Napoleon On the Art of War

Unlike Sun-Tzu or Karl von Clausewitz, Napoleon never wrote a unified essay on his military philosophy. Yet as one of the world’s greatest strategists and tacticians, his wisdom and genius can be found in his many and varied writings. Jay Luvaas has spent more than three decades pouring through the 32 volumes of Napoleon’s correspondence, carefully translating and editing all of his writings on the art of war, and arranging them in seamless essays. The resulting book captures the brilliant commander’s views on everything from the preparation of his forces to the organisation, planning and execution of his battles, all buttressing Napoleon’s view that ‘in war there is but one favourable moment; the great art is to seize it.’ From the specifics of Napoleon’s use of cavalry and unique reliance upon artillery to an all-encompassing vision of life from a man of supreme confidence and success, NAPOLEON ON THE ART OF WAR is the only straightforward explanation of Napoleon’s campaigns and philosophy by the man himself.