tragedy - and of the final battle that determined the fate of Europe.

British Napoleonic Uniforms (Hardcover, New Ed): C.E. Franklin British Napoleonic Uniforms (Hardcover, New Ed)
C.E. Franklin 2
R1,541 R1,420 Discovery Miles 14 200 Save R121 (8%) Ships in 12 - 17 working days

For the first time in print a book identifies each regiment and illustrates the change in uniforms, the colour of the facings and the nature and shape of the lace for the officers, NCOs and private soldiers over the period of the Napoleonic War 1793-1815. In British Napoleonic Uniforms, Carl Franklin's lavishly illustrated third volume for The History Press, these changes to the uniforms of all the numbered regiments of cavalry and infantry are discussed in detail. It is illustrated with more than two hundred full-colour plates of the uniforms and every aspect of their regimental distinctions. The book is divided into four parts. Part One looks at the commonalities of the cavalry and considers uniforms appropriate to each regiment such as headwear, the evolution of the uniforms and horse furniture. Part Two considers the uniforms of the heavy and light cavalry regiments. It includes full-page colour illustrations of the Household Cavalry, the Heavy Cavalry (Dragoon Guards and Dragoons), and Light Cavalry (the Light Dragoons and Hussars). Part Three shows the commonalties of the infantry and considers the uniform appropriate to each regiment, such as those of the Drummers and Highland Regiments, as well as their tartans. Part Four discusses the uniforms and distinctions of the infantry, including the regiments of Foot Guards and Infantry of the Line (Fusiliers, Light Infantry, Riflemen and Highland Regiments). For this revised edition Carl Franklin has updated many of the artworks and provided a colour guide specifically for modellers.

Napoleon - The Man Behind the Myth (Paperback): Adam Zamoyski Napoleon - The Man Behind the Myth (Paperback)
Adam Zamoyski 1
R434 R402 Discovery Miles 4 020 Save R32 (7%) Ships in 12 - 17 working days

'Napoleon is an out-and-out masterpiece and a joy to read' Sir Antony Beevor, author of Stalingrad A landmark new biography that presents the man behind the many myths. The first writer in English to go back to the original European sources, Adam Zamoyski's portrait of Napoleon is historical biography at its finest. Napoleon inspires passionately held and often conflicting visions. Was he a god-like genius, Romantic avatar, megalomaniac monster, compulsive warmonger or just a nasty little dictator? While he displayed elements of these traits at certain times, Napoleon was none of these things. He was a man and, as Adam Zamoyski presents him in this landmark biography, a rather ordinary one at that. He exhibited some extraordinary qualities during some phases of his life but it is hard to credit genius to a general who presided over the worst (and self-inflicted) disaster in military history and who single-handedly destroyed the great enterprise he and others had toiled so hard to construct. A brilliant tactician, he was no strategist. But nor was Napoleon an evil monster. He could be selfish and violent but there is no evidence of him wishing to inflict suffering gratuitously. His motives were mostly praiseworthy and his ambition no greater than that of contemporaries such as Alexander I of Russia, Wellington, Nelson and many more. What made his ambition exceptional was the scope it was accorded by circumstance. Adam Zamoyski strips away the lacquer of prejudice and places Napoleon the man within the context of his times. In the 1790s, a young Napoleon entered a world at war, a bitter struggle for supremacy and survival with leaders motivated by a quest for power and by self-interest. He did not start this war but it dominated his life and continued, with one brief interruption, until his final defeat in 1815. Based on primary sources in many European languages, and beautifully illustrated with portraits done only from life, this magnificent book examines how Napoleone Buonaparte, the boy from Corsica, became 'Napoleon'; how he achieved what he did, and how it came about that he undid it. It does not justify or condemn but seeks instead to understand Napoleon's extraordinary trajectory.

