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The Napoleonic Wars: A Global History Illustrated Edition

by Alexander Mikaberidze (Author)
4.6 4.6 out of 5 stars 580 ratings
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Austerlitz, Wagram, Borodino, Trafalgar, Leipzig, Waterloo: these are the places most closely associated with the era of the Napoleonic Wars. But how did this period of nearly continuous conflict affect the world beyond Europe? The immensity of the fighting waged by France against England, Prussia, Austria, and Russia, and the immediate consequences of the tremors that spread throughout the world.

In this ambitious and far-ranging work, Alexander Mikaberidze argues that the Napoleonic Wars can only be fully understood in an international perspective. France struggled for dominance not only on the plains of Europe but also in the Americas, West and South Africa, Ottoman Empire, Iran, India, Indonesia, the Philippines, Mediterranean Sea, and the Atlantic and Indian Oceans. Taking specific regions in turn, Mikaberidze discusses major political-military events around the world and situates geopolitical decision-making within its long- and short-term contexts. From the British expeditions to Argentina and South Africa to the Franco-Russian maneuvering in the Ottoman Empire, the effects of the French Revolution and Napoleonic Wars would shape international affairs well into the next century. In Egypt, the wars led to the rise of Mehmed Ali and the emergence of a powerful state; in North America, the period transformed and enlarged the newly established United States; and in South America, the Spanish colonial empire witnessed the start of national-liberation movements that ultimately ended imperial control.

Skillfully narrated and deeply researched, here at last is the global history of the period, one that expands our view of the Napoleonic Wars and their role in laying the foundations of the modern world.
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  1. ISBN-10
    0199951063
  2. ISBN-13
    978-0199951062
  3. Edition
    Illustrated
  4. Publisher
    Oxford University Press
  5. Publication date
    February 10, 2020
  6. Language
    English
  7. Dimensions
    6.5 x 2.25 x 9.5 inches
  8. Print length
    960 pages
  9. See all details
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Editorial Reviews

Review

"To grasp this changing world and understand Newman's response to it, Mikaberidze's The Napoleonic Wars is a great place to start." -- GEERTJAN ZUIJDWEGT, Katholieke Universiteit Leuven, newman studies journal

"...Mikaberidze (Louisiana State Univ., Shreveport) offers a pathbreaking, genuinely global geopolitical narrative that pursues history down numerous remote pathways." -- CHOICE

"In this extraordinary work of scholarship, Mikaberidze provides vital context and global perspective to the epic struggle between France and its European competitors until Napoleon's defeat at Waterloo in 1815." -- Foreign Affairs (Books of the Year)

"Mikaberidze offers a clear, accurate, up-to-date and richly detailed narrative of the Napoleonic Wars. If you want a thumbnail sketch of the Battle of Austerlitz, a quick explanation of the reason the Franco-British Peace of Amiens broke down in 1803, or to learn how many horses Napoleon lost in Russia (200,000), look no further." -- David A. Bell, London Review of Books

"Engrossing and authoritative" -- Brendan Simms, The Times Literary Supplement

"An outstanding book for anyone interested in the French Wars or 'Big History'." -- Albert Nofi, Strategy Page

"In this thousand-page tour de force, researched in over a dozen languages with 189 pages of notes, the exceptionally talented Georgian-American historian Alexander Mikaberidze, a professor at Louisiana State University Shreveport, revisits a foundational conflict in the modern world, the veritable 'world war' unleashed by the French Revolution and dominated by the towering figure of Napoleon Bonaparte." -- Paul du Quenoy, American Conservative

"Alexander Mikaberidze ...argues persuasively in THE NAPOLEONIC WARS: A Global History that the deepest and longest-lasting effects of the 23 years of fighting actually occurred outside Europe." -- Thomas Ricks, The New York Times Review of Books

"an impressive reinterpretation of the wars of the French Revolution and Napoleon (1792-1815) ... An outstand book for anyone interested in the French Wars or "Big History"." -- A. A. Nofi, NYMAS Review

