The Napoleonic Wars

I enjoyed the thoroughness and completeness of the author's research. He brings to life the complexity of politics, national interests, changing national boundaries and the nature of the European conflict during the Napoleonic Wars. He also manages to show that this was essentially a global conflict that encompassed nations around the world, all tied to the various interests competing with and against Napoleon during these years. The narrator did an excellent job. I participate in family history research and this book highlights why ancestors come from different country designations without their ever leaving their neighborhoods. The carving up of countries and the ceding of territory due to treaties and the divying up of land as spoils was interesting to me.

An exhaustively researched and amazingly detailed history of not only Napoleon Bonaparte, and France, but the interactions of other nation states around the glove that influenced the decisions of Monarchs from Britain, European countries, and Russia before, during, and immediately after the Napoleonic Wars. Narration was excellent with no stumbling over names regardless of nationality. Well done.

Well researched and exhaustive. The author put a lot of work into this book. It helped to fill in some historical gaps for me

As a fan of history, it should surprise nobody that I enjoyed this book. But the best thing about this book is that focused on the ripple effect of the Napoleonic wars. From the new world to China & Japan, Napoleon's wars altered the destinies of continents.

Detailed and sweeping account of Napoleons Rise and Fall with so many details on how these wars affected not only all the countries of Europe, but in the new American States as well. I will also say the details of Napoleon's failed Russia campaign were not what I expected and his loss was certainly not because of the Winter due to popular belief. That telling was worth the listen alone! 5 Stars for content and Narration.

Kant said that, “Many a book would be much clearer if it had not intended to be so clear.” Along that line, this book would have explained much more if it had not intended to explain so much. The author seems to attempt to explain the political situation and the treaties of every nation on the planet over a ten year period, and by necessity flits around from one place to another. The depth of analysis was often like reading the CNN headlines. I was extremely confused by this approach. It was as if Tarantino wrote a history book. How about next time a chronological order? How about next time trying to analyze the interplay of the personal stories with the juxtaposition of culture, religion and geopolitical events. It’s a 30 hour book and I feel like I know nearly nothing of Napoleon at the end.