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Rating: 
Summary: A good starting point
Review: I found this 'Napoleonic Source Book' to be a good and useful overview of the Napoleonic Wars. Haythornthwaite has divided the book into 7 sections. The first 60 pages are a brief descriptions of all the campaigns from the French Revolution to the end of Waterloo. And brief is the operative word - there isn't much space to go into explanatory detail here. I find it useful - my interest is predominantly in the Peninsular War but I know very littleof the other French campaigns. The second chapter is on the weapons and practice of War. I know this is a somewhat controversial issue. I did find Rory Muir's book a lot more convincing on this subject - but then he was a lot longer. Haythornthwaite then tries to do a very difficult thing, he has a chapter on the nations involved in the war, dozens of them from grand countries like Prussia and Russia to tiny backwaters like Piedmont and Reuss. You can see the potential problems when everything from uniforms to structure is tried to be explained. The three sections I like best are next. He has one with potted biographies of the main players in the war - a great starting point I think. He also has a section on the sources he used for this - I don't know about you but I love bibliographies and his has some wonderful new books I hadn't come across before, and finally a section on miscellanea which I have found very helpful - from various calendars and colours to artillery tables. I think this is a highly ambitious project and Haythornthwaite has done a pretty good job of it.
Rating: 
Summary: Inaccurate, and Unreliable
Review: If Phillip Haythornewaite is writing on the British Army, I would heartily recommend buying the book. I have his book on Wellington's armies and it is excellent, except for the section on the War of 1812, which is inaccurate. However, if he talks about the Grande Armee, especially attempting to translate French military terms into English, then he has to be taken with a very large salt pill. For example, his translation of train des equipages is 'equipment train,' when its actual meaning is supply train. There is a difference. A good French military dictionary would have been most useful. I bought this volume, found too many errors, nearly one every two pages, and quickly got rid of the book. I believe it to be inaccurate, and unreliable, which is really too bad, as Haythornewaite's work on the British forces is generally excellent.
Rating:
Summary: Inaccurate, and Unreliable
Review: If Phillip Haythornewaite is writing on the British Army, I would heartily recommend buying the book. I have his book on Wellington's armies and it is excellent, except for the section on the War of 1812, which is inaccurate. However, if he talks about the Grande Armee, especially attempting to translate French military terms into English, then he has to be taken with a very large salt pill. For example, his translation of train des equipages is 'equipment train,' when its actual meaning is supply train. There is a difference. A good French military dictionary would have been most useful. I bought this volume, found too many errors, nearly one every two pages, and quickly got rid of the book. I believe it to be inaccurate, and unreliable, which is really too bad, as Haythornewaite's work on the British forces is generally excellent.
Rating: 
Summary: Great Resource of military organizaton and tactics in 1800's
Review: This book is a must have for both the serious scholar and mere dabbler in the history of the Napoleonic Era. It provides a succint and understandable description of the major components of the era including the tactics, weapons, nations and people. A valuable resource for historical study, miniature wargamers, and anyone interested in the period.
Rating:
Summary: Great Resource of military organizaton and tactics in 1800's
Review: This book proves that Philip J. Haythornthwaite has done a great deal of research in the past on military tactics and oganization during the Napoleonic wars. This book is the perfect information source for anyone interested in wargaming or the reinacting of early 19th century warfare.
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