Greenhill books and David Markham have hit a home run with this magnificent collection of the Bulletins of Napoleon's Grande Armee. This is the first time they have been collected together and published in English. This book is a wonderful reference work, and if definitely fills in a very large blank in the history of the period.

There are some who would doubt the usefulness of the Bulletins as historical reference. It is true that they were used as propaganda, but it is also true that they were full of accurate information as well as some misinformation, deliberately put in them by the Emperor. There are two things that must be remembered when talking of Napoleon's Bulletins. First, they were never intended as history; second, Napoleon was the first European ruler to speak directly to his people, and the Bulletins was one of the ways in which he did it.

An interesting facet of this volume is that it contains more than just the published Bulletins. There is other relevant correspondence of the period, one of the most interesting is the death warrant issued against Austrian General Chasteler by Napoleon for his conduct regarding French and Bavarian prisoners during the Tyrol uprising in 1809. Apparently, he allowed prisoners taken by troops under his command to be murdered, and did nothing about it. There was a price on his head, but unfortunately he got away. This is but one of the valuable gems that you will find in the pages of this most excellent of volumes.

This book is highly recommended and it should be on the bookshelf of every enthusiast of the period. Much useful information and knowledge can be gleaned from these pages, and the author has definitely made his mark with this volume.

J. David Markham has compiled the first English language translation of all of the bulletins of the Grande Armée from 1805 to 1814. In addition, he has included reports from marshals and the major general of the army, Marshal Alexander Berthier. Markham has written an excellent introduction that he calls "A modern view of Napoleon's bulletins" in which he points out the strengths and weaknesses in the use of these documents. The book also contains the bulletins of Marshal Masséna's Army of Italy in 1805; a selected guide to men and their titles; a partial list of other important individuals mentioned in the bulletins; and a very good index, all of which make it very user-friendly for scholars doing research on Napoleon, his generals, and/or the Napoleonic wars.

These bulletins also provide a real insight into Napoleonic propaganda. They were written for publication in the Monitor, the official government newspaper, to bolster moral and support on the home front and to raise the moral of the troops on campaigns. Thus, when he deemed it wise or necessary, the Emperor was given to exaggerate his successes and accomplishments and those of his armies while playing down his reversals and setbacks.

Nevertheless, the bulletins provide a wealth of information on Napoleon, his armies, and men who fought those wars. Markham has provided a major contribution to Napoleonic studies by making the bulletins available in the English language in one concise volume. It will be a welcomed addition to individual libraries and a must for colleges and universities where French history is taught.

John G. Gallaher
Professor Emeritus of History
Southern Illinois University at Edwardsville
Author, The Iron Marshal: A Biography of Louis N. Davout; Napoleon's Irish Legion; General Alexandre Dumas: Soldier of the French Revolution.

Occasionally a new book is released that is so important to the study of the Napoleonic era that it immediately falls into the "must have" category for both Napoleonic scholars and enthusiasts. Imperial Glory is such a book. David Markham has assembled for the first time, all of the bulletins written by Napoleon between 1805 and 1812. Many of them have never been translated into English before, while others were only available to the serious scholar. Additionally, Mr. Markham also checked the translations of those bulletins that had been translated in the 19th Century and found many errors in them.

Napoleon used his bulletins for a variety of reasons: to inform the public and his soldiers of the progress of his campaigns, to praise his soldiers and their officers for the actions, and to ensure his enemies heard of his triumphs. They were published in the government's official newspaper, Le Moniteur, and often hung on doors and posted in public squares throughout the Empire. The veracity of the bulletins has always been open to question, with one of the most frequently used expressions from the Napoleonic era being, "To lie like a bulletin."

Although many of these bulletins were published for propaganda purposes, Mr. Markham does point out most are "reasonably accurate." Furthermore, he writes "[Napoleon's] losses were sometimes described as 'considerable', and he would list specific officers that were lost, along with the numbers of men killed, wounded or taken prisoners."