Surrender of Napoleon - The Capture of the Emperor After Waterloo (Paperback): Frederick Lewis Maitland Surrender of Napoleon - The Capture of the Emperor After Waterloo (Paperback)
Frederick Lewis Maitland
R456 R372 Discovery Miles 3 720 Save R84 (18%) Ships in 9 - 15 working days

The Surrender of Napoleon tells the true story of how the legendary French emperor surrendered to the British on HMS Bellerophon and the events between 24 May and 8 August 1815. While HMS Bellerophon was stationed off Rochefort in the Bay of Biscay observing French warships in the harbour, Napoleon has been defeated at the Battle of Waterloo. News had reached Rear Admiral Sir Frederick Lewis Maitland on 28 June that Napoleon was planning an escape to America from the French Atlantic coast, possible from Bordeaux. Believing that Rochefort was the more likely point of escape, Maitland also sent two ships to cover the ports of Bordeaux and Arcachon. With HMS Superb and a string of British frigates, corvettes and brigs watching the coast, there was no escape for Napoleon. Maitland's instincts proved correct and Napoleon arrived at Rochefort in early July. Finding escape barred by the patrolling HMS Bellerophon and unable to remain in France, he authorised the opening of negotiations with the commander of the British warship off the coast. Maitland refused the request to allow Napoleon to sail for America, but offered to take him to England. The negotiations went on for four days, but eventually Napoleon acquiesced. He embarked on 15 July with his staff and servants where he surrendered to Maitland. Maitland placed his cabin at the former emperor's disposal and sailed for England. She reached Torbay on 24 July, but was ordered to Plymouth, while a decision was made by the government over Napoleon's fate. She sailed again on 4 August and while off Berry Head on 7 August, Napoleon and his staff were removed to HMS Northumberland, which conveyed him to his final exile on Saint Helena. The Surrender of Napoleon is Maitland's detailed and stunning narrative of the French emperors time on HMS Bellerophon, which he originally published in 1826.

Waterloo 1815: The British Army's Day of Destiny (Paperback, 3rd edition): Gregory Fremont-Barnes Waterloo 1815: The British Army's Day of Destiny (Paperback, 3rd edition)
Gregory Fremont-Barnes
R489 Discovery Miles 4 890 Ships in 12 - 17 working days

Writing to his mother the day after the fighting, Captain Thomas Wildman of the 7th Hussars described 'a victory so splendid & important that you may search the annals of history in vain for its parallel'. Little wonder, for Waterloo was widely recognised - even in its immediate wake - as one of the most decisive battles in history: after more than twenty years of uninterrupted conflict, this single day's encounter finally put paid to French aspirations for European hegemony. The culminating point of the French Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars, Waterloo also witnessed levels of determination and bravery by both sides which far exceeded anything experienced by the veterans of Wellington's recent campaigns in Spain and Portugal. Indeed, it was that unconquerable spirit which left over 50,000 men dead on the field of battle and tens of thousands of others wounded. This thoroughly researched and highly detailed account of one of history's greatest human dramas looks first at the wider strategic picture before focusing on the tactical roles played by individual British units - all meticulously examined with the benefit of an extensive array of hitherto unexploited primary sources which reveal the battlefield experience of officers and soldiers as never before. Refusing simply to repeat the same unchallenged accounts and to commit the same errors of previous historians, this work relies exclusively on hundreds of first-hand accounts, by men of all ranks and from practically every British regiment and corps present on that fateful day, to provide a fresh and revised perspective on one of the most pivotal events of modern times.

Britain at Bay - Defence Against Bonaparte, 1803-14 (Hardcover): Richard Glover Britain at Bay - Defence Against Bonaparte, 1803-14 (Hardcover)
Richard Glover
R3,029 Discovery Miles 30 290 Ships in 12 - 17 working days

In the years 1803-5 Napoleon Bonaparte built 4 new harbours on his channel coast and assembled enough landing craft to put an army of over 165,000 men ashore on English beaches. Was this threat to Britain really serious and should we dismiss it as pure Bluff? Why was it never revived after Bonaparte's continental wars against the Russians, Austrians and Prussians? What did the English do about defending themselves? This book, originally published in 1973 tackles these questions. It shows why Bonaparte's flotilla was no Bluff but something the British were right to take seriously and also how their preparations to defend the beaches within reach of its bases made a revival of the flotilla after 1807 pointless. Though recognising the importance of Trafalgar the book rejects the fallacy that this victory ended Britain's danger. The book covers the background of the war, Britain's defence organisation, the Royal Navy's tasks, Bonaparte's preparations and how the British made ready to meet him.

Of Living Valour - The Story of the Soldiers of Waterloo (Paperback): Barney White-Spunner Of Living Valour - The Story of the Soldiers of Waterloo (Paperback)
Barney White-Spunner 1
R317 R235 Discovery Miles 2 350 Save R82 (26%) Ships in 12 - 17 working days

For the first time a modern British historian tells the story of the against-the-odds triumph through the accounts of the regimental officers and soldiers whose bravery and resolution achieved victory. The author has used many unpublished sources, letters and diaries of ordinary British soldiers, in the vein of Stephen Ambrose's highly successful Band of Brothers. With a concise, fast-moving account covering, ex-Commander of the British Army Barney White-Spunner tells the story through the experiences of those who fought there and their families, offering his unique perspective on the events. The story focuses on mens' personal feelings and their relationships, with each other, their families, their leaders and their enemies. It tells the stories of their lives, what they had left behind and why and what they went back to. It vividly captures their daily routine, their life in camp and how they fought at first hand, their fear, excitement and exhaustion. The Battle of Waterloo was one of the most significant ever fought by a British army, but it was also one of the most bloody with about 50,000 men losing their lives over three days. What was it like for those who fought and for their families waiting at home? This is their story.

The Cambridge History of the Napoleonic Wars: Volume 2, Fighting the Napoleonic Wars (Hardcover): Bruno Colson, Alexander... The Cambridge History of the Napoleonic Wars: Volume 2, Fighting the Napoleonic Wars (Hardcover)
Bruno Colson, Alexander Mikaberidze
R3,690 R3,391 Discovery Miles 33 910 Save R299 (8%) Ships in 12 - 17 working days

The Napoleonic Wars saw almost two decades of brutal fighting. Fighting took place on an unprecedented scale, from the frozen wastelands of Russia to the rugged mountains of the Peninsula; from Egypt's Lower Nile to the bloody battlefield of New Orleans. Volume II of The Cambridge History of the Napoleonic Wars provides a comprehensive guide to the Napoleonic Wars and weaves together the four strands - military, naval, economic, and diplomatic - that intertwined to make up one of the greatest conflicts in history. Written by a team of the leading Napoleonic scholars, this volume provides an authoritative and comprehensive analysis of why the nations went to war, the challenges they faced and how the wars were funded and sustained. It sheds new light not only on the key battles and campaigns but also on questions of leadership, strategy, tactics, guerrilla warfare, recruitment, supply, and weaponry.

1812 - Napoleon'S Fatal March on Moscow (Paperback): Adam Zamoyski 1812 - Napoleon'S Fatal March on Moscow (Paperback)
Adam Zamoyski 2
R457 Discovery Miles 4 570 Ships in 12 - 17 working days

The Sunday Times bestselling account of Napoleon's invasion of Russia and eventual retreat from Moscow, events that had a profound effect on the subsequent course of Russian and European history. Moscow has both fascinated military historians and captured the imagination of millions on an emotional and human level. 1812 tells the story of how the most powerful man on earth met his doom, and how the greatest fighting force ever assembled was wiped out. Over 400,000 French and Allied troops died on the disastrous Russian campaign, with the vast majority of the casualties occuring during the frigid winter retreat. Adam Zamoyski tells their story with incredible detail and sympathy, drawing on a wealth of first-hand accounts of the tragedy to create a vivid portrait of an unimaginable catastrophe. power. His intention was to destroy Britain through a total blockade, the Continental System. But Tsar Alexander of Russia refused to apply the blockade, and Napoleon decided to bring him to heel. ramifications on Russian, French, German and, indeed, European history and culture cannot be understated. Adam Zamoyski's epic, enthralling narrative is the definitive account of the events of that dramatic year.

