IN AUGUST 1805, Napoleon abandoned his plans for the invasion of Britain and diverted his army to the Danube Valley to confront Austrian and Russian forces in a bid for control of central Europe. The campaign culminated with the Battle of Austerlitz, regarded by many as Napoleon’s greatest triumph, whose far-reaching effects paved the way for French hegemony on the Continent for the next decade. In this concise volume, acclaimed military historian Gregory Fremont-Barnes uses detailed profiles to explore the leaders, tactics and weaponry of the clashing French, Austrian and Russian forces. Packed with fact boxes, maps and more, Napoleon’s Greatest Triumph is the perfect way to explore this important battle and the rise of Napoleon’s reputation as a supreme military leader.

In August 1805, Napoleon abandoned his plans for the invasion of Britain and diverted his army to the Danube valley to confront Austrian and Russian forces in a bid for control of central Europe. The campaign culminated with the Battle of Austerlitz, regarded by many as Napoleon's greatest triumph, whose far-reaching effects paved the way for French hegemony on the Continent for the next decade. To understand what happened and why – read Battle Story. Detailed profiles explore the leaders, tactics and weaponry of the French, Austrian and Russian forces which clashed at Austerlitz. Maps examine the positions of the opposing forces at critical points in the action. Contemporary images place the reader at the forefront of the unfolding action. Orders of battle show the composition of the opposing forces' armies. Packed with fact boxes, this short introduction is the perfect way to explore this important battle.

This in-depth study of The Battle of Austerlitz, considered Napoleon’s greatest victory, won the Napoleon Foundation’s History Grand Prize. Sometimes called The Battle of Three Emperors, Napoleon’s victory against the combined forces of Russia and Austria brought a decisive end to The War of the Third Coalition. The magnitude of the French achievement against a larger army was met by sheer amazement and delirium in Paris, where just days earlier the nation had been teetering on the brink of financial collapse. In 1805: Austerlitz, historian Robert Goetz demonstrates how Napoleon and his Grande Armée of 1805 defeated a formidable professional army that had fought the French armies on equal terms five years earlier. Goetz analyses the planning of the opposing forces and details the course of the battle hour by hour, describing the fierce see-saw battle around Sokolnitz, the epic struggle for the Pratzen Heights, the dramatic engagement between the legendary Lannes and Bagration in the north, and the widely misunderstood clash of Napoleon’s Imperial Guard and Alexander’s Imperial Leib-Guard. Goetz’s detailed and balanced assessment of the battle exposes many myths that have been perpetuated and even embellished in other accounts.

Embark on a riveting journey through the illustrious life and times of Napoleon Bonaparte, a man whose name became synonymous with military genius and transformative power. This spellbinding narrative unveils the meteoric rise of a Corsican officer who soared to unprecedented heights, crowning himself Emperor of the French and altering the very fabric of European history. Napoleon, a figure shrouded in both awe-inspiring triumph and controversial downfall, wielded his indomitable spirit and strategic acumen to carve a legacy that has been etched into the annals of time. His audacious campaigns, the Napoleonic Wars, not only reshaped boundaries but also ignited the flames of change across a continent, heralding an era where monarchies trembled and the common man dared to dream. Within these pages, you will traverse the tumultuous landscapes of war, politics, and revolution, exploring the depths of Napoleon's boundless ambition, his insatiable hunger for conquest, and the undying myths that have enshrouded his legend. This masterpiece, meticulously crafted, invites you to delve into the enigma of a man who became an immortal icon, a symbol of victory, tyranny, and unyielding resolve. Witness the epic tale of a leader whose name became a beacon of fear and admiration, echoing through the corridors of history, perpetually alive in the collective memory of humanity.