Napoleon's Commanders (1): c.1792-1809

Description

Victory or defeat on the Napoleonic battlefield was dependant on the skills, reactions and personalities of individual commanders. Even under a military genius such as Bonaparte, the dispersal of his armies on campaign and the lack of fast communications left command and control of the different corps and divisions in the hands of his marshals and generals. Illustrating the appearance of more than two dozen of Napoleon's leading colleagues and subordinate commanders, this first in a pair of Elite titles describes in concise but colourful detail their careers and personalities in the Revolutionary Wars and the Napoleonic campaigns up to 1809.

Philip Haythornthwaite is an author and historical consultant specialising in the military history, uniforms and equipment of the 18th and 19th centuries. His main area of research covers the Napoleonic Wars. He has written some forty books, including more than 20 Osprey titles, and innumerable articles and papers on military history, but still finds time to indulge in his other great passion: cricket. Patrice Courcelle was born in northern France in 1950 and has been a professional illustrator for some 20 years. Entirely self-taught, he has illustrated many books and magazine articles for Continental publishers, and his work hangs in a number of public and private collections. His other enthusiasms include music, from Clapton and the blues to Mahler, and cooking. Patrice lives a few miles from the battlefield of Waterloo with his wife and son.