"Far broader and deeper in scope than any previous history of the Napoleonic Wars, Alexander Mikaberidze has produced a true masterpiece. He proves conclusively how intimately interconnected the events of the great struggle were, not just in Europe but also encompassing the Americas, Africa, the Middle East, Iran, India, China and Japan. He rightly argues that as an agent for social change, the Napoleonic Wars were the most important thing to have taken place between the Reformation and World War I. With his mastery of the myriad sources in multiple languages, Mikaberidze reminds us what first-class scholarship can do to our perceptions of an important subject when allied to excellent writing. This book will be an instant modern classic." --Prof Andrew Roberts, author of Churchill: Walking with Destiny

"An entirely rewarding history of a Europe-based struggle that "influenced the course of events across the globe."" -- Kirkus, Starred Review

"Through his mastery of international bibliography (facilitated by his knowledge of several languages), his expertise in political, diplomatic and military affairs (though we did not expect anything else from the apprentice of Professor Donald D. Horward), the extent of the issues dealt with and problems revisited that go far beyond the simple narration of military conflicts and lead us, without Manichaeism, to the very heart of the issues, through his accessible writing style (clear enough even for a mediocre Anglophone to easily follow his story and reasoning) and, dare I to say it, his profound knowledge of historical events, Professor Mikaberidze confirms that he is one of the great Napoleonic scholars of today. No one will be able to study the Napoleonic episode without having at hand this global history which fills a gap in the English-language historiography." -- Thierry Lentz, Director of the Fondation Napoléon

"Already distinctive thanks to his insights from the Russian perspective, Alexander Mikaberidze in this very important new book provides a valuable global perspective on Napoleon's war-making. This approach provides both an instructive narrative and a perspective from which the impact and legacy of the period can be understood." --Jeremy Black, University of Exeter

"At long last we have the truly global history of the wars of 1789-1815 that we have long needed. This book gives us new perspectives to understand this critical turning point in world history. A must have for all students of the period." --Michael S. Neiberg, U.S. Army War College

"Alexander Mikaberidze believes that the twenty-three years of war from 1792 to 1815 - which the British were content to describe as the 'French wars' - cannot be fully understood unless we extend our gaze beyond Europe, to consider colonial ambitions, revolutions and power struggles across the globe. The result is a hugely impressive work of scholarship that slips seamlessly across continents, taking the reader not just to the steppes of Russia but to the Balkans and Iran, Japan and China, the Indian Ocean, Indonesia, the United States, South America and the Caribbean. This is global history at its most exhilarating, a history of the Napoleonic Wars for the twenty-first century." --Alan Forrest, University of York

"This is an extraordinary work of scholarship. Despite the book's length, scope, and detail, the narrative never flags. It is hard to see how anyone will improve on this account." -- Lawrence D. Freedman, Foreign Affairs

"This book is a vivid, entirely engrossing history of that conflict, full of military shot and incident, full of choice quotes, full of vibrantly dramatic vignettes set in locations as far from Austerlitz as South America or Egypt…. It firmly establishes a version of the Napoleonic Wars in which Bonaparte himself was in many ways merely the pebble that triggers the avalanche, and it provides unfailingly enjoyable reading along the way. It deserves to stand as the definitive one-volume treatment of the period." --Steve Donoghue, Open Letters

"This expansive work-the research and analysis, the breadth, depth, and detail of the narrative, presented in writing that will satisfy both popular and scholarly audiences-may very well be the last word that needs to be written on the subject." -- Michael V. Leggiere, istoryNet

About the Author

Alexander Mikaberidze is Professor of European History at Louisiana State University at Shreveport, where he is also Ruth Herring Noel Endowed Chair for the Curatorship of the James Smith Noel Collection. He is the author of several books, including The Burning of Moscow: Napoleon's Trial by Fire 1812 and The Battle of Borodino: Napoleon versus Kutuzov.

