The ’God of War’ in the Napoleonic Era

Although concentrating on the period 1792-1815, in this excellent reference Kiley, author of several works on the Napoleonic era, touches on the history of artillery, and military engineering, from the late seventeenth until well into the mid-nineteenth century.

Kiley looks at the history of cannon and related weapons, whether military or naval, in the period, covering the major powers – Britain, France, Russia, the Netherlands, Prussia, Spain, the U.S. – and many of the smaller ones. He explains the meaning of an enormous number of technical terms, for types of weapons, tackle and other equipment, tactical employment, fortifications, and more, which will prove of great value for anyone working from primary sources.

Kiley also includes looks at administrative and educational institutions in various armies, profiles of many gunners, scientists, tacticians, engineers, and others important in the period, and when discussing tactical employment gives many concise examples.

This reviewer had only one quibble: although Kiley briefly notes that different nations had different definition of “pound”, making direct comparisons of “weight of metal” difficult, he doesn’t give us a comparative table, to go along with his many other valuable tables.

Artillery of the Napoleonic Wars is indispensable for anyone working in the military history of the period.

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Note: Artillery of the Napoleonic Wars is also available in several e-editions.