Napoleon - Passion, Death and Resurrection 1815-1840 (Paperback): Philip Dwyer Napoleon - Passion, Death and Resurrection 1815-1840 (Paperback)
Philip Dwyer 1
R455 R370 Discovery Miles 3 700 Save R85 (19%) Ships in 9 - 15 working days

'Vibrant and illuminating ... [Dywer] tells a fascinating tale' The Times

This meticulously researched study opens with Napoleon no longer in power, but instead a prisoner on the island of St Helena. This may have been a great fall from power, but Napoleon still held immense attraction. Every day, huge crowds would gather on the far shore in the hope of catching a glimpse of him.

Philip Dwyer closes his ambitious trilogy exploring Napoleon's life, legacy and myth by moving from those first months of imprisonment, through the years of exile, up to death and then beyond, examining how the foundations of legend that had been laid by Napoleon during his lifetime continued to be built upon by his followers. This is a fitting and authoritative end to a definitive work.

Borodino 1812 - Napoleon's great gamble (Paperback): Philip Haythornthwaite Borodino 1812 - Napoleon's great gamble (Paperback)
Philip Haythornthwaite; Illustrated by Peter Dennis
R484 R393 Discovery Miles 3 930 Save R91 (19%) Ships in 9 - 15 working days

The battle of Borodino was one of the greatest encounters in European history, and one of the largest and most sanguinary in the Napoleonic Wars. Following the breakdown of relations between Russia and France, Napoleon assembled a vast Grande Armee drawn from the many states within the French sphere of influence. They crossed the river Neimen and entered Russian territory in June 1812 with the aim of inflicting a sharp defeat on the Tsar's forces and bringing the Russians back into line. In a bloody battle of head-on attacks and desperate counter-attacks in the village of Borodino on 7 September 1812, both sides lost about a third of their men, with the Russians forced to withdraw and abandon Moscow to the French. However, the Grande Armee was harassed by Russian troops all the way back and was destroyed by the retreat. The greatest army Napoleon had ever commanded was reduced to a shadow of frozen, starving fugitives. This title will cover the events of Napoleon's disastrous Russian campaign of 1812 in its entirety, with the set-piece battle of Borodino proving the focal point of the book.

Arming the Royal Navy, 1793-1815 - The Office of Ordnance and the State (Paperback): Gareth Cole Arming the Royal Navy, 1793-1815 - The Office of Ordnance and the State (Paperback)
Gareth Cole
R1,468 Discovery Miles 14 680 Ships in 12 - 17 working days

The Office of Ordnance has been ill-served by previous accounts of its role in arming the Royal Navy during the French Revolution and Napoleonic Wars. Cole offers an in-depth examination of its organizational structure and demonstrates how the department responded to the pressures of war over an extended period of time.

Napoleon - With an introduction by Andrew Roberts (Hardcover): Georges Lefebvre Napoleon - With an introduction by Andrew Roberts (Hardcover)
Georges Lefebvre; Foreword by Andrew Roberts
R3,081 Discovery Miles 30 810 Ships in 12 - 17 working days

