I wasn't sure about this book at first. It almost appeared as cheesy with all the artwork (original art not period pieces) but then after reading the text, I really enjoyed this book. The fact that the title implies the book is an illustrated history lead me to think the book would depend on the artwork, but that really isn't the case. The text is well written and really helps the reader understand how armies were orgainized during the Napoleonic wars. The French army, for instance, underwent many significant changes under Napoleon's direction. It rose from the ashes of defeat in the mid-eighteenth century to be the foremost land army in Europe, a position is held in the late seventeenth century.
The book goes on to detail each of the major European powers and how their armies were organized and fielded. Each nation did things a bit differently based on several contributing factors, but in the end all the differing styles and politics were blended into a coalition that eventually defeated Napoleon at Waterloo.
This book is a must have for any who has an interest in Napoleon or the Napoleonic era. Napoleon is one of those polarizing figures in history that historians cannot get enough of. His charisma, charm, genius, flaws, failures, all capture the immagination. For this reason books on his age will always come forth. It is the book such as this that takes a unique approach to an aspect of the age and analyzes it with precision, and incorporates it into a concise, readable volume such as this. Military historians will also find value in this book as the art of warfare is presented in a way that illustrates the changes armies made from the mid to late eighteenth century then on into the nineteenth century. For example, Prussia's army was a mere shadow of what Frederick the Great had worked so hard to achieve.
This book would be a welcomed addition to any historian's bookshelf.