Matrix Games Forums

 Forums  Register  Login  Photo Gallery  Member List  Search  Calendars  FAQ 

My Profile  Inbox  Address Book  My Subscription  My Forums  Log Out

Napoleonics (again!) - book recommendations please

 
View related threads: (in this forum | in all forums)

Logged in as: Guest
Users viewing this topic: none
  Printable Version
All Forums >> [General] >> General Discussion >> Napoleonics (again!) - book recommendations please Page: [1]
Login
Message << Older Topic   Newer Topic >>
Napoleonics (again!) - book recommendations please - 2/11/2009 10:53:31 AM   
leastonh1


Posts: 879
Joined: 2/12/2005
From: West Yorkshire, England
Status: offline 		Hello all,

This year, I'm going to make a determined effort to get into playing Napoleonics. I'm going to buy a game from dear old Matrix, but know I'd never play it without some knowledge of the history first. As I keep banging on about how little I know about the subject and would like to learn, I'm after book recommendations please.

I'd like something that goes into reasonable detail about the military history from this period and methods of warfare, as much as the actual Napoleonic campaign itself, but without getting bogged down in the millions of details which seem to plague many books on the period. After spending an hour in Borders and Waterstones (UK book shops) recently, I don't think such a book exists.

The main criteria is that the book(s) has to be noob friendly! I did buy one after reading the fluff on the back cover (I know. Stupid!) which said it was "accessible to the layman" and it lost me in the first chapter. I've never seen so many French names in one place and it was incredibly effective as a cure for insomnia! I don't have the patience to try and remember the names of 50 French people who were involved in order to progress past page 10. So much for accessible. It was honestly that bad. So, before I give up completely because I'm too stupid to learn about this period in history, someome please give me a recommendation for one book.

Something like the "Complete Idiots Guide to Wargaming Napoleonics for Stupid People Who Really Haven't Got a Clue" would be awesome.

I'll be your best friend forever if you can satisfy my requirements

Thank you kindly,
Jim

_____________________________

2nd Lt. George Rice: Looks like you guys are going to be surrounded.
Richard Winters: We're paratroopers, Lieutenant, we're supposed to be surrounded.
Post #: 1
RE: Napoleonics (again!) - book recommendations please - 2/11/2009 11:33:55 AM   
PunkReaper


Posts: 1085
Joined: 8/23/2006
From: England
Status: offline 		The Napoleonic era is a really rich time to read about. Here are a few suggestions.

The War of Wars: The Great European Conflict, 1793-1815 by Robert Harvey. This book puts the Napoleonic wars in the overall historic perspective.. Good history and an easy read.

Napoleon for Dummies by J. David Markham. More of a who's who nd when who did what book.

The Sharpe books by Bernard Cornwell. Give a fun fictional feel to the Napoleonic Wars.

Napoleon 101 podcasts. http://napoleon.thepodcastnetwork.com/ They are also available through i-tunes and are by J David Markham who is well respected in his field. (Wrote Napoleon for dummies) This is perfect listening. I listened to the series while playing my games, perfect background.

Need anymore suggestions just ask.

(in reply to leastonh1)
Post #: 2
RE: Napoleonics (again!) - book recommendations please - 2/11/2009 4:40:10 PM   
andym


Posts: 1117
Joined: 7/12/2006
From: Kings Lynn UK
Status: offline 		Try the Matthew Hervey series by Allan Mallinson.He is a retired Britsh Army Brigadier in the 13th/18th Hussars.


http://www.amazon.co.uk/Books/s?ie=UTF8&rh=n%3A266239%2Cp_27%3AAllan%20Mallinson&field-author=Allan%20Mallinson&page=1

_____________________________

Press to Test...............Release to Detonate!

(in reply to PunkReaper)
Post #: 3
RE: Napoleonics (again!) - book recommendations please - 2/11/2009 6:35:46 PM   
E

 

Posts: 1247
Joined: 9/20/2007
Status: offline 		Great thread!  I have also wanted to delve into Napoleonics, having bought many games over the years (since the 80's) and still can sum up my total knowledge as having watched the Sharpe's Rifles/Eagle/Etc Movies (where I learned what the hell a Square was for).

(in reply to andym)
Post #: 4
RE: Napoleonics (again!) - book recommendations please - 2/11/2009 7:20:20 PM   
Hertston


Posts: 3564
Joined: 8/17/2002
From: Cornwall, UK
Status: offline
quote:

ORIGINAL: Jim_H

I'd like something that goes into reasonable detail about the military history from this period and methods of warfare, as much as the actual Napoleonic campaign itself, but without getting bogged down in the millions of details which seem to plague many books on the period. After spending an hour in Borders and Waterstones (UK book shops) recently, I don't think such a book exists.



