Sell Back Your Copy
For a $1.19 Gift Card
Trade in
The Art of War of Revolutionary France, 1789-1802
 
 
Tell the Publisher!
I�d like to read this book on Kindle

Don�t have a Kindle? Get your Kindle here, or download a FREE Kindle Reading App.

The Art of War of Revolutionary France, 1789-1802 [Hardcover]

Paddy Griffith (Author)
3.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)


Available from these sellers.


6 new from $24.96 12 used from $11.87


Editorial Reviews

Product Description

33 maps and diagrams & 40 illustrations & 26 tables & 6 x 9 & Comprehensive study of a crucial military period & New information on the generals of Revolutionary France Between the Fall of the Bastille and the Peace of Amiens, French revolutionary armies scored resounding victories over the armies of Austria, Prussia, Britain, and Spain. Paddy Griffith captures the verve and excitement of these campaigns, which together demonstrated that French armies were the most powerful in the world, even before Napoleon's legendary Grande Arme. The period was, in fact, a major turning point in the history of warfare. This wide-ranging volume covers army organization, operations in the various theaters of war, the navy, Representatives on Mission, the government's relationship with the armies, and armies in battle. Also examined are the important figures of the time, including Dumouriez, Jourdan, Hoche, and Carnot. Paddy Griffith was a senior lecturer in war studies at the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst for 16 years. He is the author of numerous articles and books on the history of warfare, including Battle Tactics of the Western Front, 1916-18 and The Viking Art of War.

Product Details

  • Hardcover: 304 pages
  • Publisher: Greenhill Books (August 1998)
  • Language: English
  • ISBN-10: 1853673358
  • ISBN-13: 978-1853673351
  • Product Dimensions: 9.5 x 6.4 x 1.2 inches
  • Shipping Weight: 1.4 pounds
  • Average Customer Review: 3.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
  • Amazon Bestsellers Rank: #1,146,003 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Paddy Griffith
Discover books, learn about writers, read author blogs, and more.

Visit Amazon's Paddy Griffith Page

 

Customer Reviews

5 Reviews
5 star:
 (1)
4 star:
 (3)
3 star:    (0)
2 star:    (0)
1 star:
 (1)
 
 
 
 
 
Average Customer Review
3.6 out of 5 stars (5 customer reviews)
 
 
 
 
Share your thoughts with other customers:
Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars Prelude to Empire, November 7, 2001
By 
Amazon Verified Purchase(What's this?)
This review is from: The Art of War of Revolutionary France, 1789-1802 (Hardcover)
Readers electing NOT to slog through Ramsay Phipp's five volume "ARMIES," might as well read this thought-provoking, well-researched volume filled with keen insight, wry humor, and sensible observations on a confusing subject which has been much overshadowed by the later campaigns of the Emperor Napoleon. In my opinion, Paddy Griffith's books are almost without exception works worth reading due to his ability to analyze a subject and present his theories in a highly entertaining fashion. In "Art of War" the author explains how these wars were fought and reveals the organizational and doctrinal underpinning for the follow-on Napoleonic war machine. I also admire military historians possessing the perception to state "there could never be any meaningful divorce of logistics from operations. "Griffith's grasp of logistical demands commands respect as well as his description of army organization and staff work. He plainly sees the staff as a force- multiplier and gives a very nice nod to Berthier and Thiébault in this vein. I was taken by his description of the republic's Representatives on Mission (forerunner of the Stalinist commissar) as well as a nice section on the role of the French march battalions (socialization of the conscript). He also has a good section on the internal Armées Révolutionnaires. His text is supported by useful explanatory diagrams, maps and tables. I also find his word choice enviable, as when referring to Buonaparte's Armée d'Italie as "meridonal hooligans." His whimsical humor makes for a few chuckles by the fire. I particularly recommend his bibliographic essay and notes which provide the reader good advice for further study. I suggest T.C.W. Blanning's highly readable THE FRENCH REVOLUTIONARY WARS and, later on, John Lynn's opus to the Armée du Nord, THE BAYONETS of the REPUBLIC. All in all an enjoyable nuts and bolts guide to this period.
Help other customers find the most helpful reviews 
Was this review helpful to you? Yes No


