Victory or defeat on the Napoleonic battlefield was dependent on the skills, reactions and personalities of individual commanders. Even under a military genius such as Bonaparte, the dispersal of his armies on campaign and the lack of fast communications left command and control of the different corps and divisions in the hands of his marshals and generals. Illustrating the appearance of more than two dozen of Napoleon's leading colleagues and subordinate commanders, this first in a pair of Elite titles describes in concise but colourful detail their careers and personalities in the Revolutionary Wars and the Napoleonic campaigns up to 1809.

Osprey's examination of commanders of the Napoleonic Wars (1799-1815). On the Napoleonic battlefield victory or defeat could still depend on the skills, reactions and personalities of individual commanders. Even under a genius such as Napoleon the dispersal of his armies on campaign, and the lack of fast communications, left command and control of the different corps and divisions in the hands of his marshals and generals. This second in a pair of Elite titles describes in concise but colourful detail the careers and personalities of more than two dozen of Napoleon's leading subordinate commanders in the armies of the later Empire, from c1809 to the Hundred Days campaign of 1815. Their individual appearance, and the typical uniforms of a variety of staff officers, are reconstructed in 12 dazzling colour plates.