Tuesday, September 02, 2008

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

1805: Austerlitz: Napoleon and the Destruction of the Third Coalition by Robert Goetz is a rather confusing history of this famous Napoleonic campaign. It sets out to describe the actions from the perspective of the Russians and Austrians instead of from the French. Goetz is to be commended for his extensive research in the archives as well as his grasp of scholarship. Unfortunately this occasionally makes the text difficult to follow unless one is already steeped in the narrative of the operations. He occasionally stops to argue with other historians over rather small details. The big picture is often lost in descriptions of small tactical engagements. They are only linked together in a few pages at the end of the book. I may find this book more useful when I have read more on the campaign.

Not recommended.

No comments: