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Rating: 
Summary: Aspern? Not Waterloo?
Review: A handy source. Great maps, a very good order of battle, nice photos of battlefield today. This is the place to start if you are going to wargame one of these battles. A nice companion to works by Petre or Arnold.
Rating: 
Summary: Good Overview
Review: Aspern & Wagram 1809: Mighty Clash of Empires (Osprey Military Campaign, No 33)by Ian Castle, David G. Chandler (Editor)is a good overview of the battle that was the follow up to Austerlitz and Napoleon great victory. The battles described in the book in themselves are not that exciting or interesting, but when read in the proper historical context are well worth the read.The book is written in the traditional style in a very readable format. One gets the bascis of the conflict as well as the basic whys and wherefores. All in all this is a positive read.
Rating:
Summary: Sources and verbiage
Review: I helped Ian out with this booklet. Yes, it's in the Osprey format and intended as a guide only. I know Ian was frustrated at being at brigade level for much of the time. However, this is the only book which has made use of a lot of material from both sides! I was surprised at the comment about Arnold - nice narrative, but so is Sharpe! Petre used Angeli, but Angeli only describes about a third of Wagram. It says a lot for the state of Napoleonic historical writing hat this is the best so far on these two battles. We should get more, if only in 2009! Dave Hollins
Rating:
Summary: Well-written Battle Narrative!
Review: I'll admit it -- I'm a Napoleonic novice. I've been drawn to the period by the epic scope of the wars, the brilliance of the generalship, and all the pretty uniforms. Most of the works I've read on the period (and they're not many) have been extremely dry. The Osprey Campaign series tends to lose sight of the forest for the trees; there's lots of detail about where the voltiguer company of the 1er ligne spent the time between 1307 and 1418, but not much sense of the ebb and flow of battle. Not so with this book. The detail is still there, but the reader comes away with a true appreciation of the fortunes of both armies in the 1809 campaign. The orders of battle will prove very useful for wargamers, as they provide the strengths of the various units. The only real drawback to this work is the lack of personalities. We get some small glance inside the mind of Charles, but Napoleon and the lesser generals are never fleshed out. I'd have liked some commentary on their various views of the fighting.
Rating:
Summary: Well-written Battle Narrative!
Review: I'll admit it -- I'm a Napoleonic novice. I've been drawn to the period by the epic scope of the wars, the brilliance of the generalship, and all the pretty uniforms. Most of the works I've read on the period (and they're not many) have been extremely dry. The Osprey Campaign series tends to lose sight of the forest for the trees; there's lots of detail about where the voltiguer company of the 1er ligne spent the time between 1307 and 1418, but not much sense of the ebb and flow of battle. Not so with this book. The detail is still there, but the reader comes away with a true appreciation of the fortunes of both armies in the 1809 campaign. The orders of battle will prove very useful for wargamers, as they provide the strengths of the various units. The only real drawback to this work is the lack of personalities. We get some small glance inside the mind of Charles, but Napoleon and the lesser generals are never fleshed out. I'd have liked some commentary on their various views of the fighting.
Rating:
Summary: 'The Danube, not the Austrians, Defeated Us'
Review: This is a companion volume to the author's book on Eckmuhl in the same series. Both, in my opinion, are excellent. The author has produced a balanced account, using both Austrian and French sources, that is both reliable and appropriate and acceptable to use as a reference. There are a few minor errors, such as confusing voltigeurs and chasseurs in the French light infantry regiments, stating 'there was little tactical distinction' between French line and light infantry, and that Berthier, Napoleon's chief of staff, was initially in the campaign the commander of the French Army of Germany, which he was not. However, these faux pas do not detract from the overall impact of the book. The author is quick to point out, however, that 'In the Hapsburg army, progression was dictated more by birth and seniority than by military prowess' and that the Austrian heavy cavalry didn't use a backplate for their cuirass which 'was a serious disadvantage for Austrian cuirassiers when they clashed with their French counterparts.' Not all agree with these assessments, especially some historians who are pro-Austrian, and the author has done well to point out these facts. The narrative is lively, the account of the campaign and battles accurate, and the casualty figures close to the mark. Overall this is an excellent account of a critical campaign, and with its companion volume on Eckmuhl, a reliable, thorough reference that can be used with confidence by historians, wargamers, and enthusiasts. I was disappointed that Osprey chose to reuse some prints from its Men-at-Arms series, some of which may have small errors in them. However, the black and white illustrations are superb, and the reuse of those prints does not detract from the overall impact of the volume. This book is highly recommended.
Rating:
Summary: 'The Danube, not the Austrians, Defeated Us'
Review: This is a companion volume to the author's book on Eckmuhl in the same series. Both, in my opinion, are excellent. The author has produced a balanced account, using both Austrian and French sources, that is both reliable and appropriate and acceptable to use as a reference. There are a few minor errors, such as confusing voltigeurs and chasseurs in the French light infantry regiments, stating 'there was little tactical distinction' between French line and light infantry, and that Berthier, Napoleon's chief of staff, was initially in the campaign the commander of the French Army of Germany, which he was not. However, these faux pas do not detract from the overall impact of the book. The author is quick to point out, however, that 'In the Hapsburg army, progression was dictated more by birth and seniority than by military prowess' and that the Austrian heavy cavalry didn't use a backplate for their cuirass which 'was a serious disadvantage for Austrian cuirassiers when they clashed with their French counterparts.' Not all agree with these assessments, especially some historians who are pro-Austrian, and the author has done well to point out these facts. The narrative is lively, the account of the campaign and battles accurate, and the casualty figures close to the mark. Overall this is an excellent account of a critical campaign, and with its companion volume on Eckmuhl, a reliable, thorough reference that can be used with confidence by historians, wargamers, and enthusiasts. I was disappointed that Osprey chose to reuse some prints from its Men-at-Arms series, some of which may have small errors in them. However, the black and white illustrations are superb, and the reuse of those prints does not detract from the overall impact of the volume. This book is highly recommended.
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