In addition to all 183 bulletins written from 1805 and 1812, Imperial Glory contains 170 other documents, many of which have never been published in English before. Broken down by year, the book includes:

1805

37 Bulletins of the Grande Armée (complete)
9 Bulletins of Masséna's Army of Italy (complete)
9 Proclamations
3 Decrees
2 Orders of the Day
3 Letters
1 Armistice
1 Treaty of Peace

1806-1807

87 Bulletins (complete)
4 Proclamations
1 Letter
1 Armistice between France and Prussia
1 Armistice between France and Russia
1 Treaty between France and Prussia
1 Treaty between France and Russia

1809

30 Bulletins (complete)
4 Proclamations
2 Proclamations of the King of Saxony
2 Orders of the Day
2 Reports by the Viceroy (Eugène)
3 Letters
1 Treaty between France and Austria

1812

29 Bulletins (Complete)
1 Final dispatch from Paris
1 Order of the Day
1 Letter
21 Field Reports, including:
5 Reports from Marshal Ney
4 Reports from Marshal Murat
2 Reports from Marshal Davout
2 Reports from Eugène
2 Reports from Marshal St Cyr
1 Report of Marshal Macdonald
1 Report from Marshal Oudinot
1 Report from Prince Poniatowski
1 Report from Prince Schwarzenberg
1 Report of Russian General Wittgenstein to Tsar Alexander
1 Report from General Wrede

1813

51 Reports from Le Moniteur, which often include reports from multiple days
2 Proclamations
2 Reports from Marshal Berthier
1 Report from General Vandamme
1 Report from Marshal Ney
1 Report from General Milhaud
6 Letters
1 Armistice

1814

23 Reports from Le Moniteur, including two "bulletins" at the end of the campaign
2 Proclamations
1 Decree
1 Order of the Day
2 Speeches
1 Act of Abdication

The collection of material is by campaign, with a separate chapter covering the different campaigns fought in that year or years. Within each chapter, the material is also arranged chronologically. This is an ideal arrangement, for not only does it permit the reader to follow the campaigns as seen through the official press releases, but it also provides great insight into how Napoleon managed his propaganda campaign.

The supplementary material is fascinating. I found particularly interesting the after-action reports on various battles written by the unit commander to the Imperial Headquarters. These reports were not written for public consumption and often were the first communication between a subordinate commander and the army headquarters. These reports contain information that would not necessarily be placed in the bulletins. Mr. Markham also included all the bulletins written by Marshal Masséna in 1805. He was in command of the Army of Italy and operating as an independent commander. Masséna's bulletins are in chronological order and interspersed with Napoleon's. Reading them together will give the reader a good feel for the two individuals' writing styles.

Mr. Markham and Greenhill Books are to be commended for making available to the public, material that has long been inaccessible to all but those with extensive libraries. Imperial Glory is an impressive collection of documents that every Napoleonic library should own. Do not delay buying Imperial Glory. It will be snatched up quickly and soon will be out of print.

Architecture of Silence is a finely wrought volume of exceptional interest and beauty. Its temporal actuality immediately evokes the devotional themes which are contained within its pages. The book feels like a sacred text which was printed and bound by hand, out of love.

Cistercian cenobites understood that interior spaces were at least as significant and meaningful in the natural order of things as surface manifestations. They believed that divinity resides in places that cannot necessarily be seen or immediately sensed. Architecture Of Silence conveys splendidly the essence of this belief as expressed through the physical monuments they created in worship.

Heald is head photographer for the Guggenheim Museum of New York. He is far more than an expert photographic technician, however. The book exemplifies uncompromisingly conscious, staggeringly sensitive image making. As he composed and developed these images, Heald must have had a vivifying rapport with the same extraordinary source of energy and insight that infused the psyches of the original builders of these Abbeys. Wonderful. Inspiring. Awesome. Excellent essay too.

