Napoleonic Wargame Club (NWC)

Gentlemen,
I would like to recommend the new great book of James R. Arnold:
CRISIS IN THE SNOWS. Russia confronts Napoleon. The Eylau Campaign 1806-07. I guess, it is the most detailed work on the object now. [^]
Enjoy.


General-Adjutant Prince Vladimir Repnin
2nd Grenadier Division
8th Corps
2nd Russian Army,
His Imperial Majesty
Chevalier Guards' Chief

I second that endorsement. I read a friend's copy in late November and though it excellent and now have my own copy (you can order it direct from James R Arnold and cut out the middle-amazon!). Descriptions of all the smaller battles just like a wargamer would write them.

It was also good to read how Napoleon had no idea of what was really happening in December 1806 and completely missed Pultusk and Golymin. Quite punctures myths of the all-knowing genius. One also gets more respect for the gutsiness of the Russian troops too and many of their divisional & corps leaders (all too often presented as incompetents to better contrast with the French, methinks).

Arnold has a second volume coming out in 2010, I think, about the Spring/Summer 1807 campaign.

I have just about to begin his 'Crisis on the Danube' which promises to be good as well.

Podporuchik HarryInkski,
Lithuanian Uhlans
14th Brigade, IV Cav Corps,
2nd Army of the West

For those officers interested in James Arnold's books, here is his website. http://www.napoleonbooks.com/index.html

The cost is much less ordering directly from Mr. Arnold than ordering through Amazon.



Jeff Mathes
Colonel
3. Ligne Regiment
1. Brigade 16. Division
V Corps
L'Armée du Rhin

His book on Marengo and Hohenlinden is excellent as well. The latter is rarely chronicled anywhere. Plenty of maps and an OB in the back.

Colonel Bill Peters
Armee du Rhin - V Corps, Cavalerie du V Corps, 20ème légère Brigade de Cavalerie, 13ème Hussar Regiment
HPS Napoleonic Scenario Designer (Eckmuhl, Wagram, Jena-Auerstaedt, Austerlitz and ... more to come)
Not the President of the Musket and Cannon Club

Glad to hear the favorable opinions on Crisis in The Snows since it was under the XMas tree last week. Crisis on the Danube and Marengo were good books by James Arnold as well. For those Civil War buffs Mr. Arnold also had a fine work out about Vicksburg.

Major Dale Lastowicka
1st Regiment of Light Dragoons
3rd British/KGL Brigade
Cavalry Division
II Corps
Anglo-Allied Army

What about Gill's 'Thunder on the Danube'? I've JUST started vol.1. Loving, LOVING the detail about the Austrian court: especially that some of the Archdukes - Maximillian and... Johann? were cousins of Emperor Franz (who'd married their sister (also his cousin)) and that THAT branch of the Hapsburgs (the l'Estes) had lost buckets of their lands in Italy to that upstart Corsican. They were thus deprived of lots of their wealth and were bitterly opposed to Napoleon and all things revolutionary and French - and agitated for the resumption of hostilities and the recovery of their lands.

Reviews of Arnold's work celebrate that he is a good clear and dramatic read and that Gill his heavier, but I'm not that far in to judge yet. But I agree that Arnold's prose has all those qualities.

Does anyone know any good sources about the Hapsburg Court during this era?

Podporuchik HarryInkski,
Lithuanian Uhlans
14th Brigade, IV Cav Corps,
2nd Army of the West