Recommended Reading: French Rev. & Nap. Wars

dead_wolf

Banned
Sorry if this is in the wrong area, I wasn't sure where to put this.

Basically what it says on the tin. Does anyone have any recommended reading on the later French Revolution/early Napoleonic period? I'm looking at 1795-1800 here, basically as the revolution ends and Napoleon's rise to power and the political situation in France during that time.

On a completely unrelated note anything to do with the US in the same period would also be appreciated. No relation, I swear! :D ;)
 
What about the Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars?

If it was on how the armies fought and how strategy was made, I think David Chandler's The Campaigns of Napoleon is a pretty good start (esp. for your case, Napoleon's campaigns in Italy and the other chapter roughly tracing the direction of French military thought/ordnance/tactics during the 18th century). Thick book though, and I doubt it's in any library or internet website.
 

Anaxagoras

Banned
I agree that David Chandler is simply the best.

Regarding the specific period, one work I'd recommend is The Road to Rivoli by Martin Boycott-Brown. A top-notch history of Napoleon's first Italian Campaign.
 

dead_wolf

Banned
Thanks guys :) profxyz, I was able to find Chandler on Google Books.

Anyone else? I'm currently working my way through Rude's The French Revolution, and I also have Hunt's The French Revolution & Doyle's The French Revolution: A Very Short Introduction on hand. I should have copies of Asprey's The Reign of Napoleon Bonaparte & McLynn's Napoleon: A Biography soon as well.
 
As a general text, Doyle's Oxford History of the French Revolution is a good starter. Simon Schama's Citizens is an excellent if right-wing history of the Revolution until Thermidor.
For military stuff, Blanning's The French Revolutionary Wars are a good survey, and I believe he did a followup for Napoleon.
Charles Esdaile is one of the current leaders in Napoleonic military history I believe, so perhaps investigate his stuff.
 
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