I was on a spiritual pilgrimage in France in October 2000, and I toured most of the abbeys that are featured in this book. I did not see this book until after I returned from France, and I must admit that the photos in this text are the most impressive of all the books that I have viewed on Cistercian architecture. I love this book ! The photographer has been able to capture the peace, simplicity, and soul of these medieval monuments. How many photography books actually bring your spirit to a deeper level of tranquility? This one surely will. The introduction is beautifully written and was composed by The expert and scholar of Cistercian architecture. I also recommend another excellent book on this subject: Cistercians: Monks and Monasteries of Europe, by Stephen Tobin.

Having read several books on the move to EMU, this is definitely one of the most thoughtful and incisive (and by far the best written!!). Clearly the French perspective on the EMS and EMU is absolutely crucial to understanding why European monetary integration happened at all. Well done! This book enters into impressive detail about the French perspective but places the development of French policy clearly in the context of wider European developments so that the non-specialist can follow the text and learn about monetary integration more generally.

This is a well-balanced, thoughtful study of French policy on European monetary integration. For those looking to understand EMU go no further!

This is a detailed yet highly readable account of the reasons why the French sought European monetary integration. I recommend it all those interested in why the French embraced EMU.

The book Thor is one of my favorites...assuming there are not two. The synopsis above does not seem to describe at all the book I and the reviewers have read. The book I so enjoyed described a loyal dog's silent, lonely, heroic struggle to protect his family from an enemy within which he had no chance of defeating. It's truly a wonderful book, in some ways in the spirit of Watership Down or Tailchaiser's Song. The book described in the synopsis, however, seems to be the story of a beloved pet in real life. Very confusing...if you find the suspense tale entitled Thor, on which I believe the movie "Bad Moon" (and equally bad movie, but not the author's fault) was based, pick it up. It's a wonderfully engaging one or two night read that will keep you up til dawn. I hope the author gives those of us who enjoyed the book so much another night or two of pleasure...it's a stretch, but if Bruice Willis continues to get into Die Hard situations, why not Thor? Thrilling, heartwrenching read. Poor kitty.

reviewer o.c., ca. certainly never saw or read the book. as a shepherd trainer and owner i would have to describe this a combinatin of poetry and fine art. genuinely touching. a remarkable epitaph to a dog that was loved and is missed.

Thor was one of my favorite books! When the secret of the family's uncle came out was very scary! When a wild animal keeps coming and kills the young cat that thor actually loves he is sent to the pound and the owner crys as he is taken away. It certainly made me cry after a dignified dog was thrown into the pound!

David Cairns is a great Berlioz scholar. Like to meet him someday. His translation of "Memoirs" is much superior to Newmans.I bought the 1st volume of the biography some years ago when it first came out and the second a couple of years ago when it was first published. I revisit these volumes frequently. Berlioz was one of the really great romantics. At least 50 years before his time. Glad to see SF opera is planning on staging Cellini & B & B over the next few years. Sixtus Beckmesser

This really is one of the best biographies of any subject to come my way.I didn't know a lot of Berlioz's music before approaching this but it didn't actually matter.All the elements of a gripping novel are here only for they're true!-fighting paternal disapproval,living in poverty in Paris,eloping with a virtuoso pianist-it's all here and Cairns paints such an intimate picture that you can't but fail to admire Berlioz and his dogged determination to be a composer and write HIS music only to be continually rebuked in his native homeland.The efforts that the man had to go to just to hear his own music is truly heartbreaking.Biography doesn't get much better than this-especially if you're only even remotely interested in music or art.

