Napoleon's Commentaries on the Wars of Julius Caesar: A New English Translation

by R A Maguire

Overview

While in exile on St Helena, Napoleon dictated a commentary on the wars of Julius Caesar, later published in 1836. In each chapter he summarized the events of one campaign, then added comments from the standpoint of his own military knowledge. Over the nearly two millennia between Caesar and Napoleon some aspects of warfare had changed, notably the introduction of firearms. But much remained the same: the rate of movement of armies (at the foot pace of horse or man); human muscle power as the main source of energy for construction work; some military techniques, notably bridge construction; as well as the actual territory fought over by Caesar and later by Napoleon. Napoleon’s commentary thus provides a fascinating and highly authoritative insight into Caesar’s wars, as well as providing a window into Napoleon’s own thinking and attitudes. Napoleon in places detects mistakes on the part of Caesar and his enemies, and says what they should have done differently. Remarkably, this is thought to be the first full English translation of Napoleon's work.

Napoleon Bonaparte was born to an obscure Corsican family but rose through the ranks of the French army to become Emperor of France, conqueror of most of Europe and acknowledged military genius. He wrote this book while in exile on St Helena.The translator. RA Maguire, is a former civil engineer with a long-standing interest in military and ancient history.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781526716279
Publisher:	Pen and Sword
Publication date:	04/05/2018
Pages:	144
Sales rank:	656,972
Product dimensions:	6.10(w) x 9.30(h) x 0.90(d)

About the Author

Napoleon Bonaparte was born to an obscure Corsican family but rose through the ranks of the French army to become Emperor of France, conqueror of most of Europe and acknowledged military genius. He wrote this book while in exile on Elba.

The translator, Robin Alington Maguire is a retired civil engineer with a lifelong passion for military, and particularly ancient, history. He has lectured on both Caesar and Napoleon. He served 18 years in the Territorial Army and now lives in Tasmania, Australia.

Table of Contents

Introduction ix

Chapter 1 Gallic War. First campaign (58 BC) 1

Chapter 2 Gallic War. Second campaign (57 BC) 7

Chapter 3 Gallic War. Third campaign (56 BC) 13

Chapter 4 Gallic War. Fourth campaign (55 BC) 17

Chapter 5 Gallic War. Fifth campaign (54 BC) 27

Chapter 6 Gallic War. Sixth campaign (53 BC) 37

Chapter 7 Gallic War. Seventh campaign (52 BC) 41

Chapter 8 Gallic War. Eighth campaign (50 BC) 49

Chapter 9 Civil war. Italian campaign (49 BC) 53

Chapter 10 Civil war. Spanish campaign (49 BC) 57

Chapter 11 Civil war. Campaign in Thessaly (48 BC) 63

Chapter 12 Civil war. Alexandrian campaign (47 BC) 73

Chapter 13 Civil war. Illyrian campaign (47 BC) 79

Chapter 14 Civil war. African campaign (46 BC) 85

Chapter 15 Civil war. Spanish campaign (45 BC) 97

Chapter 16 Death of Caesar (44 BC) 101

Appendix: Conventions adopted for the translation of measurements 109

Notes 111

Index 121

Editorial Reviews

"This little work, composed when the former Emperor was on St. Helena, and Englished by retired engineer and military officer Maguire, offers some interesting criticism of Caesar’s campaigns and some insights into Napoleon’s own military thought. […] A worthwhile read for anyone interested in either Caesar or Napoleon."

The NYMAS Review

Napoleon's comments on the wars of Caesar are well worth the price of admission. The tidbits that are thrown in from his own time are just amazing… This book was last published fully in 1836. It is high time it has seen the light of day.

A Wargamers Needful Things