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Napoleon began his military career as an artillery cadet and artillery played a fundamental part in all his great battles. Until the Napoleonic Wars artillery had been seen merely as a supporting arm to the infantry, but Napoleon changed everything. He massed his guns in huge batteries to blast holes in his opponent s line. He even used the artillery to charge the enemy, the gunners galloping up to the enemy to open fire at point-blank range. Napoleon s opponents did not all follow suit, choosing other tactical deployments. As a result, the Napoleonic era, more than any that preceded or followed it, was one of fascinating artillery manoeuvres and critical actions that changed the course of many of the key battles. As the Prussian Field Marshal Blucher once observed, Against Napoleon you needed guns and lots of them! The Napoleonic Wars was also a time of innovation, with the introduction of shrapnel shells and military rockets. This book will examine the artillery arms of all sides from muzzle to butt plate . As well as the significant artillerymen of the period, the innovators, scientists, and innovators, military and civilian individuals such as Robins, Belidor, Gribeauval and his colleagues, Maritz, Liechtenstein and his collaborators, as well as the du Teil brothers will all be examined, as will the important battles and sieges, significant memoirs and documents, and artillery terms that soon became part of the military lexicon. Written by the renowned historian Kevin F. Kiley, this will be the definitive book on the subject and will cover all aspects of artillery in the Napoleonic Wars.
Napoleonic artillery can usually be divided into two types: field, or light artillery which was employed by the armies on campaign and in the field and siege, or heavy artillery, which was employed in siege operations and against opponents holding the fortresses against them. While field artillery consisted of calibers up to and including 12-pounders light enough to keep up with an army on the march and in combat, siege artillery was of the heavier calibers and intended as 'battering pieces' which could destroy fortifications through bombardment. Similar garrison artillery was mounted on different gun carriages and employed to counter the siege operations and siege artillery of the opposing forces. Serving alongside the artillery men the engineer arm displayed its expertise in the various operations needed to take or defend a fortress. Naval artillery would, along with the skill and seamanship of the naval officers and ratings who worked the ships, determine who would be victorious at sea.Naval guns were generally of two types, guns and carronades and ranged in caliber from relatively small 9-pounders to 32-pounders for guns and even larger calibers for the short-ranged and deadly carronades. This volume chronicles the story of the guns and men during the twenty-three years of almost continuous warfare from 1792-1815 from the battlefields of continental Europe to the almost primitive terrain of North America and of the seas, lakes and rivers that connected them.
'This must undoubtedly become the standard work for anyone interested in the artillery of the period.' Waterloo Journal In this detailed study Kevin Kiley looks at artillery in use throughout the Napoleonic period. He examines Napoleon's own artillery as well as that employed by his enemies, and he evaluates the gunners' contribution to warfare in the period. By looking at particular battles in detail, Kevin Kiley shows just how the effective employment of artillery could tip the scales of victory. Artillery of the Napoleonic Wars reveals much of the technical aspects of gunnery during the period - how guns were placed, their range, what calibres were preferred, how artillery operate. It examines French artillery, including that of the Imperial Guard, and compares it to that of Britain, Russia and Austria; it also looks at many of the personalities involved and the difference between good gunnery and mediocre artillery. Illustrated with beautiful line drawings and rare contemporary plates this unique book reveals a whole new dimension to the Napoleonic period. Based on years of research into regulations of the period, eyewitness accounts of artillerymen and material culled from official reports, this is a definitive account.
This is a detailed study of the armies of Rome and their enemies, including the Etruscans, Samnites, Carthaginians, Celts, Macedonians, Gauls, Huns, Sassanids, Persians and Turks. It is an incredible visual reference of the fighting men of Rome and their enemies, from the earliest settlement on the River Tiber in the 8th century BC to the fall of Constantinople in 1453. It offers a concise and authoritative overview of the rise of the Roman Empire, its campaigns, conquests and tactics, with detailed information on the men at arms. It includes coverage of the Roman navy and sea battles, as well as the artillery pieces, siege engines, defenses and military structures built by the army - from the north-west reaches of the empire to the far east. It is illustrated with over 670 images of military dress, weapons, galleys, ballistas and fortifications. This book details the uniforms of the Roman army and its enemies, from the first decades of tribal warfare in Italy, through the republican and imperial periods, up to the end of the eastern Roman Empire. It includes expert insight into the army's astonishing engineering feats, the discipline of the legions and the relentless expansion of the empire. Including information on the arms and clothing of the Carthaginians, Persians, Huns and Turks and other enemies of Rome, the book is a definitive and accessible visual study of the military dress of the period. There is also a fascinating history of the Roman's artillery, siege engines and fortifications, and a special section on the founding and expansion of its navy.
This is a masterly study of generalship in Napoleon's Grande Armee. Napoleon arguably had the greatest collection of military talent to ever serve one man working for him during the period 1800-15. The role of the Marshals of the Empire has been covered many times, and due credit is also given to them here; however, for the first time Kevin Kiley also examines in depth the contribution of the generals who never made that rank. Fifty-two general officers are examined using the battles they fought to illustrate just how valuable they were. From Marengo in 1800 to Ligny in 1815, both French victories and defeats are studied in meticulous detail, each chapter covering a battle fought and the generals who commanded them. Diverse source material has been consulted in the preparation of this volume, including after-action reports, memoirs and correspondence from officers including Senarmont, Eble, Drouot, Teste, Marmont, and Davout, as well as from lesser-known characters such as the artillerymen Boulart and Noel, and the Polish cavalryman Niegelewski, who led the final dash up the pass of Somosierra. Furthermore, those closest to Napoleon such as Fain and Marchand give their piece and provide invaluable information. Taken individually, this material paints a vivid picture of the Grande Armee and those who led it into fire. Taken as a whole, it provides an invaluable source and tells the story of the officers without whom Napoleon could never have achieved as much.
