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Napoleon's Wars: An International History, 1803-1815 Audiobook
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(3.06) - 119 listener ratings
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Publisher Description
No military figure in history has been quite as polarizing as Napoleon Bonaparte. Was he a monster, driven by an endless, ruinous quest for military glory? Or a social and political visionary brought down by petty, reactionary kings of Europe? In the most definitive account to date, respected historian Charles Esdaile argues that the chief motivating factor for Napoleon was his insatiable desire for fame. More than a myth-busting portrait of Napoleon, however, this volume offers a panoramic view of the armed conflicts that spread so quickly out of revolutionary France to countries as remote as Sweden and Egypt. Napoleon's Wars seeks to answer the question, What was it that made the countries of Europe fight one another for so long and with such devastating results? Esdaile portrays the European battles as the consequence of rulers who were willing to take the immense risks of either fighting or supporting Napoleon—risks that resulted in the extinction of entire countries. This is history writing equal to its subject—grand and ambitious.
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"It's a lot of information to take in if you don't have any background knowledge on Napoleon whatsoever. However, it's quite an enjoyable read for someone like myself who has a keen interest in Sir Bonaparte~ "
— Breton (4 out of 5 stars)
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A welcome and well-written synthesis of recent scholarship.
— Kirkus
Napoleon's Wars Listener Reviews
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" Scholarly, yet readable. Less a military history than a diplomatic/economic one. Some excellent sidebar material, like the concurrent Balkan wars and the war of 1812. Definitely worthwhile. "
— Steve, 3/11/2013 -
" Hated it. I wanted to read about Napoleon's war strategy but instead it read like a school text book. Very boring and hard to read. In fact I couldn't even finish reading it. "
— Hugo, 1/3/2013 -
" more later.... top drawer stuff "
— Hanley5545, 12/23/2012 -
" Veddy British. I got interested through Cornwell's Sharpe novels; we'll see. "
— Brent, 7/13/2012 -
" The perfect companion while reading the Sharpe books. "
— ReNu, 4/23/2012 -
" Great history book, thick with content, but great reading if you love this era of history. "
— Sara, 8/19/2011 -
" Very good exposition of Napoleon as a supreme warlord that needed victories and dominance at all costs. "
— Liviu, 5/4/2011 -
" Hated it. I wanted to read about Napoleon's war strategy but instead it read like a school text book. Very boring and hard to read. In fact I couldn't even finish reading it. "
— Hugo, 4/25/2011 -
" Great history book, thick with content, but great reading if you love this era of history. "
— Sara, 2/20/2011 -
" The perfect companion while reading the Sharpe books. "
— ReNu, 2/20/2009 -
" Very good exposition of Napoleon as a supreme warlord that needed victories and dominance at all costs. "
— Liviu, 11/23/2008
About Charles Esdaile
Charles Esdaile is a professor at the University of Liverpool and an historian of Spain in the Revolutionary and Napoleonic eras, with an emphasis on the Peninsular War of 1808–1814.
About Simon Prebble
Simon Prebble, a British-born performer, is a stage and television actor and veteran narrator of some three hundred audiobooks. As one of AudioFile’s Golden Voices, he has received thirty-seven Earphones Awards and won the prestigious Audie in 2010. He lives in New York.