This is a wonderful book both for the lay reader and for the musically knowledgeable. It says a great deal about how well written this book is that someone like me who knows nothing about music could still enjoy the book so much. Mr. Cairns takes the tale from the birth of Berlioz in 1803 up until 1832, when he was in his late 20's. You learn about his relationship with his parents, who were opposed to his choice of composer for a career, and his sisters. We are very fortunate that this was a great age for letter writing. Mr. Cairns makes judicious use of the correspondence between Berlioz and his family and friends to the point where you almost feel yourself to be a friend or family member. You get inside the young composer's mind as he tries to convince his parents that his desire to write music is not just a "whim", but something that he is absolutely passionate about and must do. Berlioz was also extremely sensitive and romantic. After seeing the English actress Harriet Smithson perform on stage in several works by Shakespeare he developed an obsessive love for her, even though he had never met her. He had an apartment across the street from where she lived and would longingly watch her comings and goings. He eventually wrote her several notes expressing his feelings but she rebuffed him, quite understandably one would think! (She had also heard a rumor, which was untrue, that he was an epileptic.) Shortly after coming to the realization that Smithson was unattainable Berlioz met the virtuoso pianist Camille Moke and they fell in love with each other and eventually got engaged. Alas, when poor Hector had to go to Rome to live in order to receive grant money from winning the Prix de Rome, Camille dumped him and opted for security by marrying a wealthy man. This soured Hector on women for awhile but did not diminish his love for music, nature and life. Mr. Cairns has been a professional music critic and is also a scholar, so he understands and ably explains the technical aspects of Berlioz's music. I was totally lost in these sections but my ignorance did not diminish my enjoyment of this sympathetic and wonderfully written book.

All right, I haven't read many of Dumas' books but he is rapidly becoming one of my favorite writers (He's nowhere near as good as Tolkien.) I first read "The Three Musketeers" just because I loved the movie and it was a famous book, and I couldn't stop reading it.
This one picks up 20 years after the first one, with only D'artagnan still in the musketeers and Athos, Porthos, and Aramis having gone on to different lives. I won't describe the plot much except to say that, as before in the series, it is an intriguing adventure full of unmaskings, betrayals, trickery, and so on. It's much longer then "The Three Musketeers", and it's not quite as fast-paced, nor as consistently exciting. It makes up for that, however, by having moments of such unbelievable suspense that I absolutely couldn't put it down.You should definitely read "The Three Musketeers" first, though, otherwise this will be hard to follow.
Overall, this is a spectacular novel, with a few small dull moments here and there but some truly moving points, too. It's a must-read.

20 Years After is the second book in the 5 book trilogy of The Three Musketeers. This wonderful book contains intrigue, suspense, and best of all D'artgnan, Athos, Porthos, and Arimis. The 4 friends really find out what their friendship is all about. This book contains everything: revenge, musketeer vs musketeer, the resurgence of death (or Winter I should say, hint, hint), the diamond, and just about anything else you can think of. Dumas keeps you on your seat, even though the first half of the book is a bit dry but that is because he sets up the political arena in which our heros fight in. Excellent book I cannot wait to read the next book in line.

Twenty Years After is my favorite book of Dumas' Musketeer series! There is more emphasis on the characters and the friendship between Athos, Porthos, Aramis, and d'Artagnan than in the Three Musketeers without losing any of the adventure or excitement. The four friends find themselves on opposite sides of politics, yet when evil again rears its ugly head, this time in the shape of Milady's revenge-obsessed son, Mordaunt, they pull together and triumph in one of most of the exciting adventure stories ever written. The only down side of the book is the fact that Charles I is unable to be saved by the musketeers, although this doesn't detract from the excitement found in their attempt to preserve the English monarch. This is a must read for all Dumas fans.

Best part of the book -- Part Two: A Program for the French Revolution. For anyone who has had to deal with trade union brass who caution that the union membership must be careful not to alienate the friendly wing of management, for anyone who has had to suffer through debates in parties such as Canada's New Democratic Party, this book helps straighten things out clearly. As Europe thrashed its way through the 1930s, socialist revolution or fascist victory was put on the agenda in country after country. Trotsky goes over all the key issues as they arose concretely in France: elections and picket lines, workers armed defense versus reliance on the middle class, the relationship of general strike to the fight for a revolutionary change in government, how to win over the farmers. He hammers away at the fact that while capitalism was degenerating before everyone's eyes, nothing was automatic, nothing would inevitably change for the better without conscious action and organization by the powerful French working class. He pointed out that he was fighting for the lives of French workers who went into the streets in strike waves, who occupied their workplaces, who fought the police and fascist gangs over and over throughout the decade. And went down to defeat. Difficult to read simply as a historical document since so many issues are of burning relevance today.

