Swords Around A Throne: Napoleon's Grande Armée

Swords Around A Throne: Napoleon's Grande Armée by Elting, John R.. paperback edition. ISBN: 9780306807572.

This authoritative, comprehensive, and enthralling book describes and analyzes Napoleons most powerful weapon -- the Grande Armee which at its peak numbered over a million soldiers. Elting examines every facet of this incredibly complex human machine: its organization, command system, logistics, weapons, tactics, discipline, recreation, mobile hospitals, camp followers, and more. From the armys formation out of the turmoil of Revolutionary France through its swift conquests of vast territories across Europe to its legendary death at Waterloo, this book uses excerpts from soldiers letters, eyewitness accounts, and numerous firsthand details to place the reader in the boots of Napoleons conscripts and generals. In Eltings masterful hands the experience is truly unforgettable.