2 of 3 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars A Good Synthesis of Other People's Research, March 11, 2001
This review is from: The Art of War of Revolutionary France, 1789-1802 (Hardcover)
Griffith, a former lecturer at Sandhurst, culls together a lot of the material from other sources - such as Lynn - and tries to paint a portrait of the French war machine during the period 1792-1802. It is a decent overview but not very original. The author is also possessed of a fierce anti-Bonapartist bias and he not only ignores the 1796-7 Campaign in Italy and the 1798 Campaign in Egypt, but he takes frequent gratuitous swipes at Napoleon (comments like "unfortunately Bonaparte escaped being lynched by his troops" or "unfortunately Bonaparte was able to return from Egypt"). There is much good information on other theaters, such as the Spanish frontier and Rhine. However, there is very little on the War of the Second Coalition and the narrative essentially runs only to about 1798. The chapter on the French Navy is a skimpy overview. Griffith's conclusion is that French armies of 1792-5 were not very good, but they had decent commanders who knew how to get the best out of their fragile infantry units. French relied heavily on artillery, fortifications and rough terrain initially. Their main advantages were that they had a simple strategy (survival) which they didn't have to coordinate with any allies and they had plenty of troops who kept launching "impulse" attacks. The Allies were hampered by poor coalition diplomacy/strategy and limited numbers of troops. Excellent bibliography (the book's strongest point). Maps are plentiful but crude. Many tables, but few are very enlightening.
Help other customers find the most helpful reviews 
Was this review helpful to you? Yes No


2 of 3 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars Revolutionary French Armies, November 30, 2000
By 
M M Chappory (Auckland, n/a New Zealand) - See all my reviews
This review is from: The Art of War of Revolutionary France, 1789-1802 (Hardcover)
Paddy Griffith's comprehensive work explores in detail the inner workings of French Revolutionary Armies. The book answers many questions about this period of intense warfare; how did revolutionary armies function; how were they supplied; how were they commanded; how did they fight and how successful were they against their 'conservative' enemies. He charts the rise of the French tactical systems employed during the Napoleonic Wars exploding a few myths along the way e.g. the reality of French 'skirmishing' tactics. In tone this is an academic volume and as such valuable to any serious enthusiast of the Revolutionary and Early Napoleonic Wars Period.
Help other customers find the most helpful reviews 
Was this review helpful to you? Yes No

Share your thoughts with other customers: Create your own review
 
 
 
Most Recent Customer Reviews



Only search this product's reviews



Customers Also Bought Items By

loading

Inside This Book (learn more)




Tags Customers Associate with This Product

 (What's this?)
Click on a tag to find related items, discussions, and people.
 

Your tags: Add your first tag
 

Sell a Digital Version of This Book in the Kindle Store

If you are a publisher or author and hold the digital rights to a book, you can sell a digital version of it in our Kindle Store. Learn more

Customer Discussions

This product's forum
Discussion Replies Latest Post
No discussions yet

Ask questions, Share opinions, Gain insight
Start a new discussion
Topic:
First post:
Prompts for sign-in
 


Active discussions in related forums
Search Customer Discussions
Only search this product's forum
   
Related forums


Listmania!


Create a Listmania! list

So You'd Like to...


Create a guide


Look for Similar Items by Category


Look for Similar Items by Subject

Ad
 

Feedback

If you need help or have a question for Customer Service, contact us.
 Would you like to update product info or give feedback on images?
Is there any other feedback you would like to provide? Click here

Your comments can help make our site better for everyone.



Your Recent History

 (What's this?)

After viewing product detail pages or search results, look here to find an easy way to navigate back to pages you are interested in.