Best books to buy on Napoleon's Infantry, Cavalry, Artillery, etc.!

Thread: Best books to buy on Napoleon's Infantry, Cavalry, Artillery, etc.!

  1. hellas1 said:

    Default Best books to buy on Napoleon's Infantry, Cavalry, Artillery, etc.!

    Hi all,

    I'm VERY intrigued by Napoleon's army.

    I do have Philip Haythornwaite's Napoleon's military machine and it's o.k.

    I recently ordered his Napoleonic infantry & cavalry books by Cassell publishers.

    Does anyone know what other books cover pretty much all of the infantry, cavalry, artillery, etc. units that Nappy used during his "reign?"

    Thank you in advance!
    hellas1.......shooting now that I see the white's of their eyes
     
  2. Prince of Essling's Avatar

    Prince of Essling said:

    Default Re: Best books to buy on Napoleon's Infantry, Cavalry, Artillery, etc.!

    Colonel H C B Rogers "Napoleon's Army" is a good one volume introduction.
    John R Elting " Swords around a Throne - Napoleon's Grande Armee" is a must have.
    George Blond "La Grande Armee 1804-15" is Ok but treat with a little caution.
    Henry Lachouque & Anne S K Brown "The Anatomy of Glory - Napoleon & his Guard" Excellent book on the Guard.

    You will find many of the titles below "downloadable" - have a glance before deciding whether to buy and add to your library.......

    Plus of course the mix of Osprey Men at Arms:
    Napoleon's Guard Infantry Volumes 1 & 2 - Philip Haythornthwaite & Bryan Fosten
    Napoleon's Guard Cavalry - Emir Bukhari & Angus McBride
    Napoleon's Line Chasseurs - Emir Bukhari & Angus McBride
    Napoleon's Cuirassiers & Carabiniers - Emir Bukhari & Angus McBride
    Napoleon's Dragoons & Lancers - Emir Bukhari & Angus McBride
    Napoleon's Hussars - Emir Bukhari & Angus McBride
    Napoleon's Line Infantry - Philip Haythornthwaite & Bryan Fosten
    Napoleon's Light Infantry - Philip Haythornthwaite & Bryan Fosten
    Napoleon's Sea Soldiers -Philip Haythornthwaite & Bryan Fosten
    Napoleon's Specilaist Troops - Philip Haythornthwaite & Bryan Fosten
    Napoleon's Polish troops - Otto von Pivka & Michael Roffe
    Napoleon's Italian & Neapolitan Troops - Otto von Pivka & Mike Chappell
    Napoleon's German Allies (I) Westfalia & Kleve-Berg - Otto von Pivka & Michael Roffe
    Napoleon's German Allies (2) Nassau & Oldenburg - Otto von Pivka & G A Embleton
    Napoleon's German Allies (3) Saxony 1806-13 - Otto von Pivka & Richard Hook
    Napoleon's German Allies (4) Bavaria - Otto von Pivka & Richard Hook
    Napoleon's German Allies (5) Hesse-Darmstadt & Hessen-Kassel - Otto von Pivka & Bryan Fosten

    Les Uniformes du Premier Empire series by Commandant E L Bucquoy
    Vol 1: La Garde - Troupes a Pied
    Vol 2: La Garde - Troupes a Cheval
    Vol 3: Les Cuirassiers
    Vol 4: L'Infanterie
    Vol 5: La Cavalrie Legere
    Vol 6: Dragons et Guides
    Vol 7: Etat-Major et Services de Sante
    Vol 8: Gardes d'Honneuret troupe Etrangere
    Vol 9: La Maison de L'Empereur
    Vol 10: Fanfares et Musique des Troupes Cheval

    Charmy - Splendeur des Uniformes de Napoleon series
    Vol 1: La Cavalerie
    Vol 2: La Garde Imperiale a Pied
    Vol 3: La Garde Imperiale a Cheval
    Vol 4: Infanterie et Regiments Etrangere
    Vol 5: Costume de Sacre Armes - Drapeaux et Decorations
    Vol 6: Marine, Gendarmerie, Artillerie Genie, Ecoles

    Almark series (if you can find secondhand copies):
    PatricK Griffith & Emil Bukhari "French Artillery"
    Nigel de Lee &i Emil Bukhari "French Lancers"
    Emir Bukhari "French Napoleonic Line Infantry"
    Michael G Head "Foot regiments of the Imperial Guard"

    Andre Joineau & Jean Marie Mongin Histoire Collections (available in either English or French)
    Vol 3: The French Imperial Guard, The Foot Soldiers 1804-15
    Vol 4: The French Imperial Guard 2. Cavalry 1804-15
    Vol 5: French Hussars 1. From Ancien Regime to Empire
    Vol 6: The French Imperial Guard 3. Cavalry 1804-15 Mameluke, Chevaulegers, & Gendarmes d'Elite
    Vol 7: French Hussars 2. From the 1st to 8th Regiment 1804-12
    Vol 8: The Imperial Guard 4. Cavalry 1804-15 Gendarmes d'Ordnance, Gardes d'Honneur, Eclaireurs, Horse artillery
    Vol 9: French Hussars 3. From 9th to 14th regiment 1804-12, The Hundred Days, The Restoration

