Resource Center Library
Take a browse through a selection of books from my library, books that have been extremely valuable to my Greatest Battles experience. They are listed by category and have a brief description of why I have found them to be valuable. They are hyperlinked to Amazon.com. If you want, buy any or all of them or buy anything else once at Amazon. The GBRC will automatically receive a small portion of the price from Amazon.com, which helps pay for the web hosting, etc. It costs you nothing extra. Thanks and enjoy!
General Napoleonics Background
Campaigns of Napoleon: The Mind and Method of History's Greatest Soldier by David G. Chandler
This is the definitive book on Napoleon's Campaigns and military Strategy. It is a very big book and somewhat demanding. But it is very well written and easy to read despite its density. The sections on his strategy are the best written. And it is far and away the best book to read to understand the 'big picture' of the Napoleonic wars.
A Military History and Atlas of the Napoleonic Wars by Vincent J. Esposito, John R. Elting
This is the perfect companion to the Campaigns of Napoleon and any study of any other Napoleonic battles. The maps are clear and precise and there are tons of them.
Swords Around a Throne: Napoleon's Grande Armée by John Robert Elting
This is an excellent view of the armies of the period and, specifically, Napoleon's. It covers each aspect of the army and army life in exhausting detail. Read this book and you'll see the battles in a new, and more human, light.
With Musket, Cannon and Sword: Battle Tactics of Napoleon and His Enemies by Brent Nosworthy
This is my favorite overview of Napoleonic units and tactics. It is unfortunately out of print. them, but available used.
Tactics and the Experience of Battle in the Age of Napoleon by Rory Muir
This is an excellent, short overview of units and tactics from this period. It is a reasonable alternative to Nosworthy.
Art of Warfare in the Age of Napoleon by Gunther E. Rothenberg
This is a short work combining aspects of Napoleonic military history and battlefield units and tactics. In addition to it's general reference and background value, it could substitute for some of the weightier tomes for the time challenged.
Napoleonic Army Handbook: The British Army and Her Allies by Richard Partridge, Michael J. Oliver
This book is as exactly described in the title. It is probably too obscure for all but the serious student of the subject. However it is very readable and contains much useful information. I'm glad I own it.
The Military Maxims of Napoleon: The Principles of Warfare by Napoleon by Dr. David G. Chandler
This is an excellent collection of Napoleon's thoughts on the subject of warfare.
Waterloo and The Hundred Days
History of the Waterloo Campaign (Napoleonic Library) by William Siborne
If you are going to buy one book on the Battle of Waterloo, this is it. Written shortly after the battle it is big, detailed and a remarkably easy read. There are some small details which subsequent research has corrected, but in general this is the best, most detailed, most enjoyable read on the subject. It also covers the entire campaign - an added bonus.
The Waterloo Companion: The Complete Guide to History's Most Famous Land Battle by Mark Adkin
This is the second book I'd buy on Waterloo. This is an incredible resource with detailed OOB's, leader bios, topo maps, panoramic photos, the works! It isn't a long winded narrative of the battle however so it needs Siborne or Hamilton-Williams as a companion. It is also scrupulously focused on The Battle of Waterloo in specific, anything or anybody not at Waterloo is not covered.
Waterloo: New Perspectives the Great Battle Reappraised by David Hamilton-Williams
This is a solid second narrative on Waterloo and a useful cross check for Siborne. Don't expect any startling revelations in spite of the title.
Waterloo: A Near Run Thing by David Howarth
This is a simple, beautifully written narrative of the battle. While not being terribly useful for wargaming, it is a great 'you are there' perspective on what it was like on the day. I think it is an excellent core purchase.
Wellington at Waterloo by Jac Weller
Another solid Waterloo narrative. Not big on maps or OOB's.
Unfortunately out of print, this book is the best 'numbers' book on the battle. It has very precise numbers for all three armies and is generally considered the most accurate in this regard. It also has quite a bit of other information on the armies, their evolution and their leaders. Unfortunately, it is very scarce and expensive.
