Greenhill, 2003, £ 19.95, ISBN 1-85367-541-5, 304 pages, hardback

The title is a bit misleading, and it’s a pity because it shortchanges a nicely compiled book. At first glance, it seems this would recount famous charges: Waterloo, Eylau, Borodino, etc. As Smith notes in his introduction, that would be repetitious and boring (his words, not mine). And he’d be right.

Cognizant of such limitations, Smith decided to expand his cavalry actions to include scouting, screening, and raids--all within a somewhat expanded format to show the strategic and operational decisions that led to a particular cavalry “charge.” So I’m not quite sure what you’d call it. Perhaps “Great Napoleonic Battles with Cavalry Charges” (hmmm, that’s generically dull); or “Cavalry Employment in Napoleonic Battles” (hmmm, scholarly and real dull); or “Cav Whack? Word!” (hmmm, pathetically trying to be hip and failing). In any case, rest assured Charge is not just about cavalry charges.

With this in mind, I thoroughly enjoyed Smith’s analysis of lesser-known battles: Garcia Hernandez and Fere-Champenoise for example. On the larger battles: Waterloo, Eylau, and Borodino among others, I was less thrilled because, well, these have been told and retold so much, any number of books in my library discuss them. I do applaud Smith’s efforts to bring out additional sources besides the usual British and French ones.

On the whole, the appeal resides in lesser known battles, not the better known ones. I read and re-read certain chapters--Smith is certainly good at describing battles--while others I merely skimmed.

So the review was hanging in the balance when two aspects tilted this to a positive one. First, the maps are very well done. I can’t quite place where I’ve seen the style before, but they certainly add to the narrative. Well done.

Second, an appendix offers Orders of Battle down to sufficient battalion and regiment detail. Nafziger is credited in the introduction, so I’m guessing some of these -- and George Nafziger is the King of OOBs -- came from him. That was the capper.

All in all, while I would like to see Digby dig into a follow up book called “Obscure Cavalry Actions of the Napoleonic Wars,” this Charge book is a good place to start for seasoned Napoleonic buffs, and better still for beginning Napoleonic buffs.

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