You need two, David Chandler's 'The Campaigns of Napoleon' (THE one volume history) and Brent Nosworthy's 'Battle Tactics of Napoleon and his Enemies'.

(in reply to leastonh1)
Post #: 5
RE: Napoleonics (again!) - book recommendations please - 2/11/2009 7:37:15 PM   
Ron

 

Posts: 506
Joined: 6/6/2002
Status: offline 		You can't go wrong with Hertston's recommendation of Chandler's 'The Campaigns of Napoleon', pretty much the standard place to start. Though in all honesty, if a few French names are what you would call inaccessible then...


(in reply to Hertston)
Post #: 6
RE: Napoleonics (again!) - book recommendations please - 2/11/2009 10:04:18 PM   
Arsan

 

Posts: 409
Joined: 7/1/2005
From: Madrid, Spain
Status: offline 		Another thumbs up for the awesome Chandler's "The Campaigns of Napoleon". Its big, its very complete and detailed but extremely readable and engaging.
It will make a "grognard" of you
It was the first real book i read about the era and the first book i read in English language. It took a while but i highly enjoyed each and every one of the 1,200 pages.


(in reply to Ron)
Post #: 7
RE: Napoleonics (again!) - book recommendations please - 2/12/2009 3:14:09 AM   
Gil R.


Posts: 10821
Joined: 4/1/2005
Status: offline 		Just today Mr. Z posted a bunch of references in the "Crown of Glory: Emperor's Edition" forum. Definitely take a look there (if you haven't seen it already).

(in reply to leastonh1)
Post #: 8
RE: Napoleonics (again!) - book recommendations please - 2/12/2009 5:12:46 AM   
Grell

 

Posts: 1064
Joined: 4/1/2004
From: Canada
Status: offline
quote:

ORIGINAL: Hertston




David Chandler's 'The Campaigns of Napoleon'


I second this book.

Regards,

Grell

_____________________________


(in reply to Hertston)
Post #: 9
RE: Napoleonics (again!) - book recommendations please - 2/12/2009 5:58:17 AM   
sabre1


Posts: 1928
Joined: 8/15/2001
From: CA
Status: offline 		I agree with everyone here, this is a must read: David Chandler's 'The Campaigns of Napoleon'

(in reply to Grell)
Post #: 10
RE: Napoleonics (again!) - book recommendations please - 2/12/2009 8:23:02 AM   
leastonh1


Posts: 879
Joined: 2/12/2005
From: West Yorkshire, England
Status: offline 		I've started to download the podcasts mentioned by Punk Reaper and have ordered Napoleon for Dummies as it seems to be the easiest to digest in reviews.

As everyone seems to agree on the book by David Chandler, I'm buying that one too.

I'd never considered the fiction side of this before and know that my father-in-law has all the Sharpe books and at least one or two by Allan Mallinson. I'm going to have to borrow those from him.

Thank you all for the recommendations and taking the time to help. I can now safely blame you guys when my wife gives me grief for buying yet more books!


_____________________________

2nd Lt. George Rice: Looks like you guys are going to be surrounded.
Richard Winters: We're paratroopers, Lieutenant, we're supposed to be surrounded.

(in reply to sabre1)
Post #: 11
RE: Napoleonics (again!) - book recommendations please - 2/13/2009 2:40:10 AM   
madgamer2

 

Posts: 1235
Joined: 11/24/2004
Status: offline 		put me down fot it also. Have read it three times.

Madgamer

(in reply to Arsan)
Post #: 12
RE: Napoleonics (again!) - book recommendations please - 2/17/2009 10:53:08 AM   
PunkReaper


Posts: 1085
Joined: 8/23/2006
From: England
Status: offline 		Just had another thought about Napoleonic fiction. Simon Scarrow is 3 books into a fictional series about Napoleon and Wellington. He's a great writer and not only are the books entertaining but they give you a good sketch of the two great antagonists.

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Young-Bloods-Revolution-Wellington-Napoleon/dp/075532434X/ref=sr_1_4?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1234867936&sr=8-4

(in reply to madgamer2)
Post #: 13
RE: Napoleonics (again!) - book recommendations please - 2/17/2009 5:12:32 PM   
anarchyintheuk

 

Posts: 3921
Joined: 5/5/2004
From: Dallas
Status: offline 		West Point put out an atlas/commentary that had a map on every other page. Made it very easy to follow Napoleon's campaigns. Can't remember the name offhand.