Paris, February 1934: tens of thousands of rightists attempted to overthrow the French government in a violent demonstration. The Radical government was soon replaced with a Bonapartist ruler. How could the powerful working class movement respond? The French Communist Party was moving to the "Peoples Front" alliance with the Socialists and the Radicals, in reflection of Stalin's search for alliances with one or other of the imperialist powers moving towards war to redivide the world. Together with the Socialists, the Stalinists politically disoriented the French workers. Six years on from the 1934 demonstrations, Hitler was able to crush France, and the fascist Petain ascended to power. "Leon Trotsky on France", a collection of writings from throughout those six years, brings the light of Marxism and the experience of the Russian Revolution to bear in showing the way for workers seeking a revolutionary way forward. As the 21st century takes us deeper into a situation like the 1930s -- economic depression, political volatility and instability, rapidly sharpening inter-imperialist rivalry, the rise of ultrarightist forces -- the lessons of the 1930s loom large. With each passing year, books like this one are becoming more relevant for workers and fighters for social justice.

More than a history text, this is a compelling day-by-day analysis of the great political developments in France during the 1930s depression-- and incisive arguments for what working class parties needed-- and failed -- to do to fight their way victoriously out of the crisis. The brutal economic depression and the crisis of capitalist political rule, the approaching world war, the fascist uprising in 1934, the rise of Bonapartist-police state regimes, the great workers strike wave of 1936, the stakes in organizing a workers militia, the political basis for alliances in working class struggles-- all are explained clearly and logically, with the aim of helping working people understand and organize to defend their interests.

Trotsky writes with the experience of a leader of the 1917 Russian Revolution and the early years of building an international communist workers movement. He was particularly familiar with the French workers movement from years in exile before 1917, and spent time in France in the 1930s after being expelled from the Soviet Union by Stalin and his henchmen-- this experience helping him give rich political detail to his writings.

Above all, the questions posed here do not belong just to the 1930s. The perspectives of the capitalists, the petty-bourgeoisie, the workers and the peasants, and the question of leadership of the working class, of the forging of a revolutionary party with a correct program and the confidence to act are issues for today and tomorrow. Trotsky's writings here are invaluable in helping understand and organize in today's world.

Georges Perec loved language, and it shows. _Life_ is clearly a labor of love. There are times when maybe the descriptions ramble, and you may well find yourself into the fifth page of a description of some piece of furniture, but if you don't keep track, you'll never notice. This is a difficult book to describe simply because it is so dense. At one level, it's a logic game; at another, it's an exercise in linguistics; at another, it's simply poetry. The translator, too, deserves kudos. Although I haven't read the original, the translation, I suspect, has remained faithful to the spirit of the book. Please read this book.

If you read the first few pages of this book after seeing all the glowing reviews on Amazon, you may wonder what we are so excited about. However, you will be rewarded if you persevere. In an ice-cold literary voice, Perec systematically describes the inhabitants and contents of a Paris apartment building. His style is at first totally uninvolving, yet somehow, amazingly, his monotonous descriptions come together like the tiles of a mosaic (or, to use Perec's image, the pieces of a jigsaw puzzle) to create a living, exciting picture. Even if you know nothing about the philosophical and aesthetic theories that gave this book its structure, you will find it enthralling.

The book presents a richly interwoven series of stories with complex, mind boggling intertwinings. The novel resembles a giant jigsaw puzzle with each piece bringing more insight into the one master jigsaw puzzle which is life itself.

The novel describes the life of the residents of a Paris apartment building. It is densely packed with very fine details about the people and places, making it a slow reading. Also, it behooves the reader to remember as much as possible of whatever he reads so that he can correlate the various pieces of the puzzle (i.e., the novel). Which is also a reason to read the novel again and again (probably once every year) to enjoy it thoroughly. It resembles Tolstoy's War and Peace in this regard.

