"The Age of Napoleon" (1789—1815) covers the tumultuous years of the French Revolution and the rise and fall of Napoleon Bonaparte. Special emphasis is given to the class struggles of 18th-century France which led to unprecedented social and political unrest. From the storming of the Bastille to the capture and execution of Louis XVI, this volume vividly documents the dramatic events and key historical figures which shaped the course of this most volatile period of France's history. Challenging map exercises and provocative review questions encourage meaningful reflection and historical analysis. Tests and answer keys included.
In the capstone work of his career, distinguished military historian Jay Luvaas brings together in one volume the military genius of Napoleon. Unlike Sun Tzu or Carl von Clausewitz, Napoleon never wrote a unified essay on his military philosophy. Yet, as one of the world's great strategists and tacticians, he sprinkled wisdom throughout his many and varied writings. Jay Luvaas spent over three decades poring through the thirty-two volumes of Napoleon's correspondence, carefully translating and editing all of his writings on the art of war, and arranging them into seamless essays. The resulting book captures the brilliant commander's thoughts on everything from the preparation of his forces to the organization, planning, and execution of his battles -- all buttressing Napoleon's view that "in war there is but one favorable moment; the great art is to seize it." Napoleon on the Art of War will be essential reading for military buffs, students of history, and any business leader looking for timeless insights on strategy.
"The Renaissance" (1300—1500) provides an overview of the years from the Late Middle Ages through the Renaissance. Special emphasis is given to the natural and political disasters that ravaged 14th-century Europe, as well as the unprecedented intellectual, cultural, and artistic flourishing of the 15th and 16th centuries. The Black Death, The Hundred Years' War, the invention of the printing press, the birth of humanism, and the life of Leonardo da Vinci are among the dramatic events vividly documented in this richly illustrated text. Challenging map exercises and provocative review questions encourage meaningful reflection and historical analysis. Tests and answer keys are included.
Like volume one of Michael Broers’s magnificent biography, The Spirit of the Age is based on the new version of Napoleon’s correspondence, made available by the Fondation Napoléon in Paris. It is the story of Napoleon’s conquest of Europe—and that of his magnificent Grande Armée—as they sweep through the length and breadth of Europe. This narrative opens with Napoleon’s as yet untested army making its way through the Bavarian Alps in the early winter of 1805 to fall upon the unsuspecting Austrians and Russians at Austerlitz. This was only the beginning of a series of spectacular victories over the Prussians and Russians over the next two years. The chronicle then follows the army into Spain, in 1808, the most ill-considered step in Napoleon’s career as ruler, and then through the most daunting triumph of all, the final defeat of Austria at Wagram, in 1809, the bloodiest battle in European history up to that time.
Renowned for its accuracy, brevity, and readability, this book has long been the gold standard of concise histories of the Napoleonic Wars. Now in an updated and revised edition, it is unique in its portrayal of one of the world's great generals as a scrambler who never had a plan, strategic or tactical, that did not break down or change of necessity in the field. Distinguished historian Owen Connelly argues that Napoleon was the master of the broken play, so confident of his ability to improvise, cover his own mistakes, and capitalize on those of the enemy that he repeatedly plunged his armies into uncertain, seemingly desperate situations, only to emerge victorious as he "blundered" to glory. Beginning with a sketch of Napoleon's early life, the book progresses to his command of artillery at Toulon and the "whiff of grapeshot" in Paris that netted him control of the Army of Italy, where his incredible performance catapulted him to fame. The author vividly traces Napoleon's campaigns as a general of the French Revolution and emperor of the French, knowledgeably analyzing each battle's successes and failures. The author depicts Napoleon's "art of war" as a system of engaging the enemy, waiting for him to make a mistake, improvising a plan on the spot-and winning. Far from detracting from Bonaparte's reputation, his blunders rather made him a great general, a "natural" who depended on his intuition and ability to read battlefields and his enemy to win. Exploring this neglected aspect of Napoleon's battlefield genius, Connelly at the same time offers stirring and complete accounts of all the Napoleonic campaigns.
"The Ancient World" (Paleolithic Age—500 B.C.) covers the period from the dark prehistory of the Paleolithic Age to the development of the earliest centers of civilization in Egypt, Mesopotamia, and the Indus Valley. The lives of hunter-gatherers, the agricultural revolution, and the rise of the world's first cities are all vividly depicted in this richly illustrated text. Challenging map exercises and provocative review questions encourage meaningful reflection and historical analysis. Tests and answer keys are included.
"The Reformation" (1500—1650) provides an overview of the European world from the late-15th to the mid-17th century. From Columbus's discovery of the New World to the grisly beheading of England's Charles I, the Reformation was a period of restless exploration, and often bloody, religious and political protest. Martin Luther, William Shakespeare, Queen Elizabeth, and the Italian astronomer Galileo are among the historic figures vividly described in this richly illustrated text. Challenging map exercises and provocative review questions encourage meaningful reflection and historical analysis. Tests and answer keys included.
In 1787, the beautiful Lucia is married off to Alvise Mocenigo, scion of one of the most powerful Venetian families. But their life as a golden couple will be suddenly transformed when Venice falls to Bonaparte. We witness Lucia's painful series of miscarriages and the pressure on her to produce an heir; her impassioned affair with an Austrian officer; the glamour and strain of her career as a hostess in Vienna; and her amazing firsthand account of the defeat of Napoleon in 1814. With his brave and articulate heroine, Andrea di Robilant has once again reached across the centuries, and deep into his own past, to bring history to rich and vivid life on the page.
"The Middle Ages" (A.D. 500—1300) covers one of the darkest periods in European history—from the collapse of the Roman Empire through centuries of chaos, destruction, and barbarian rule. The civilizing power of the church, the rise of feudalism, the growth of monarchical rule, the dramatic rebirth of towns and cities, and the formation of the world's first universities are among the events vividly documented in this richly illustrated text. Challenging map exercises and provocative review questions encourage meaningful reflection and historical analysis. Tests and answer keys are included.