    You may find these of use (in French):
    Napoleon et les troupes Polonaises 1797-1815 http://rapidshare.com/files/121874476/Tradition_166.pdf
    Hors serie: a series issued by the magazine Tradition:
    Marshals of the Empire: http://rapidshare.com/files/123725189/HS12.pdf.html
    Napoleon's artillery: http://rapidshare.com/files/123725202/HS23.pdf.html
    Napoleon's cavalry: http://rapidshare.com/files/123725204/HS21.pdf.html

    The Imperial Guard of Napoleon: From Marengo to Waterloo by Joel Tyler Headley. 1852. 310 pages:
    http://books.google.com/books?id=a8Y...ummary_r&cad=0#
    Histroire de l'Ex-Garde: depuis sa formation jusqu'à son licenciement … by A. Perrot, Ch. Amoudru. 1821. 577 pages:
    http://books.google.com/books?id=E8I...page&q&f=false
    Last edited by Prince of Essling; November 12, 2010 at 07:55 AM. Reason: additional stuff
     
  3. Prince of Essling's Avatar

    Prince of Essling said:

    Default Re: Best books to buy on Napoleon's Infantry, Cavalry, Artillery, etc.!

    Another worth considering is "Soldiers and Uniforms of the Napoleonic Wars" by Francois-Guy Hourtelle, Jack Girbal & Patrice Courcelle. You are more than likely to find this downloadable have a glance before deciding whether to buy and add to your library.......
     
  4. hellas1 said:

    Default Re: Best books to buy on Napoleon's Infantry, Cavalry, Artillery, etc.!

    @Prince of Essling,

    Thank you for your help!

    I DID look at Georges Blond's book however I have Theodore Ayrault Dodge's Book on Napoleon.
    Does Georges Blond's book describe the units of each branch of the Grand Armee or just what they went through
    during each campaign?

    The rest of the books seem to cost a LOT of money!

    I will investigate Mr. Bukhari & Mr. Haythornthwaite's titles in greater depth.

    I do have the following titles on the various branches of the Grand Armee:
    Colonel H C B Rogers-Napoleon's Army
    John R Elting-Swords around a Throne

    Thank again!
    hellas1

    Update:

    I was and still am looking for a one shop stop book or volumes of books describing the units of each
    branch of the Grand Armee...IF possible.

    I look into Mr. Bukhari & Haythornthwaite's books....nice but piecemeal. Hmmm......

    Thanks again,
    hellas1
    Last edited by hellas1; November 14, 2010 at 09:21 PM.
     
  5. Prince of Essling's Avatar

    Prince of Essling said:

    Default Re: Best books to buy on Napoleon's Infantry, Cavalry, Artillery, etc.!

    [QUOTE=hellas1;8436869
    I DID look at Georges Blond's book however I have Theodore Ayrault Dodge's Book on Napoleon.
    Does Georges Blond's book describe the units of each branch of the Grand Armee or just what they went through
    during each campaign?

    The rest of the books seem to cost a LOT of money!

    I will investigate Mr. Bukhari & Mr. Haythornthwaite's titles in greater depth.

    I was and still am looking for a one shop stop book or volumes of books describing the units of each
    branch of the Grand Armee...IF possible.

    I look into Mr. Bukhari & Haythornthwaite's books....nice but piecemeal. Hmmm......

    Thanks again,
    hellas1[/QUOTE]

    Blond is really what the Grande Armee in total went through rather than its various components.

    Unfortunately I have not found a single or two volume work that deals with the Grande Armee in the manner you wish in a satisfactory fashion. Otto von Pivka "Armies of the Napoleonic Era" covers the unforms.

    To build up a comprehensive collection is very expensive - it is something you have to do over the years rather than in one go unless you come into a lot of unexpected wealth.

    Your public library may have some of the volumes or be able to get them from another library for you to peruse (for example my local library got hold of original volumes of Janes Fighting Ships & let me have them on long-term loan when I was studying the navies of World Wars I & II & the early 1900s for wargaming purposes)?
     
  6. hellas1 said:

    Default Re: Best books to buy on Napoleon's Infantry, Cavalry, Artillery, etc.!

    @Prince,

    You ARE right! Building a library/reading room does take time.

    It is unfortunate that no set of volumes exist which deal with each arm of the Grand Armee!

    After so many books/works being published, wouldn't one wonder why & make such a set? Whatever.

    Thanks again for your help,
    hellas1