In short, one can rarely expect to come across another novel like this. A must read for everyone who wants to try new things.

I have little that is critical to say about this book: I bought it with certain purposes in mind (to find a few authentic recipes for certain classic French dishes such as Coq au Vin which I first tasted in Manhattan in New York at a young age) and to find a few new ones for French HOME cooking (and not whatever is 'nouvelle cuisine,at that, about which I have only read, in any case), and it has more than fulfilled them. The recipe for Coq au Vin de Bourgogne (which I have yet to prepare but have read carefully and will be making before long), for example, is not just presented in a cut and dried fashion, but the instructions for what Elizbeth David calls "A typical Burgundian recipe, from the Cloche d'Or in Dijon", are given and then discussed by the author as to ways of proceeding, given the difficulties that she has noted, in practice, in making it. (In the case of this recipe she does not just say in her list of ingredients that is made with red wine, but specifies a sound red Burgundy, Beaujolais, or Macon. Since I had never made it, and had viewed making it with some trepidation, I appreciated the fact that not only has she included an obviously excellent recipe for it, but she has, in the course of her presentation and discussion, persuaded me that, even though I know I can't make it adequately well, perhaps if I pay attention to what she writes in this cookbook, and I just follow the(this) recipe(s), more or less, what results may be food which will be (just, at least?) good enough. Of course I was interested in her recipe for Boeuf à la Bourguiginone (which is something which, as of this time, I have yet to make, but had more than planned on cooking at this time, in that I had prepared it to the point at which it could be stored to be completed later, which became necessary, since I got into a car accident recently, and am still recovering from some trauma, so this wonderful dish has to wait until I am truly fine), which is is worth reading and paying attention to, although of that, I have others which are not to be dismissed either. A further remark or two. This cookbook has so many interesting recipes that I haven't had the time to read all that many of them (nor have I owned it that long). One section, not to be overlooked entirely, is on the preparation of vegetables, and I was grateful to read there not only a recipe or two for the lowly leek without its necessarily being the leek in leek and potato soup, or the same in just leek soup, but, the leek as, yes, a vegetable, in good standing, WITHOUT her calling it "the asparagus of the poor"!! Finally, there is a recipe for Escargots farcis for which I cannot find the 'ingredients' for in my area . The 'ingredients" I am referring to are BOTH the shells and the snails which were sold separately in a local chain supermarket in my neighborhood, years ago, on the upper East side of Manhattan. Unfortunately that supermarket is no longer there. I am glad that the recipe for Escargots is included in David's French Provincial Cooking (the cooking of the various regions and provinces of France, not just Provence, is discussed in her wonderful introduction, followed the recipes from the same), since I hope to find them here at a later date. This cookbook, then, is quite a find for me, and it will continue to be in times to come. To some extent this review is premature because I have not actually made, or even read, all that I would like to of her recipes yet, but it seems to be that time anyway, which means that already this has proved to be a wonderfully helpful cookbook (if , for example, you know how to make mayonnaise but haven't done so for a while, and need help, and even calming, along the way, what she has to say in this cookbook is well worth reading and may even help you with all of that), which I highly recommend.

In 1968, twenty years before I wrote "At Home With The French Classics", two books started me on my lifelong quest for raising ones appreciation and enjoyment of fine food. The Foods & Wines of France, by Roy Andries De Groot and Elizabeth David's French Provencal Cooking gave me an understanding of French food and cooking that has stayed with me ever since. Elizabeth David writes recipes that you can taste and smell while reading. You can see the color of the vegetables and the slow simmering of sauces, and you are inspired to cook. Anyone who is interested in French food should make this book mandatory reading.

What I wanted was a book of unfussy French recipes to be done in 15 minutes. What I got was a book with no list of ingredients, no photos, no color, and "a useful dish for those who have to get a dinner ready when they get home from the office" taking 3 hours to cook (Daube de Boeuf Provencale). Obviously, it seemed, I had made the wrong choice.