The German Victory: From Waterloo to the Fall of Napoleon by Peter Hofschroer
If one wants a book which covers the battle from the German perspective, this is the best - and only one - in the English language. While it does add to the subject and has some useful OOB information, it would not be my first - or second - purchase. It is a useful addition to a solid Waterloo library however.
Wellington, His German Allies and the Battles of Ligny and Quatre Bras by Peter Hofschroer
This is the prequel to Hofshroer's Waterloo book, covering Ligny and Quatre Bras. My comments on the other book apply here too.
Yours to Reason Why: Decision in Battle by William Seymour
This is an interesting book. It has an entire section on Waterloo and raises a number of interesting 'what if' scenarios for that and other famous and important battles.
Austerlitz
This is THE resource on the Battle of Austerlitz. Complete with extensive maps and OOB's, it is the definitive work on the subject.
Austerlitz 1805: The Fate of Empires by Ian Castle, David G. Chandler
An Osprey book on Austerlitz. Either you love 'em or hate 'em. It's a cheap, quick overview of the battle with a fair amount of detail.
Fiction and Other Stuff
Waterloo: Sharpe's Final Adventure by Bernard Cornwell
Richard Sharpe is one the best heroes of military fiction ever. This volume of the series covers Waterloo. It is actually a better story of Waterloo than of Sharpe, but it is excellent as both.
Sharpe's Rifles by Bernard Cornwell
If you haven't read any Sharpe novels, buy this NOW! For anybody interested in Napoleonic warfare, they're a must. This one is the first.
Wellington in India by Jac Weller
For Sharpe readers, this book is one of the few which provides a solid overview of the real background of Sharpe's Indian experience.
Wellington in the Peninsula by Jac Weller
This is a solid overview of the British Peninsular battles. This was a fascinating theater and it was critical to Napoleon's fate and Wellington's development. It is also a useful overview for Sharpe readers...
Amused to Death by Roger Waters
This is a CD by the former Pink Floyd leader. If you like Pink Floyd and you are reading this page on purpose, you will almost certainly love this album. Where else can you hear songs about the American bombing raid on Khadafi or the naval blockade in the Persian Gulf in the same place as an audio history of WWI?
Fun, scary and challenging! This game is the perfect antidote for too much thinking in a Greatest Battles game. Load RE and free your mind of clutter!
Community Suggestions
"Tactics of the Napoleonic battery, battalion, and brigade (infantry, cavalry & artillery) as found in contemporary regulations... a really great 'nuts & bolts' book for those grognards who seek a more detailed explanation of the basic underpinnings of tactical organization and maneuvering doctrines of Napoleonic armies... packed with detailed descriptions and tons of charts and diagrams..." [Suggested by The Duke of Earl]
A Treatise Upon The Regulations Of The French Infantry by General de Brigade H. Meunierby
Straight from the horse's mouth... a contemporary 'nuts & bolts" treatise on French Infantry organization, drill & techniques by a General who actually served under Napoleon and was therefore intimately familiar with the tactical military doctrine of the day... packed with plenty of diagrams and plates.. the English translation by Capt. Gregor McGregor, 57th Regt. of Foot, is very well done and the publisher has included an explanatory preface to the actual treatise... a very clear and consise read for the grognard...[Suggested by The Duke of Earl]
[Note: This book not available through Amazon]
Jena, Auerstaedt: The Triumph of the Eagle by F. G. Hourtoulle
"From Histoire & Collections, 120 full-colour pages, illustrated with 100 documents and portraits of the period, 50 plates of uniforms drawn by computer artist André Jouineau and no less than 17 campaigns and battle maps. Dr.F.G.Hourtoulle enable us to relieve these great moments in Napoleonic military history hour by hour and in the smallest detail. From the same series as The Moskova-Borodino". [Suggested by Milhaud]