With a new introduction by Andrew Roberts. 'A penetrating interpretation...No one with a serious interest in the Napoleonic period can afford to ignore it. ' - Times Literary Supplement Whether viewed as an inspired leader or obsessed tyrant, Napoleon has divided opinion for over 200 years. Few individuals have left such a mark on history. Georges Lefebvre's classic work, published in Routledge Classics in one paperback volume in English for the first time, is a definitive portrait of the Napoleonic era. Lefebvre's history sweeps us from the lightning coup d'etat of 18 Brumaire in 1799 to his final downfall amidst the wheatfields of Waterloo. More than a biography, it is a brilliant survey of the turbulent age Napoleon inaugurated in his attempt to redraw the map of Europe, from the Peninsular War to the invasion of Russia. The cast includes his antagonists - Pitt the Younger, Wellington, Metternich and Tsar Alexander - and his allies - the wily Minister of Police Fouche and Talleyrand, the 'Prince of Diplomats'. Lefebvre's account is equally clear-eyed about Napoleon's genius and his flaws. Napoleon's determination to emulate Caesar and Augustus condemned Europe to more than a decade of war and economic crisis, but he also built an empire, introducing educational, administrative and financial initiatives that are still in place today. Georges Lefebvre (1877-1959) One of the foremost historians of the Twentieth Century and known as the 'historian's historian', he held the chair of the French Revolution at the Sorbonne . His The French Revolution is also available in Routledge Classics.

Cavalry Outpost Duties (Paperback): General Antoine Fortune De Brack Cavalry Outpost Duties (Paperback)
General Antoine Fortune De Brack
R1,315 R1,012 Discovery Miles 10 120 Save R303 (23%) Ships in 12 - 17 working days

Written with an intelligence vast and active, with a glowing heart, in an observing and delicate spirit, with a rare love for the soldier, this book, almost improvised, is a charming little masterpiece. At once witty and profound, the author, laying aside all prejudice, shows himself so original that certain parts, without ceasing to be true, have a perfume of poetry which charms the military reader. De Brack never loses sight of the morale of the soldier ; he speaks of honor, of courage, of devotion, and his language makes one thrill. The style moves on at a cavalry pace, which is well adapted to the subject. The author of this book was one of the most brilliant cavalry officers of the Empire. A pupil of Lansalle, of Montbrun, of Colbert, of Pajol, he appeared destined to the highest military honors, when the disaster of Waterloo overtook the Grand Army. In spite of his youth his tastes, his instincts, his experience, and the prospects of a brilliant military career, de Brack sheathed his sword. Although withdrawn from the army, he was, however, no stranger to its progress and labors. Afterfifteen years' absence Lieutenant-Colonel de Brack resumed his place at the head of our squadrons.

Arming the Royal Navy, 1793-1815 - The Office of Ordnance and the State (Hardcover): Gareth Cole Arming the Royal Navy, 1793-1815 - The Office of Ordnance and the State (Hardcover)
Gareth Cole
R4,207 Discovery Miles 42 070 Ships in 12 - 17 working days

The Office of Ordnance has been ill-served by previous accounts of its role in arming the Royal Navy during the French Revolution and Napoleonic Wars. Cole offers an in-depth examination of its organizational structure and demonstrates how the department responded to the pressures of war over an extended period of time.

The Crimean War - British Grand Strategy against Russia, 1853-56 (Hardcover, 2nd edition): Andrew Lambert The Crimean War - British Grand Strategy against Russia, 1853-56 (Hardcover, 2nd edition)
Andrew Lambert
R4,381 Discovery Miles 43 810 Ships in 12 - 17 working days

In contrast to every other book about the conflict Andrew Lambert's ground-breaking study The Crimean War: British Grand Strategy against Russia, 1853-1856 is neither an operational history of the armies in the Crimea, nor a study of the diplomacy of the conflict. The core concern is with grand strategy, the development and implementation of national policy and strategy. The key concepts are strategic, derived from the works of Carl von Clausewitz and Sir Julian Corbett, and the main focus is on naval, not military operations. This original approach rejected the 'Continentalist' orthodoxy that dominated contemporary writing about the history of war, reflecting an era when British security policy was dominated by Inner German Frontier, the British Army of the Rhine and Air Force Germany. Originally published in 1990 the book appeared just as the Cold War ended; the strategic landscape for Britain began shifting away from the continent, and new commitments were emerging that heralded a return to maritime strategy, as adumbrated in the defence policy papers of the 1990s. With a new introduction that contextualises the 1990 text and situates it in the developing historiography of the Crimean War the new edition makes this essential book available to a new generation of scholars.