(in reply to PunkReaper)
Post #: 14
RE: Napoleonics (again!) - book recommendations please - 2/17/2009 5:43:59 PM   
PunkReaper


Posts: 1085
Joined: 8/23/2006
From: England
Status: offline
quote:

West Point put out an atlas/commentary that had a map on every other page. Made it very easy to follow Napoleon's campaigns. Can't remember the name offhand


was this the one you were thinking of:

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Point-Atlas-Napoleon-Military-History/dp/0757001556

(in reply to anarchyintheuk)
Post #: 15
RE: Napoleonics (again!) - book recommendations please - 2/17/2009 10:21:22 PM   
anarchyintheuk

 

Posts: 3921
Joined: 5/5/2004
From: Dallas
Status: offline 		Yeah, thanks. Mine has a different cover. But it looks the same.

(in reply to PunkReaper)
Post #: 16
RE: Napoleonics (again!) - book recommendations please - 2/18/2009 12:50:09 AM   
jagdwolf

 

Posts: 25
Joined: 2/9/2009
Status: offline 		(Damn message board timed me out, so typing this all again...hate that)

I'll second the recommendation for Sharpe's Rifles, should be easily available at any major library. Also, that's a good place to browse other histories of the period for books you might want to buy. On the lighter side, the entire series of books from Osprey covering the Napoleonic battles, armies and period are easy reads and very well done.

On a similar non-traditional front, there are some great movies and tv shows out there to watch. I'd recommend the following:
"The Duellists" http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0075968/
"Waterloo"  http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0066549/
"Sharpe's Rifles" http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0108108/ (first of a whole series)
They are all great fun to watch and give some solid background.

As for gaming, "Carnage and Glory" is my favorite table top miniatures system for the period (computer aided). "Empires in Arms" is an excellent grand strategic board and computer game. (Although the computer version is best for PBEM, AI is rather weak) and "Crown of Glory" is great fun for grand tactical combat, I am looking forward to CoG II.
Also, "Total War: Empires" is launching in about 2 weeks. http://www.totalwar.com/empire/?t=EnglishUSA This is the latest in what has been an incredibly good series from them. (Turn based strategy with amazing real time tactical combat, very well done and gorgeous) The TW series is usually a bit ahistorical, but the engine is easily modded and the mod community usually churns out some much more historically accurate mods very quickly.

Welcome to the club by the way! Napoleonics was what first got me into wargaming of all sorts and has always remained my favorite time period.

< Message edited by jagdwolf -- 2/18/2009 12:51:06 AM >

(in reply to anarchyintheuk)
Post #: 17
RE: Napoleonics (again!) - book recommendations please - 2/18/2009 9:45:48 AM   
Arsan

 

Posts: 409
Joined: 7/1/2005
From: Madrid, Spain
Status: offline
quote:

ORIGINAL: Punk Reaper

quote:

West Point put out an atlas/commentary that had a map on every other page. Made it very easy to follow Napoleon's campaigns. Can't remember the name offhand


was this the one you were thinking of:

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Point-Atlas-Napoleon-Military-History/dp/0757001556


Hi!
I'm not sure that is the "good" one.
The most famous and beloved by grognards is this one

http://www.amazon.com/Military-History-Atlas-Napoleonic-Wars/dp/1853673463/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1234950204&sr=8-3

Unfortunately its out of print. And good copies can reach pretty high prices on ebay and second hand shops.
I don't have if but i've heard it's a jewel

Regards!


< Message edited by Arsan -- 2/18/2009 9:46:12 AM >

(in reply to PunkReaper)
Post #: 18
RE: Napoleonics (again!) - book recommendations please - 2/18/2009 11:37:46 AM   
PunkReaper


Posts: 1085
Joined: 8/23/2006
From: England
Status: offline 		You're right Arsan. That is the one I've read but don't own, luckily our library has a copy.

(in reply to Arsan)
Post #: 19
RE: Napoleonics (again!) - book recommendations please - 2/18/2009 6:45:55 PM   
anarchyintheuk

 

Posts: 3921
Joined: 5/5/2004
From: Dallas
Status: offline 		Ditto above. I remember the names Esposito and Elting. My Dad's copy is still readable but hardly in good condition.

(in reply to PunkReaper)
Post #: 20
Page:   [1]
All Forums >> [General] >> General Discussion >> Napoleonics (again!) - book recommendations please Page: [1]
Jump to:





New Messages No New Messages
Hot Topic w/ New Messages Hot Topic w/o New Messages
Locked w/ New Messages Locked w/o New Messages
 Post New Thread
 Reply to Message
 Post New Poll
 Submit Vote
 Delete My Own Post
 Delete My Own Thread
 Rate Posts


Forum Software © ASPPlayground.NET Advanced Edition 2.4.5 ANSI

1.563