Rating: 
Summary: Excellent!: except for one small thing.....
Review: Mr. Elting has written a true masterpiece with this authorative book on the workings of Napoleons Grande Armee. No book that I have previously read so well depicts this great force of history, including its peculiarities and perks. However, there is one problem with it. Actually, problem may be to strong a word: there is one re-occuring annoyance in the book. This is the fact that Mr. Elting keeps making absolutely irrelevent allusions and comparisons between the workings of the Grande Armee and the US army. He also feels it necessary to refer to the US army as "our" army, giving the impression that nobody else besides americans would read his book. Other than this irritating feature, as i said before, this book is brilliantly written and a definite authority on the subject. If i were american i would not have noticed this significant weakness and sign of arrogance and therefore rated it a 5. If you are american, dont hesitate to buy the book- if not, try to bear through those irritable little phrases scattered throughout.
Rating:
Summary: Why just four stars.
Review: Ok, it is a very good and complete book. The only problem, why I gave 4 stars, is that sometimes the reading becomes very boring with such details as the collor of Davout's ADC's cuffs or all the royal regiment's names. Skip this and you have a great book and information.
Rating: 
Summary: A valuable resource.
Review: Swords Around a Throne covers the organization and operations of one of the world's greatest armies. It is very detailed and fills a gap that many other Napoleonic era books leave open. The many elements of Napoleon's Grande Armee are thoroughly examined, including the cavalry, artillery, line infantry, light infantry, naval soldiers, engineers and the commanders. If you are looking for an in-depth account of the elements of the Grande Armee, this book is for you.
Rating:
Summary: From Muzzle to Buttplate
Review: Swords Around A Throne is undoubtedly the best book yet published on the organizational history of the Grande Armee. Written by a recognized authority on the subject, who taught at West Point for 11 years of a 40 year Army career, it gives the reader, in concise, authoritative, and witty prose, the story of Napoleon's Grande Armee from its inception to its destruction and after. Col Elting covers the Grande Armee from muzzle to buttplate. Every possible subject is covered, from its commanders, all the combat arms and supporting services, strategy, tactics, and logistics, to such seldom covered topics as marches, bivouacs, awards, horses, discipline, law and order, military intelligence, and the Imperial General Staff. Based on thirty years of research, most of it from primary sources, some not used before in English, it puts the end to many myths and misconceptions (such as the Waterloo myths about the Imperial Guard), and enlightens the reader as to what made up that terrible instrument of war, the Grande Armee. A companion volume to the author's A Military History and Atlas of the Napoleonic Wars, it also stands alone as a work of immense depth, accuracy, and profound insight. Background material is also provided in the early chapters on the Royal Army of the Ancien Regime and the armies of the French Revolution. Additionally, allies, foreign troops in French service, and the Grande Armee's enemies are also given separate chapters. The book is also highly anecdotal, being peppered with stories of personages great and not so great. Keen insight into the character of the soldiers talked about is thorough and uncanny. Generals, captains, and the man in the ranks are all quoted and talked about throughout this engrossing study. As an added bonus, the final three chapters talk about the return, hasty departure, and final return of the hated Bourbons 'in the allies' baggage wagons', and what happened to the Grande Armee and its commanders after Napoleon's final exile. If the book has a weakness, it is that it leaves the reader with a hunger for more information. Another 300 pages would have been welcome. As it is, Sword Around A Throne is an immense achievement, seldom equalled and never surpassed. It is a must for anyone interested in the Napoleonic and Revolutionary Wars in general and the Grande Armee in particular. Epic in scope, painstakingly accurate, and romantic in its sweep and understanding of the times, it at times reads like a novel, and it is amazing to realize that these people lived, and performed the deeds told inside this the covers of this volume.
Rating:
Summary: Swords, knives, forks, and spoons Around a Throne
Review: The incomparable John Etling has produced a masterpiece. It you have a "Grognard's" interest in the Napoleonic period, armies, or collars and cuffs, this is a MUST. I have found no other reference which so fully dissembles Naploeon's forces, dissects them, and presents them understandably. This is not light reading. It presents discrete chapters on each type of unit used by Napoleon. Hidden within these chapters are essential tidbits on how and why these armies did what they did. It has the Place of Honor next to Etling's Atlas of the Napoleonic Wars!
Rating: 
Summary: Not for the faint hearted
Review: This a a difficult book to review, because it is so very complete and thorough, and the author's style is very engaging and entertaining. The problem is that there is SO much information, the reader can't help to get bogged down on boring sections, and at times, choke on Elting's purple prose. I highly recommend this for those who already have firm background on the period, particularly the battles and campaigns. If you are keenly interested in what the grand armee ate for breakfast the morning of Austerlitz, you won't be disappointed. It is also an excellent topical reference. The downturn for me was about page 300. Elting only occassionally translates French phrases (very disconcerting for a Germanophile) and it was hard for me to get excited about the uniform piping of every single transportation, supply, service, and administrative battalion. But read on! It does get better. If you want to know about Napoleonic warfare in general, I would steer you to Rothenberg and Chandler. If you want to eat, sleep, march, breathe, and fight with one of the greatest armies in western history, it is worth the time.
Rating:
Summary: Not for the faint hearted
Review: This a a difficult book to review, because it is so very complete and thorough, and the author's style is very engaging and entertaining. The problem is that there is SO much information, the reader can't help to get bogged down on boring sections, and at times, choke on Elting's purple prose. I highly recommend this for those who already have firm background on the period, particularly the battles and campaigns. If you are keenly interested in what the grand armee ate for breakfast the morning of Austerlitz, you won't be disappointed. It is also an excellent topical reference. The downturn for me was about page 300. Elting only occassionally translates French phrases (very disconcerting for a Germanophile) and it was hard for me to get excited about the uniform piping of every single transportation, supply, service, and administrative battalion. But read on! It does get better. If you want to know about Napoleonic warfare in general, I would steer you to Rothenberg and Chandler. If you want to eat, sleep, march, breathe, and fight with one of the greatest armies in western history, it is worth the time.
Rating:
Summary: Immensely detailed and incredibly entertaining
Review: This book is an absolute must-read for anyone who has any interest in the Napoleonic period. Simply put, it is a massive organizational study of Napoleon's armed forces, from an infantryman deep in Russia to the military police on the streets of Paris. The amount of detail contained within this volume staggers the mind, and yet Elting is such an effective writer that the book is never slow. In fact, the author's witty and sometimes sarcastic writing style makes it a delightful read. Elting assumes the reader has some general knowledge of the Napoleonic period, so if you're not well-versed in the history of that time you will encounter names of people and battles that are unfamiliar to you. Elting is also clearly fond of Napoleon as a soldier and a man, so all you Napoleon-haters out there would be well advised to avoid this book (you might learn things which challenge your viewpoint). All in all, I thought this book was a wonderful work of history and I thoroughly enjoyed reading it.
Rating:
Summary: 6-Star Book!
Review: This book is excellent and so much fun to read! The amount of information is incredible, with many funny things about the French, Russians, Poles, Britons, and many others. This is The Number One book of all times on this subject Long Live Emperor Elting!
Rating:
Summary: Loved it
Review: This boom is a treasure trove. The book is full of interesting information that is enjoyably presented and really gives you an understanding of the talents and otherwise of some of the members of the Grand Army. The book is full of gems ( my favourite is the tale of Auguste Demas - Elting manages to tell his story objectively with such an undercurrent of contempt and irony I could have thought he was English! ( no insult Mr Elting ;) ) The author manages to make subjects that would normally have me page flicking into a fascinating read. Unbeleivably refreshing this is a must for your book shelf.
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