Napoleon's Marshals is a collection of 10-20 page biographies of every single Napoleonic marshal by numerous historians. Since finding biographies and evaluations of the marshals is difficult since most books refer to Napoleon, this is the best source for info about some of the lessor studied commanders. The book does not try and condemn or support the marshals' decisions or talents rather that is left up to the individual authors. Some of the authors are certainly more critical than others, but the whole story is laid out and therefore you are able to make your own decision. At the end of each chapter regarding a marshal is the story of one of their most successful campaigns or battles as well as a 'Further Reading' section so you can learn more. The author usually separates his sources into English and French and unfortunately the English are too few (not the author's fault however). So this is THE BOOK on Napoleon's marshals and is highly recommended.

For any study of Napoleon's impact on history this is a must read...The bios are fascinating and writ with intelligence and clarity...I found myself referencing several other studies of Napoleon's engagements and comparing the actions taken by individual Marshals with their bios and discovered hitherto unknown motivations ( at least to me ) that influenced their decisions...Highly recommend to anyone interested in Napoleonic history...

The best book on Napoleon's Marshals that I have read and I have several.

I' m pleased

I thought I was buying a book by Chandler but he was just he editor. I enjoyed reading it but didn't realize it was a collection of authors, each one writing about a single Marshall. Glad I bought it, enjoyed reading it but didn't get the deep read I was expecting. Really enjoyed Chandler's book on Napoleonic campaigns but this book didn't quite reach the heights achieved there. Just a different format.

well written and informative

Chandler and the various authors have compiled a compelling collection of the biographies of the 26 Marshals of the Empire. These were Napoleon's lieutenants and a greater variety of men one will never find. From the brilliant Davout, Suchet and Lannes to the brave Ney and Oudinot to the loathsome Bernadotte and pillaging Massena. All great men in their own way and certainly worth reading about. A book well worth adding to the collection. Amazon's site says the hardcover is out of print yet I have seen a new softcover version making its appearance.

Nobody rises to the top, let alone conquers most of Europe, all by himself so it is natural that students of Napoleon find the great commander's subordinates to be of great interest. With that in mind, this book, edited by the great David Chandler, is the best single volume study of Napoleon's marshals. In my review I will try to explain a little more than the other reviewers about why this book is so interesting.

First of all, as others have said, this book is an anthology with each chapter written by a different expert. They present a brief biography of the marshal followed by a short summary of that commander's signature battle. The reader really does come to understand each marshal as both a man and as a commander. The book is easy to read; each chapter can be digested in about 15 minutes, and one does not have to be a West Point graduate in order to understand the material. Here is a brief rundown of the chapters that are particularly noteworthy:

Davout- David Chandler's chapter on the iron marshal does not provide any new information that a veteran of Napoleonic studies would not know already. Contrary to popular opinion, Davout was not infallible and Chandler explains how he failed during the Russian retreat, which caused Napoleon to cool towards him. I was hoping Chandler would provide insight into why the marshal was given the wasteful task of defending Hamburg instead of being sent to take Berlin.

Berthier- this chapter is much different from the others, more like a character study or psychological profile. I learned a lot about the man but I wish the book would've provided more insight into what it was like to be a Chief of Staff, what he did on a daily basis.

St Cyr- a very informative chapter. He appears to have possessed brilliant strategic and tactical gifts, which were wasted because he was so hotheaded and made many dumb political moves. I often wonder how he would've done against Wellington in 1810 if given the chance.

Suchet- quite a lengthy chapter that gives great insight into this underrated marshal and how he pacified parts of Spain through his strategic ability yes, but also through his civility and incredible administrative talent.

Ney-like the chapter on Davout this one provides no new revelations but does provide excellent details. I feel there should have been more written about his great defeat at Dennewitz. Perhaps Ney, for all his faults, should have been given command of the army of Portugal because most of his decisions were correct and Massena was incorrect and had to go back to Ney's original idea in the first place. Ney was a great subordinate and the book shows that his biggest failures are probably more Napoleon's fault than his. If the Emperor had kept him better informed of his strategic goals and given better instructions at Bautzen and Quatre Bras things would've been much different.

Soult- Paddy Griffith gives an excellent account of why Soult was actually an extremely poor general who let France down badly.

Augereau- one of the best chapters in the book by the incomparable Col. John R Elting. This marshal was an extremely complex character and the Colonel does a fantastic job of explaining how valuable the proud bandit was during the early Italian campaigns. This marshal falls off the radar a little bit after the battle of Eylau, but this chapter explains what became of him and his sad ending.

If you are interested in some of Napoleon's lesser known marshals the book will I'm sure tell you what you need to know. But all around, the book is filled with many interesting tidbits that I'm sure will delight any student of Napoleon. For example, I did not know that a scathing letter exists from Napoleon to marshal Marmont telling him that his baton was bestowed out of friendship and not out of skill! Ouch! Many people believe marshal Jourdan was incompetent but this book explains how he was actually one of the most talented. Massena's follies in Spain are well documented but one cannot help but feel sorry for the man since he was clearly in ill health and suffering from PTSD after 1809. The chapter on Bessieres was great because it explains how this marshal was not to blame for the defeat at Fuentes d' Onoro. James Arnold's short but excellent chapter on marshal Victor sheds light on this very talented commander who perhaps should have been used more. After reading the chapter I'm still not sure if Victor was the hero or the goat at Talavera. The chapter on marshal MacDonald was a little disappointing because it did not explain all what happened at the Katzbach. Since this was MacDonald's only independent command there should've been a lot more information. Anyway, I hope my review will entice you to buy the book because it really is excellent.

Excellente étude sur les maréchaux de napoléon

Great book that contains entries on all the marshals of that time era, their history, along with their famous/main battles, and illustrations. It's easy to read and understand even for non-scholars. The print, presentation, and binding all make a first rate book. This is a must-have book if you have any interest in the Napoleonic Wars.

Chandler original work on Napoleon was brilliant, this collection of reviews of each Marshal by different Historians is very good and enjoyable, You do get a flavour of their characters good and bad.

Great read. Really interesting.

very pleased with it.a very important book in any Napoleonic collection.David Chandler is a well known authority on military history.