Rating: 
Summary: If you read one book on Napoleon this must be it!
Review: 'One quick blow and the wars over' with these words Napoleon led his army from the banks of the English Channel towards Austria, towards a small town named Austerlitz. This book is quite simply the best and more detailed thorough account of Napoleon and his grand army. It details such notables as General Ney, who fought Wellington in Spain and was latter suspected of treason by Napoleon. It details the invasion the russia, the 'napoleon at bay' campaigns of 1814 and the final showdown at waterloo. Great biogrpaical sketches are made of all Napoleons commanders and their various campaigns. Simply an excellent lucid account.
Rating:
Summary: If you read one book on Napoleon this must be it!
Review: 'One quick blow and the wars over' with these words Napoleon led his army from the banks of the English Channel towards Austria, towards a small town named Austerlitz. This book is quite simply the best and more detailed thorough account of Napoleon and his grand army. It details such notables as General Ney, who fought Wellington in Spain and was latter suspected of treason by Napoleon. It details the invasion the russia, the 'napoleon at bay' campaigns of 1814 and the final showdown at waterloo. Great biogrpaical sketches are made of all Napoleons commanders and their various campaigns. Simply an excellent lucid account.
Rating:
Summary: Best book on the subject
Review: Elting does with this book a mammoth task: he provides all kind of details about the Grande Armee, from its inception in the Ancien Regime armies, to its finale at Waterloo. Every imaginable detail is included, there are chapters about the Marshals and Generals and other officers, each of the fighting and supporting arms, camp and campaign life, allies and enemies, food, discipline, Eagle standards, music, in short, every aspect is covered. What is most important, especially for a volume as hefty as this, the style is most entertaining and witty. I enjoyed it thoroughly. The only (small) drawback I could mention is that it has a quite noticeable pro-Napoleon and anti-British bias, and this could be perhaps annoying for some readers. I recommend it wholeheartedly.
Rating:
Summary: Absolutely superb...one of the best books I've ever bought!
Review: I must confess that prior to reading this book I did not know much about Napoleon, his armies or his campaigns. However since reading this book I've purchased many books on the subject and have become totally enthralled by the Napoleonic Wars. This is all due to the superb book written by Elting. His manner of writing is captivating...I could not put it down. His description of all the various facets of the Grand Army, its way of life, the different personalities, its uniforms, weapons and just about everything else one can think of is desribed in minute detail. Elting writes with much wit and apt sarcasm, which had me in stitches quite a few times. This book is a definite must for students of the era and even for people wanting an introduction to Napoleon's army. The book also left me in awe of the man himself...Napoleon. I am about to start reading it for a second time!
Rating:
Summary: Detailed Study
Review: I really cannot add much to the glowing reviews of this book, but I can subtract from them by stating that Elting is very much on Napoleon's side in his examination of the Grande Armee. This is no great crime, especially in light of the predominantly British viewpoint of Napoleon found in most English volumes, but it does mean that one will need to look elsewhere for a truly objective work. That aside, this book does give the best structural overview I have seen of Napoleon's army (without diagrams and illustrations)
Rating: 
Summary: Swords Around the Throne =Words on WAr Well Done
Review: Jophn Elting is an expert on Napoleonic military history. In this very detailed examination of the Grand Armee of Napoleon the reader will learn "Everything You Ever Wanted to Know about the Grand Armee!".
I recommend this excellent work along with David Chandler's
massive The Campaigns of Napoleon for the reader who wants to study the Napoleonic era through the lens of two of today's
most perceptive students of military history.
This book is the mede vecum for the budding Napoleonic scholar.
Rating:
Summary: Old soldiers never die
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.
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