“1805 Austerlitz: Napoleon and the Destruction of the Third Coalition”, by Robert Goetz

368 Pages, Greenhill Books, ISBN-13: 978-1853676444

1805 Austerlitz: Napoleon and the Destruction of the Third Coalition is a very thorough and detailed account of perhaps Napoleon’s greatest victory (and certainly the one he was most proud of). The author writes of how the battle came about by the failure of the treaty of Amiens and the formation of the third coalition against France before moving on to cover the pre-battle tactical and political maneuvering of the major personalities involved, with both sides attempting to put their forces into position to ultimately achieve decisive victory. However, it was Napoleon that was able read his Russian and Austrian opponents rashness and enticed them to draw off the bulk of their forces to attack his right flank and leaving the dominant Pratzen heights vulnerable to attack by the French.

The battle itself is well covered off with the author detailing the movement of forces and blow-by-blow account of the battle; in fact, the detail is such that it sometimes hard to take it all in, but thankfully the author had the foresight to use maps to show the movement of forces at various places and times of battle so the reader can better visualize his narrative. Goetz also makes use of some firsthand accounts that give weight to his own explanation of the battle.

The author suggests that was perhaps the French tactical prowess in the field (after months of training at Camp Boulogne in anticipation of the invasion of Britain) that gave the French the edge. This was demonstrated repeatedly by the effectiveness of their musketry, their cool maneuvering under fire, effective coordination of combined arms operations, larger scale maneuvers, and a superb discipline produced by high morale and complete confidence in their commanders. The French command-and-control system also had flexibility, enabling field commanders to adapt and maneuver their forces to changing situations to achieve ultimate mission objectives. The Russian and Austrian forces typically seemed to be locked and awaiting orders from above losing valuable time and few officers used their initiative. Having said that, the Russians and Austrians fought hard and bravely and at times were able to throw the French back. In the end, however, it was Napoleon’s careful planning, use of detailed information about the enemy and terrain, and the ability to achieve numerical superiority at a given point that led to his decisive victory.

“The Force Of Destiny: A History Of Italy Since 1796”, by Christopher Duggan

688 pages, Allen Lane, ISBN-13: 978-0713997095

Professor Duggan has quite the tale to tell: the Risorgimento, its antecedents and its results, but more broadly, the intellectual themes and practical problems of the Risorgimento and how those themes and problems have affected the course of Italian history since 1796. Professor Duggan is obviously a master of his subject, which by itself would be a sufficient recommendation for this book. But as a wonderful bonus, he is also a talented writer with a brisk style, a dry sense of humor – “In life Victor Emmanuel had been a rather poor national symbol, in death he was to make amends. “(p. 305) – and an instinct for the telling detail – “D'Annunzio had always craved a beautiful death in a noble cause; throughout his life he had been haunted by the martyrdom of St. Sebastian. “ (p. 418) – The book includes dozens of quotations from contemporaneous sources illustrating Duggan’s main points, and I had the sense while reading this book that Professor Duggan probably had another 500 pages of materials he wanted to include, but his editors said, “Basta! Enough!” I, however, would gladly have read another 500 pages; the book was an absolute page-turner.

My only disappointment is that the book does not cover post-WWII Italy in much detail, although according to Professor Duggan, all the Risorgimento themes and problems are still very much present in contemporary Italian society. It doubtless makes sense to wind the story down in the mid-1990’s, but only about 10% of the book is devoted to the 50 years following 1946, or 25% of the time covered by the book. One can only hope that Professor Duggan is planning another book devoted solely to post-WWII Italy. That said, I cannot recommend this book highly enough for all English-speakers who have fallen in love with Italy and want better to understand the object of their affections – and especially, her family quarrels and secrets. 

“The Bonapartes”, by David Stacton

379 pages, Simon & Schuster, ISBN-13: 978-0671098605

The Bonapartes is a multigenerational family biography, written with a wit as dry as the Sahara. While the emphasis is on Napoleon (I and III), Brothers Louis, Jerome and Joseph are well represented within, as are the subsequent and lesser known members of this fascinating family. While this book is not the last word in scholarly rigor, it stands as a good introduction to the family in general, and the author’s humor comes through an every page. It possesses color, pace, and all the erotic details – but no historical judgment. There is a rather basic triviality can be seen from its treatment of Waterloo:

The battle of Waterloo began Sunday of June 18. Napoleon had been suffering from hemorrhoids since the previous Friday and was thus paralyzed from divided attention and an inability to make a clear headed decision about much of anything. Sometimes he contradicted himself.

 

After that there is a long paragraph on the capture of Napoleon’s traveling carriage, jewels, and the plate. So Napoleon’s Hundred Days are reduced to triviality. So not an in-depth study of the man or his family, but great fun none-the-less. Stacton tackles his subject from the point-of-view of a novelist, not an historian, but a change in perspective now and again is a good thing, and this particular perspective is entertaining and diversionary.