Product details

  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Oxford University Press; Illustrated edition (February 10, 2020)
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • Hardcover ‏ : ‎ 960 pages
  • ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 0199951063
  • ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0199951062
  • Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 2.31 pounds
  • Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 6.5 x 2.25 x 9.5 inches
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.6 4.6 out of 5 stars 580 ratings

About the author

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Alexander Mikaberidze

Alexander Mikaberidze

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Alexander Mikaberidze is Professor of History and the Ruth Herring Noel Endowed Chair

for the Curatorship of the James Smith Noel Collection at Louisiana State University-Shreveport. He holds a degree in international law from Tbilisi State University and worked as an international law expert at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Georgia (1996-2000), where he handled the human rights issues and relations with the Council of Europe. In 2000, he moved to the US where he finished Ph.D. in history at Florida State University and has taught European and world history at Florida State University and Mississippi State University and lectured on strategy and policy for the U.S. Naval War College.

Customer reviews

4.6 out of 5 stars
4.6 out of 5
580 global ratings

Top reviews from the United States

Greg Arbogast
5.0 out of 5 stars Very entertaining and informative
Reviewed in the United States on April 26, 2024
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Well written and researched. The analysis is very strong and the new information presented really makes this a strong read.
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DJ
4.0 out of 5 stars Outstanding Coverage; A Bit Sloppy in Execution
Reviewed in the United States on December 1, 2023
Verified Purchase
Alexander Mikaberidze’s “The Napoleonic Wars: A Global History” is exactly what its title states: a survey of the Napoleonic era, with a pronounced emphasis on the global character of the two decades of conflict. In this, it succeeds. Mikaberidze provides a fine summary of the political and economic setting of the French Revolution, the meteoric rise of Bonaparte from young commander of the Italian campaign to conqueror of most of Europe, and the formation of the shifting coalitions that opposed him. This is *not* a classic military history — for example, Napoleon’s invasion of Russia (the largest European campaign of the nineteenth century) is covered in a few pages. A more serious problem, given that the absence of battle detail is a feature, not a bug, is the numerous instances of glitches in writing and, occasionally, in factual detail. I don’t regret my investment of time and effort, but some editing would have earned the book that fifth star.
4 people found this helpful
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GPsomas
5.0 out of 5 stars A great overview
Reviewed in the United States on December 21, 2023
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Truly encompasses the breadth of the conflict . But puts the more detailed histories into broader context . Very worthwhile read.
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L. Atkins
5.0 out of 5 stars Book was delivered next day as promised.
Reviewed in the United States on November 2, 2023
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This history of the Napoleonic Wars provides context to the various political and military conflicts that occurred between France, Britain and the other major European powers.
One person found this helpful
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Stephen M. Kerwick
5.0 out of 5 stars Awesome Work
Reviewed in the United States on September 1, 2020
Verified Purchase
I just received my copy and scanned through it. All I can say at this point is that it’s a Herculean effort. 250 pages of detailed notes and bibliography alone! I don’t know a great deal about the author, but this would be a lifetime effort for most.

Not to be too much of a pedant, but I often consider the type size for ease of reading. This book’s is adequate, but I usually like it larger. That simple couldn’t be done here without transforming it into a 3 volume set. Again, to make another pedestrian observation, this is a superlative value for amount of information contained at the price. Purchase is justified, if only to have it as a reference text along side David Chandler’s work. But there is a far better reason. The author’s writing is very good and reading for pleasure is both easy and enjoyable.

Postscript: Since first writing this review, I’ve read several more chapters at the other end. I can only describe it as brilliant. And it is probably the best value book I’ve ever purchased. I can’t recommend it too highly.
27 people found this helpful
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Amazon Customer
4.0 out of 5 stars Book looks nice
Reviewed in the United States on December 21, 2023
Verified Purchase
Haven't read it at all yet... but they straight up glued the shipping box to the spine of the book.
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What & Why
5.0 out of 5 stars Well organized, authoritative, engaging
Reviewed in the United States on April 23, 2020
Verified Purchase
I ordered this book because of a rave review in the March/April issue of Foreign Affairs. I've just finished reading the entire book, which lived up to that review. The author's knowledge of the subject is amazingly extensive. The book is readable and engaging throughout and is well documented with 189 pages of endnotes.

