Forty-four battles of the Napoleonic era in words and picturesNapoleon was one of the most significant figures in world history; a military and administrative genius; statesman and despot; he set Europe ablaze and his influence around the globe resounds to this day. While there is no real glory in warfare; the Napoleonic period; with its marching Imperial armies; plumes bobbing above casques and shakos; and martial figures in uniforms glinting with steel; brass or bronze; is an irresistibly romantic time that fascinates both serious students and casual readers. Great battles were fought across continents; from the heat of the Iberian Peninsula to the snows of the Russian steppe; from the sands of Egypt to the northern woodlands of the Canadian frontier. This world at war; on land and sea; has been chronicled in hundreds of books; from first-hand accounts by soldiers who knew its battles to the works of modern historians who know there is an eager readership. Today we are familiar with photographs of warfare; but in the early nineteenth century the visual documentation of wars was undertaken by a host of talented artists and illustrators; and it is their work that places this unique Leonaur four volume set above the ordinary. Compiled from the writings of well regarded historians and experts on the subject; these accounts were originally part of a multi-volume collection of essays on the battles of the entire 19th century. Each essay benefits from the inclusion of illustrations; diagrams and maps to support and enhance the narrative; many of which will be unfamiliar to modern readers.Battles covered in this final volume include San Sebastian; Vittoria; the Pyrenees; Bergen op Zoom; the Gurkha War; Lundy's Lane; Toulouse; Ligny; New Orleans and Waterloo. Leonaur editions are newly typeset and are not facsimiles; each title is available in softcover and hardback with dustjacket; our hardbacks are cloth bound and feature gold foil lettering on their spines and fabric head and tail bands.
#1385395 in Books 2015-05-28 2015-05-28Original language:EnglishPDF # 1 8.88 x 1.00 x 5.63l; 1.10 #File Name: 1781313954272 pages
Review
5 of 5 people found the following review helpful. Not exactly fair and balancedBy CustomerThe first thing the reader needs to know before buying this book; and perhaps there should be a disclaimer; is that the author; Peter Bodo; dislikes Jimmy Connors very much. Before buying the book; I read an article in which Bodo discussed writing this book. He talked about how he and Connors had a falling out years ago and quit speaking to one another over a misunderstanding about something Bodo wrote about Connors. He said that he wasn't going to bother to try to change Connors's mind about that; because basically; Bodo didn't find Connors easy to talk to anyway. He finds him uptight and insecure; unlike the confident and intellectual Ashe; whom he enjoyed conversing with very much. Other tidbits from that article which show Bodo's mindset toward Connors is when he mentions Connors's "proud to be stupid" attitude and he talks about Gloria Connors; "in her simple way" believing that Bodo was part of their "team" when he wrote favorably about her son. Bodo's condescension and disdain toward the Connors family is clear when he talks of them in this way. Bodo also admitted that it may seem that Connors gets the "short end of the stick" in this book; but according to him that is a myopic view because "Connors got more than his share of the glory; and we won't even get into the issue of mortality." I take that to mean that it is ok to portray Connors unfairly in this book because he got more glory than Ashe; and darn it; he's lived a lot longer too and that's not fair. For these reasons; I waited a while before buying this book. I had hoped to read it in the bookstore and save myself from putting money in Peter Bodo's pocket. However; I could never find it in the bookstore; so at least I did purchase the cheaper Kindle version. This is what I discovered in reading this book. Most of it is just borrowed material from other people's books. Practically all of the sections written about Connors are just taken from Jimmy Connors's own book; The Outsider. He also borrows liberally from a biography of Pancho Segura; written several years ago; and also from Joel Drucker's book about Connors. I suppose this is because Bodo would get no cooperation from Connors or anyone close to him. What was interesting to me is what he chose to mention from Connors's book and what he didn't. For instance; Bodo mentions at least three times in his book that Connors bragged of never reading a book and that school was torturous for him. What he doesn't choose to mention is that Connors revealed in his own book; The Outsider; that he had a reading disability; a form of dyslexia that prevented his eyes from coordinating in order to follow the lines in a book. Bodo must have known this; because it was often cited in the publicity for The Outsider; but it was much better to portray Connors as willfully ignorant rather than as someone who struggled in school due to something that was not his fault. Another thing that caught my eye is when he talks of Gloria Connors's resentment toward her daughter-in-law; Patti; and says that Gloria barely spoke a word to her until her death in 2007. In Jimmy's own book; he talks of his wife's poor relationship with his mother; but he says that they became closer in the later years of his mother's life and he tells a touching story of finding a note tucked into her bible after her death in which she tells Jimmy that he should stay with Patti because Patti genuinely loves him. I guess these kinds of details don't fit the image that Bodo is trying to present; it might make the reader empathize with Connors more and Bodo didn't want that. He wanted it clear that Connors = bad; and Ashe = good. Let's not complicate things. The book also contained some errors. Some that caught my eye: Connors's son; Brett; was born in 1979; not 1980. Jimmy and Patti's marriage separation was not at the end of 1983; because they were already reconciled by the 1983 U.S. Open. And lastly; the worst one for a tennis writer to get wrong was citing that Connors's great run to the U.S. Open semis at age 39 came in 1990; when it actually occurred in 1991. There were other sloppy errors too; but these occurred in the epilogue which made them easier to remember offhand. I will say that I did enjoy some parts of the book. It was interesting to know a little more of Arthur Ashe's growing up years. I just did not appreciate the author's obvious bias toward one man and against the other. That completely destroyed the credibility of the book. My recommendation is; by all means buy this book if you are an Arthur Ashe fan. You will love it. If you are a Connors fan; or just any tennis fan who cares about a fair and balanced account of Wimbledon 1975; then take a pass on this one.0 of 0 people found the following review helpful. "...as exciting and entertaining a read as the match and the men who inspired it."By CBowlingPete Bodo's Ashe vs Connors is as exciting and entertaining a read as the match and the men that inspired it. As a longtime tennis fan as well as a fan of these both of these players; I was able; as I read; to reflect again on the lives of these two players who were both insiders and outsiders of the game I love; and I was impressed by not only the obvious differences but also the subtle similarities in their journeys through the tennis world they inhabited. I also got the chance to be informed or reminded of numerous points in those journeys (like Connors' double-Pancho mentoring or the River Oaks clubhouse incident) that were new to me or that I'd forgotten. I strongly recommend this book to newcomers to reading about the tennis scene as well as to those who may have immersed themselves in it over the years.0 of 0 people found the following review helpful. Five StarsBy Howard AronsGreat story of an amazing time in Tennis History Loved the read