21st Century Mahan - Sound Military Conclusions for the Modern Era (Electronic book text, Enlarged, Revised): Benjamin F.... 21st Century Mahan - Sound Military Conclusions for the Modern Era (Electronic book text, Enlarged, Revised)
Benjamin F. Armstrong
R677 R560 Discovery Miles 5 600 Save R117 (17%) Ships in 10 - 15 working days

Alfred Thayer Mahan’s The Influence of Sea Power upon History is well known to students of naval history and strategy, but his other writings are often overlooked when considering today’s challenges. This collection of eight of Mahan’s essays, along with Benjamin Armstrong’s informative introductions and analysis, illustrates why Mahan’s work remains relevant in the 21st century and how that work can help develop our strategic understanding. People misunderstand Mahan, Armstrong reveals, because they have only read what others have to say about him, rather than what Mahan actually wrote. From the challenges of bureaucracy and staff duty, the development of global strategy and fleet composition, and effective leadership included in the first edition, this second edition adds discussions of the United States’ place in the world, the difficulties of naval readiness, and the organization needed for construction of an effective national and naval strategy. With these added essays from Mahan, and a new preface and conclusion analyzing his work from Armstrong, this book demonstrates that Mahan’s ideas about the importance of sea power continue to provide today’s readers with a necessary foundation to address the military and international challenges of the 21st century.

Berezina 1812 - Napoleon's Hollow Victory (Paperback): Alexander Mikaberidze Berezina 1812 - Napoleon's Hollow Victory (Paperback)
Alexander Mikaberidze; Illustrated by Adam Hook
R484 R393 Discovery Miles 3 930 Save R91 (19%) Ships in 9 - 15 working days

A superbly illustrated narrative of how Napoleon skilfully extracted his Grande Armee from the clutches of the pursuing Russian armies. Much has been written about the Battle of the Berezina and the 1812 Russian campaign in general, during which the cold winter devastated the Grande Armee. Historians often praise Napoleon for his actions at the Berezina and attribute his success to a brilliant strategic mind, laying a trap that deceived the Russians and resulted in a remarkable feat in the history of warfare. Drawing on contemporary sources (letters, diaries, memoirs), and featuring an extensive order of battle, this book recreates in hourly detail one of the great escapes in military history, a story often told with embellishments that require a more critical examination. Although the core of Napoleon's army escaped, tens of thousands were killed in the battle, trampled in the rush for the bridge, drowned in the icy waters of the Berezina, or captured. Written by an acknowledged expert on the period, and using a broad range of sources from all sides, this title brings to life in stunning visual detail, using maps, battlescene artworks and period illustrations, the events of late November 1812, as Napoleon's retreating, desperate Grand Armee extricated itself from the clutches of the Russian armies under Kutuzov, Wittgenstein and Chichagov in an epic feat of heroism and masterful tactics.

The Peninsular War Atlas (Revised) (Hardcover, Revised edition): Nick Lipscombe The Peninsular War Atlas (Revised) (Hardcover, Revised edition)
Nick Lipscombe
R1,663 R1,327 Discovery Miles 13 270 Save R336 (20%) Ships in 9 - 15 working days

