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Rating: 
Summary: Do we need another potted compilation?
Review: I have many other books on the great man himself. Along comes this "must-have" book and I plonk down my money. Afterwards, I realise that many of these maxims and one-liners are already embedded in my other books. The truly bad thing about books like this is that it takes things out of context.
It is probably a great read for business managers.
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Summary: Understanding Napoleon
Review: Napoleon Bonaparte, Emperor of the French, is one of the Great Captains of history, and ruled as a civilian head of state. He was a true lawgiver, reformer, builder, and patron of the arts. The greatest actor of the day, Talma, was Napoleon's friend. The French Civil Code, the Code Napoleon, is still in effect in France, and it still affects law in Italy, Germany, and Louisiana. Few, if any, in history have shaped an era, and posterity, as did Napoleon, and yet few ever try and find out what he was really like. Jay Luvass has made a gallant effort and largely succeeded. This little gem of a book is a must for every Napoleonic library, large or small, and it is full of the thoughts of the great French Emperor, whose terrible Grande Armee 'stabled their horses in every capitol of continental Europe.' One of the best ways to get to know historical figures is to read what they have written. Most of that for the Emperor is in the volumes of his Coreespondence. Luvaas has done us all a favor by putting some of the best of it in this volume. Only by reading what the Great Man has written can we gain insights into the 'mind and method' as well as the sense of humor, ethics, morals, and personality of one of the most intelligent, fascinating men who ever graced the world stage.
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Summary: A MUST for students of military strategy.
Review: NAPOLEON. The world has viewed him as a hungry conqueror, a man always victorious in his days, and the greatest general the world has ever known.He is popular in books and encyclopedias as the master of strategies and tactics, the God of war, a military genius,etc.etc.Then try to read this book, and you'll find that the key to his successes is only one: Never be irresolute, calculate everything prudently, move with confidence and spirit and never leave anything to Fate.In this book you'll find how he used his army from the creation of the fighting forces until the operational art to the gate of victory. He also said that military education, fortification and high morality played an important role in war.But he also made some fatal mistakes that caused his failure in battle, you can find it all in the chapter"Generalship and the art of command".If you're truly interested in military strategies and tactics, this book is certainly presented for you. Jay Luvaas has in this book reflected the mind of history's greatest conqueror.Go and get it. This masterpiece will forever change the way we view THE EMPEROR.
Rating: 
Summary: Good and Bad
Review: Overall, I would recommend this book to anybody who is interested in Napoleon or likes books similar to Sun Tzu's the Art of War. It is true that much of this book's content can be found in numeorus other books. Hoewever, this book does have some material that is not commonly found. The translations are pretty good but not outstanding. One thing I must say is that some parts of the book are pretty uninteresting and seem unecessary for inclusion.
Rating:
Summary: Good and Bad
Review: Overall, I would recommend this book to anybody who is interested in Napoleon or likes books similar to Sun Tzu's the Art of War. It is true that much of this book's content can be found in numeorus other books. Hoewever, this book does have some material that is not commonly found. The translations are pretty good but not outstanding. One thing I must say is that some parts of the book are pretty uninteresting and seem unecessary for inclusion.
Rating: 
Summary: How the Little Corporal Thought
Review: There is probably no man in history that has been written about widely as Napoleon, with writings either praising him or decemating him littering bookshelves world wide. However, this selection is quite different, as it is an assortment of letters, mandates, orders etc. that Napoleon decreed or wrote for numerous purposes throughout his time. The accumulation of these letters into chapters of different broad topics makes for a read that provides more insight into the mind of Napoleon than any of thousands of other books ever kind. The reason for the insight is this cannot be biased, for it is Napoleon's own words. The portion describing military training and education is especially notable, and it would be wise reading for anyone considering the military field. Other sections describing leadership of all types, preperation, motivation etc. all show clearly why Napoleon was the man he was, and why so many millions followed him blindly. Anyone in a leadership position could do well to learn from the greatest leader of all time, and this book provides an opportunity for just that.
Rating:
Summary: Ironic
Review: This book is a very good compilation of Napoleon's writings, in which is discussed the policy, composition, discipline, and strategy that armies must employ to be successful. There is a quote in the book from Kircheisen, a Napoleonic Scholar, stating that Napoleon's ability to successfully wage war was not in the realm of strategy, instead it was grounded in organization and attention to detail, which leads me to the intrinsic irony of this book: In the end Napoleon did not follow many of his own axioms. Ultimately it was his total failure in the Russian Campaign that caused his downfall. This incident demonstrated to the rest of Europe that Napoleon was not the living reincarnation of the god of war; quite to the contrary, he was a mediocre strategist. His failure was the result of his lack of organization, and his inability to compete with the Scorched Earth Policy and a small typhus endemic. In fact, his failure was so total that his "Grand Army" was decimated from 422,000 men strong to a mere 10,000: that is 97.6% casualties. This complete failure was caused because he did not heed the things that he himself propounds in this book. That begs the question: Can this book truly be reflective of Napoleon? If you want to know how to run an army: read this book. If you want to keep your idealized version of Napoleon: avoid this book because it will demonstrate just how absurd his command was in the end.
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