This volume examines the war that saw Napoleon seek to gain control of neutral Portugal in an attempt to stop British trade with continental Europe. The reasons for war; a chronology of action; the leading officers; the combatant forces and their weapons; and aids to further study are included.
#4274395 in Books Prion 1996-11-01Original language:EnglishPDF # 1 8.20 x .95 x 5.40l; .85 #File Name: 1853752223325 pages
Review
0 of 0 people found the following review helpful. Fun; Informative; and InsightfulBy SwensonA. G. Macdonell's seminal opus is the exception to a rather substandard writing career. However; his deliberate effort and enthusiasm shines through with this extraordinary tale of high adventure. Told with a contagiously dashing prose; witty observations; and unapologetic humor; Macdonell brings the tensions of the times to life through his articulately sketched characters. And what characters they were! If Napoleon had generals with similar skill levels of those of either Alexander the Great or Genghis Khan; there's no telling how far his successes would have reached; nor how long they could have been sustained. But that's the point that Macdonell almost uniquely makes throughout his narrative thread: that an army that inherently relied on standouts from the Enlightenment for its glory was also undone by the same tenacity of spirit that engenders all rebels; pirates; and smugglers to return to their roots as individual crusaders led by their own motives.0 of 0 people found the following review helpful. RehashBy trackerA rather pedestrian rehash of Napoleonic marshals...little in way of in depth or characterization but simply a general recital of the battles of the empire....R.F Delderfield in Napoleon's Marshals is more succinct and more readable...this book adds nothing new or interesting...the analogy of twilight settling on the Napoleonic era gets tedious...I saw this as a "ho hum" effort...in a word disappointing0 of 1 people found the following review helpful. Entertaining readBy danny boyThere were 26 Naopleonic Marshals. Ever tried reading a Biography of all these Marshals in alphabetical order (eg Chandler's Napoleon's Marshals)? What you get is a dry potted history of each Marshal from Augureau to Victor. Their military exploits are constantly repeated. Afterall; they did interact with each other at all the battles together with Napoleon. But the context of their interaction is not obvious.This book starts with a time narrative of the Napoleonic era - beginning with when these Marshals first started to come into the Napoleonic arena. Their potted histories and their military exploits are still told; but now the interaction between them and Napoleon starts to be clearer. Their capabilites and limitations; all too obviously human; come to the fore and the story is a rich tapestry of human endeavours eventually becoming the stuff of legendary tales.To savour this book; however; one must be familiar with the overall Napoleonc lore. There are irritating phrases here and there which are ambiguous or are typo errors; but overall; an entertaining read.