On further reading, however, what unfolded was something beyond a "cookbook," and ultimately more useful. This is a superb book. French Provincial Cooking should be approached and read as a series of short stories, as well written and evocative as the best literature. The voice is highly personal and opinionated, sometimes sharp and catty, but always true and ultimately sympathetic. It is always entertaining.

And the recipes, it turns out, are less intimidating than at first glance. Most importantly, they work if your aim is to produce the most excellent food imaginable. There is nothing slick here, no L.A. hype or N.Y. blah blah blah, and obviously, they have been tried and perfected; what initially seem to be annoying details (e.g., for omelettes, eggs "should not really be beaten at all, but stirred," whereas for scrambled eggs, they should be "very well beaten") are actually secrets not to be skipped, that elevate a good dish to a superb one. The lesson is that good food should be done simply, but it takes care, attention to detail, and frequently, time.

I find these recipes don't stint on the butter, cream, and wine, making them seem a little frumpy, but every one I've tried has been delicious. Ratatouille, salade Nicoise, terrinee de porc, piperade are all the best I've had. It doesn't get much better than this. Deserts are a model of simplicity and elegance; peaches with sugar and white wine; bananas with sugar, kirsch, and cream; pineapple with kirsch. These ARE easy, and thankfully, E. David had the self-confidence to actually put them down in a book.

French Provincial Cooking is superb in all ways. It's the real thing!

As the other reviewers below have noted, David Gates' THE SPANISH ULCER is indeed the best book on the Peninsular War. It is well-researched and well-written. It does justice to the operations of the French, British, and Spanish armies. Unlike many other books, it does not focus solely on the campaigns of Wellington. Gates has also provided a wealth of data of size of armies and casualties. Plentiful maps make the narrative of military operations simple to follow. Numerous other military historians and publishers should follow the book's example.

That said, there are still problems with the book that prevent it from being a general history of the Peninsular War. The book focuses too much on the operations of military formations. Gates describes in detail what armies, corps, divisions, brigades, and battalions do. However, very little insight is provided to what soldiers were experiencing on the ground. Equally, the experiences of the Spanish and Portuguese people, who lived with 8 years of bitter war, are dealt with very briefly. Moreover, Gates writes very little on the guerrilla campaign, which was a major factor in the French defeat.

I do not mean to be overly critical. I enjoyed this book greatly. It is the best book out on the Peninsular War. Nevertheless, there is still no general book that covers the political, military, and social aspects of the Peninsular War.

David Gates' treatment of the Iberian conflict has no equal and remains the best single-volume history of Napoleon's unfortunate Spanish adventure. Far superior to Michael Glover's PENINSULAR WAR, Gates' work is comprehensive, well-researched and clearly written. I just finished my 6th reading and continue to enjoy it.
Unlike most British Peninsular authors Gates follows in the footsteps of Oman and gives a balanced objective account giving credit to both the conventional and irregular Spanish forces, and does a masterful job of dealing with the French as well. I find, happily, that he eschews the usual hero-worship of Wellington and does find the Iron Duke human after all (particularly some of his ill-advised sieges). He accompanies his solid research with a useful chronology, some short biographical details, and some very good order of battle work. The work is marred by execrable maps (perhaps drawn by a child) and the all too often use of "sullen." I am happy to see that it's coming soon to paperback. I was most pleased to see information on the little-known Marshal Suchet and his long-suffering Army of Aragon. Buy it & enjoy it!

Many English language accounts of the Peninsular War disproportionately glorify the contributions of Wellington and the British. While Wellington and his relatively small army did make key contributions, the real heroes of the struggle that lead to the downfall of Napoleon, not only in Spain but in Europe, were the Spanish people. Gate's book goes farther than most in recognizing the often-ignored contribution of the guerrillas, the Spanish military and the populance in general in resisting Napoleon.