Angus Konstam

Historical Atlas of the Napoleonic Era

This is a good overview of the most important battles taken place during the Napoleonic era, most of course within Europe, but some events also within the Unites States, like the War of 1812 and the debut internationally speaking of the US Navy. Three are the parts that make up this Atlas: Text; illustrations; and maps. The texts are okey, there is not much space left to go over all the facts, or even over all the main facts that lare the subject of each chapter (all chapters are 2 pages long), but are sufficient to get an idea. The illustrations are poor but abundant, and the maps are generously provided in regards to size and abundance of information, the only thing is that too much information about the battles is offered in those maps, making them little less than chaotic and difficult to understand.

At the end there's a chapter on the main Napoleonic marshals, quite a lot of them, which deserved to have more space alloted since the characters are barely mentioned. If the book is meant as an appetizer for further reading it does the job. Every chapter conveys to the reader the importance and interest that those events deserve. Still, one feels that -given the extraorindary interest of the subject matter- more and better could have been given us in this book.