From Library Journal
Boycott-Brown is an independent Napoleonic scholar who has rendered a detailed account (the first since 1957) of young Napoleon Bonaparte's Italian campaign of 1796-97. An often overlooked offensive that began in the mountains leading into the Piedmont-Sardinia kingdom, it constitutes one of Napoleon's most remarkable achievements. He took command of an underfed and dispirited army and turned it into a magnificent fighting force that overcame incredible hardships before crushing the Austrians at Rivoli. Boycott-Brown's exciting account is not always easy to read. The bewildering matrix of tiny Italian villages that played a part in Napoleon's slippery maneuvers may overwhelm the reader. Indeed, the novitiate to the Little General's campaigns may become as confused as his opponents did in the rugged terrain of northwest Italy. Fortunately, good maps accompany the text, and the persevering reader will soon be in rhythm with Napoleon's deadly minuet with the Austrian and Piedmontese armies. Libraries that strive to include the definitive works on Napoleon's campaigns should purchase this work, which impressively incorporates Austrian and Italian sources that have been translated into English for the first time. Jim Doyle, Sara Hightower Regional Lib., Rome, GA Copyright 2001 Reed Business Information, Inc.


Book Description
Napoleon was only 26 years old when he led his first army—45,000 ill-fed, poorly-clothed, and disillusioned French troops. In just two months, his ragtag forces pushed half the respected Piedmontese army out of the war, drove the Austrians across Italy, and laid winning siege to a crucial fortress. Previously unpublished primary sources make possible the first new treatment of young Napoleon in half a century.

FROM THE PUBLISHER

Napoleon was only 26 years old when he led his first army—45,000 ill-fed, poorly clothed, untested, and disillusioned French troops called the Army of Italy. His initial audacious and ingenious attack provides clear hints of his future greatness. In just two months, Napoleon's ragtag forces pushed half the respected Piedmontese army out of the war, drove the Austrians partway across Italy, and laid siege to a fortress that assured control of the northern section of the country. In the next 10 months, he and his newly reinvigorated forces marched to one victory after another until their Austrian enemy was pushed back to Vienna. Previously unpublished primary sources make possible the first new treatment of young Napoleon in half a century. 6 1/4 X 9 1/4. 20 b/w illus.