The Peninsular War is one of the defining campaigns of the British Army and sealed its reputation for supreme professionalism, heroic obstinacy and sheer perseverance. It made the reputation of Arthur Wellesley, the Duke of Wellington, and acts as the backdrop to the adventures of Bernard Cornwell's fictional hero Richard Sharpe. The British Army, under Sir John Moore and Wellington, ranged across the plains and mountains of Portugal and Spain and into France, taking part in 15 field actions and four bloody sieges, including Salamanca, Vitoria and Badajoz, but this is only part of the picture. The contribution of the Spanish and Portuguese forces is frequently overlooked, but there were a further 25 field actions and 15 sieges in the Iberian peninsula as part of the savage duel between the French occupiers and native inhabitants. In this newly revised edition of The Peninsular War Atlas, Colonel Nick Lipscombe expands upon his comprehensive, non-partisan examination of the conflict with 164 original maps, accompanied by an authoritative text narrating the war. His 34 years of service in the British Army, including postings in both Spain and Portugal, give him a unique perspective on the conflict. With contributions from Professor Charles Esdaile and the present Duke of Wellington as well as the cooperation of the Spanish and Portuguese authorities, this book is the essential topographical guide to the conflict. The Peninsular War Atlas has been published in collaboration with Peninsular War 200, the organisation established 'to commemorate in a spirit of respect to all and malice to none the 40,000 British (including Irish and foreign-auxiliary) service personnel who lost their lives in the Peninsular War of 1808-14'.

Napoleon - Soldier of Destiny (Paperback, Main): Michael Broers Napoleon - Soldier of Destiny (Paperback, Main)
Michael Broers 1
R468 R424 Discovery Miles 4 240 Save R44 (9%) Ships in 12 - 17 working days

Napoleon Bonaparte: a man of intense emotion, iron self-discipline, acute intelligence and immeasurable energy. Michael Broers brings this remarkable man to life, from his dangerous Corsican roots to the epic battles of Austerlitz, Jena and Friedland. Here is the incredible story of how one man's sheer determination, ruthlessness and careful calculation drove France to conquer Europe. This is the first volume of a revelatory new biography of the great ruler told with energy, style and brand new research. Here is the first life in which Napoleon speaks in his own uncensored voice - but not always as he wanted the world to hear him.

Napoleon the Great (Paperback): Andrew Roberts Napoleon the Great (Paperback)
Andrew Roberts 1
R604 R499 Discovery Miles 4 990 Save R105 (17%) Ships in 9 - 15 working days

'A Napoleonic triumph of a book, irresistibly galloping with the momentum of a cavalry charge' Simon Sebag Montefiore 'Simply dynamite' Bernard Cornwell From Andrew Roberts, author of the bestsellers The Storm of War and Churchill: Walking with Destiny, this is the definitive modern biography of Napoleon. Napoleon Bonaparte lived one of the most extraordinary of all human lives. In the space of just twenty years, from October 1795 when as a young artillery captain he cleared the streets of Paris of insurrectionists, to his final defeat at the (horribly mismanaged) battle of Waterloo in June 1815, Napoleon transformed France and Europe. After seizing power in a coup d'etat he ended the corruption and incompetence into which the Revolution had descended. In a series of dazzling battles he reinvented the art of warfare; in peace, he completely remade the laws of France, modernised her systems of education and administration, and presided over a flourishing of the beautiful 'Empire style' in the arts. The impossibility of defeating his most persistent enemy, Great Britain, led him to make draining and ultimately fatal expeditions into Spain and Russia, where half a million Frenchmen died and his Empire began to unravel. More than any other modern biographer, Andrew Roberts conveys Napoleon's tremendous energy, both physical and intellectual, and the attractiveness of his personality, even to his enemies. He has walked 53 of Napoleon's 60 battlefields, and has absorbed the gigantic new French edition of Napoleon's letters, which allows a complete re-evaluation of this exceptional man. He overturns many received opinions, including the myth of a great romance with Josephine: she took a lover immediately after their marriage, and, as Roberts shows, he had three times as many mistresses as he acknowledged. Of the climactic Battle of Leipzig in 1813, as the fighting closed around them, a French sergeant-major wrote, 'No-one who has not experienced it can have any idea of the enthusiasm that burst forth among the half-starved, exhausted soldiers when the Emperor was there in person. If all were demoralised and he appeared, his presence was like an electric shock. All shouted "Vive l'Empereur!" and everyone charged blindly into the fire.' The reader of this biography will understand why this was so.

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