DOC Dreams of Empire: Napoleon and the First World War; 1792-1814 by Paul Fregosi in History

Review

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful. Good book on the colonial fronts of the Napoleonic WarsBy Nicholas RobertsThis is probably the best book out there dealing with the various colonial aspects of the Napoleonic Wars. It covers almost every place where battles were fought and that includes both land and sea battles. The author covers India; South America; Egypt; Africa and other places. He throws in a couple of nations that had nothing to do with the Napoleonic Wars such as Japan and China by talking about how the wars affected trade and relations. The book is divided up by time periods and regions. Each chapter covers different stories and they tend not to be very long. He includes for some reason that I think he fails to justify Toulon and Waterloo in the narrative. His thesis for the book is that Napoleon's real dream was of a global empire not a European one. The failure to take control of the seas kept Napoleon from accomplishing his goals however. I wish he went into how this was the first true world war in more detail however. I personally feel that prize goes to the Seven Years War and Fregosi does little to convince me otherwise.0 of 0 people found the following review helpful. A much welcome addition to the library of one of history's most fasinating men and periodBy Malvina BrodksaI read this book in my teenage years at a time when I was developing strong affinity towards this time period and the man himself. Perhaps it was this book that developed those early feelings and eventual admiration.It was only recently that I purchased this title in order to refresh its content to my faint impression of it. I had to have this in my possession; and so here I am giving a brief review and endorsement.It was well worth it; in fact; I would say that the perspective that this particular title adopts on the subject matter; makes it a definitive work. Well written and using plenty of intriguing stories and exploits of events and individuals; this title is a `must have' to any Napoleonic library.Given the scope of the book; it presents a compelling case for illustrating the global nature of the conflict and perhaps being rightly ascribed the title of being one of the first true world wars. Of course it is not the objective of the book to make that case in dissertation format; rather is it a work of passion which aims to further expand the canvass in an original manner; by presenting the history of the age in condensed but illuminating fashion.If the individual is keen to step away from the European theatre for a slight moment; but on occasion not forgetting it; then start by clicking on the 'Add to Cart' button and enjoy one of the most captivating periods in the history of man.0 of 0 people found the following review helpful. An excellent overviewBy Miami NapoleonphileThis is one of those books which is worth re-reading. It was probably the second or third book I read on Napoleon. I found it highly interesting and it helped to guide me on to reading more on the subject. Two decades and a few dozen Napoleon books later I decided to reread this book and found it even more engaging. It is impossible for any writter to divorce his or her biases from their writting. With that in mind Fregosi's work is a good overview into battles which are often nothing more than footnotes in most books. It is a great starting point for a a fan of the Napoleonic era