The book's very effective organization protected me from being overwhelmed by the complexities of simultaneous important developments in different parts of the world. In the portion of the book covering the period 1807 to 1812, separate chapters treated Napoleon's Grand Empire, the Iberian Peninsula, Scandinavia, the Ottoman Empire, Iran, India, and the Americas. Each of those chapters told an interesting and manageable story. I shudder to think how tedious and confusing that portion of the book could have been had the author elected instead to present but a single chronological sequence of events.

My only complaint is with the maps, of which there are 29. Several are so small that the names of cities are unreadable without a magnifying glass. Some maps include shading that is too dark to allow names to stand out from the background.
44 people found this helpful
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Don W. Alexander
5.0 out of 5 stars Comprehensive narrative of the Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars
Reviewed in the United States on July 9, 2021
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This is an impressive work. It does not provide groundbreaking information, but it does exhaust the secondary sources of the period, nicely supplemented with some primary archival material. So, the expert looking for new information in a narrow field might be disappointed. However, even for the advanced student of the period, this is a very useful volume as it provides a global linkage of events. Even the specialist will find the bibliography useful, with its generous use of so many foreign language sources. The book is not for the faint of heart, but the individual who has expertise in a specialized field will find it useful, as will any serious student of the period.
One person found this helpful
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Top reviews from other countries

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Big John
5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent!
Reviewed in Canada on April 20, 2024
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J’ai un intérêt marqué pour l’histoire et je devais approfondir mes connaissances des guerres Napoléoniennes. Ce livre répond entièrement à mes attentes.
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Kai Jessen
5.0 out of 5 stars Riktigt bra överblick över hela världen under Napoleon krigen.
Reviewed in Sweden on March 3, 2024
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Om man vill få en överblick vad som hände i världen, både i och utanför Europa, under Napoleon krigen så är den bra.
Om du vill få en detaljerad beskrivning av Napoleons olika fälttåg finns det andra böcker att läsa.
Läs någon av de längre recensionerna här för mer detaljer.
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NigelR
5.0 out of 5 stars Superb in detail, scope and insight.
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on June 11, 2022
Verified Purchase
I bought a paper version after listening to the audible version at least 4 times. Other reviewers are right in that it doesn't cover the 'military' aspects of Napoleonic trivia that war enthusiasts love, but they are massively catered for elsewhere.

The power of this book is in its global approach to the period. Global histories are an exciting development in looking at the bigger picture and breaking out of traditional UK-based BBC history where the English are always clever and everyone else is not so smart. The sheer scope of how European politics affected world history across Iran, India, Africa and China is given first class treatment. This is a book for people who want to learn about new views in history and it breaks the boundaries of much traditional history that is taught in the UK. The role of English colonialism and its single-minded approach to its own interests is a fascinating story and even helps explain some of the exceptionalism we experience today in the English part of the UK.

Explanation is good throughout, although you do need some background in the basic events to get the most out of it. Notes and referencing are very good and will send you on to interesting sources.

One minor point, like many overseas historians, the author finds the terms English and British interchangeable which can irritate and detract from the reading experience, but you can't have everything.
4 people found this helpful
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Adi H. Jehangir
5.0 out of 5 stars A most unusual perspective
Reviewed in India on September 29, 2021
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A most unusual perspective of the Napoleonic era. Arrived in excellent condition and on schedule.
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Nicholas Ronai
5.0 out of 5 stars A must read for anyone who is deeply interested in this period of history.
Reviewed in Germany on November 7, 2020
Verified Purchase
This is a truly global history with an incredible amount of information but the writer manages to present it in a logical and highly readable fashion. I've always been interested in this period of history mainly from a European viewpoint but Alexander Mikaberidze's book opens up a completely new wide angle on how the situation in Europe had such a major impact on other parts of the world. The writer makes it clear early on in the book that, although he refers to the various battles which were so important, it is much more than a military history. It is the broad scope of his study that makes the book so fascinating. Absolutely highly recommended.
3 people found this helpful
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