We all have our particular interests in the Napoleonic period, and no doubt have accumulated many books on that particular subject or subjects. However, whatever we read is bound to throw at us some word, phrase or concept that we do not understand, and what is not explained that well in the volume being read. It is useful therefore, to have on our shelves at least one good Napoleonic dictionary. There are not that many available to the student of the period, so I thought that as theme this month I would take a look at range of such books, both in print and out of print, that you may find useful.

Longman Companion to Napoleonic Europe
Clive Emsley, Longman (1993), £ 12.99

This paperback reference book is a very useful one to have on your desk to constantly refer to, as it contains a lot of information crammed into one volume, and especially the more obscure, not easily accessible data. It covers both international affairs as well as military campaigns, looking at domestic and national affairs of the nations involved in the Napoleonic Wars; rulers and governments (a very informative section); cultural and scientific landmarks (brief section).

Examples of some of the sections include Europe 1800-1806; Europe 18071812; Peninsular War; Departments of the Empire; and there is a very interesting section on the economic and military potential of the leading powers, with some useful lists of data. There are tables of the Bourbon Monarchs, the Bonapartes and the Habsburg Monarchs. Potted biographies of many of the leading characters and a list of conferences and treaties complete this value for money book. This is a useful one to have constantly by your side.

The Napoleonic Source Book
Philip Haythornthwaite
Arms and Armour Press Price, £ 19.95

Mr Haythornthwaite has distilled his broad knowledge into this Bible of the Napoleonic period, and it is certainly one that every Napoleonic student should have access to. It is one that I constantly refer to.

It covers the campaigns (with a condensed history of each year from the French Revolution to 1815) and weapons, with lists of battles, treaties and conventions. There is a large section on the nations involved in the Napoleonic Wars, starting with Anhalt and ending with Wurzburg. This part is supplemented with quotes from histories, biographies, orders and regulations, and looks at the politics and armies of these countries. Brief biographies are included, and there is a very useful chapter on sources that details general histories, literature and fiction, and artists who have portrayed the period. This is very useful for further reading.

A section entitled Miscellanea includes helpful data such as the Republican Calender; the Muslim Calender; Expenses of the Napoleonic Wars; and Measurements. Tables relating to the artillery of the period and a glossary of terms complete this extremely detailed work.

Dictionary of the Napoleonic Wars
David G. Chandler,
Greenhill, £ 29.95

This hardback volume is a concise A-Z dictionary for the Napoleonic enthusiast. Until recently this was probably the only readily available work of its nature. It is a very comprehensive guide, with 1,200 entries covering the campaigns, personalities, weapons etc., and is very useful for concise biographies of the characters of the period.

An Appendix details Napoleon's military movements from 1796 to 1815, and there is a selective bibliography.

Napoleonic Military History: A Bibliography
Donald D.Horward (Ed),
Greenhill (1986)

If you are a serious student of the period and come across a copy of this hardback out of print work in a second- hand bookshop, then I recommend you buy it. This volume is a very good general guide to researching the period, and signposts the reader through the mass of vintage volumes on the subject. I find it to be a good starting point for any research project.

It contains sections covering the many different aspects of the period and lists general histories, bibliographical and archival sources, published documents, memoirs, journals and specialised works. Each section is provided by a different author. Examples of the sections are: Armies of the Napoleonic Period, 219 entries; The Wars of the Third and Fourth Coalitions, 245 entries; The Hundred days: A Political and Military Perspective, 244 entries. The section on EngaInd at War contains 506 entries.

My copy is well-thumbed, and I have found it to be one of the most useful reference books available.

An Encyclopaedia of Napoleon's Europe
Alan Palmer
Weidenfeld & Nicolson (1984)

This is another out of print volume in hardback that is worth a look at if your local second hand shop has it available. It covers not only the military side of the period but has entries on cities, individual countries, palaces and social life. There are biographical entries on the leading political, military and naval figures in Britain and Continental Europe. The volume also contains very useful information on writers, philosophers, artists and composers, and this makes it probably the most useful dictionary for the social aspects of the Napoleonic period. Included are clear explanantions of contentious issues such as the status of the Jews, Catholic Emancipation, serfdom, slavery and the Eastern Question. The entries are cross- referenced at the start of the book with a section on Classified Entries.

CHOOSING A REFERENCE BOOK

While all the books described above are very comprehensive, I have found on a number of occasions that the information I want is just not covered by one or all of such volumes. There is a saying that a reference book is one in which we can quickly find what it does not contain. No one book will cover all your research needs, and so I recommend a gradual acquisition of a number of such works.

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