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: 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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