Blundering to Glory - Napoleon's Military Campaigns (Paperback, Third Edition)

Renowned for its accuracy, brevity, and readability, this book has long been the gold standard of concise histories of the Napoleonic Wars. Now in an updated and revised edition, it is unique in its portrayal of one of the world's great generals as a scrambler who never had a plan, strategic or tactical, that did not break down or change of necessity in the field. Distinguished historian Owen Connelly argues that Napoleon was the master of the broken play, so confident of his ability to improvise, cover his own mistakes, and capitalize on those of the enemy that he repeatedly plunged his armies into uncertain, seemingly desperate situations, only to emerge victorious as he "blundered" to glory. Beginning with a sketch of Napoleon's early life, the book progresses to his command of artillery at Toulon and the "whiff of grapeshot" in Paris that netted him control of the Army of Italy, where his incredible performance catapulted him to fame. The author vividly traces Napoleon's campaigns as a general of the French Revolution and emperor of the French, knowledgeably analyzing each battle's successes and failures. The author depicts Napoleon's "art of war" as a system of engaging the enemy, waiting for him to make a mistake, improvising a plan on the spot-and winning. Far from detracting from Bonaparte's reputation, his blunders rather made him a great general, a "natural" who depended on his intuition and ability to read battlefields and his enemy to win. Exploring this neglected aspect of Napoleon's battlefield genius, Connelly at the same time offers stirring and complete accounts of all the Napoleonic campaigns.

General

Imprint:	Rowman & Littlefield Publishers
Country of origin:	United States
Release date:	June 2006
First published:	June 2006
Authors:	Owen Connelly
Dimensions:	230 x 152 x 15mm (L x W x T)
Format:	Paperback
Pages:	264
Edition:	Third Edition
ISBN-13:	978-0-7425-5318-7
Categories:	Books > Humanities > History > World history > 1750 to 1900 Books > Humanities > History > European history > 1750 to 1900 Books > Humanities > History > History of specific subjects > Military history Books > Social sciences > Warfare & defence > War & defence operations > Battles & campaigns Books > History > European history > 1750 to 1900 Books > History > History of specific subjects > Military history Books > History > World history > 1750 to 1900
LSN:	0-7425-5318-3
Barcode:	9780742553187

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