Napoleon was an artilleryman before he was an emperor. He understood the power and effectiveness of cannon and their ability to pulverise defences, reduce fortresses and destroy attacks. And, in return, the guns won Napoleon battles. In his new book, Artillery of the Napoleonic Wars, Kevin Kiley looks at artillery in use throughout the Napoleonic period. He examines Napoleon’s own artillery as well as that utilised by the French revolutionary government before him. Kiley extends his study to cover guns and rockets employed by Napoleon’s allies and enemies, and he evaluates gun quality as well as the gunners’ contribution to warfare in the period. By looking at particular battles in detail, Kevin Kiley shows just how the effective employment of artillery could tip the scales of victory. Artillery of the Napoleonic Wars reveals much of the technical aspects of gunnery during the period -- how guns were placed, their range, what calibres were preferred, how artillery operated -- he also looks at many of the personalities involved and the difference between good gunnery and mediocre artillery. He examines French artillery, including that of the Imperial Guard, and compares it to that of Britain, Russia, Prussia and that used by the Austrians. Illustrated with beautiful line drawings and rare contemporary plates this unique book reveals a whole new dimension to the Napoleonic period. Based on years of research into regulations of the period, eyewitness accounts of artillerymen and material culled from official reports this is a definitive account. Kevin Kiley is a life-long student of the Napoleonic period and was a close personal friend of Colonel John Elting. He served for many years as an artillery officer and is currently a teacher in the USA. Back to Greenhill Military Book News No. 126 Table of Contents Back to Greenhill Military Book News List of Issues Back to Master Magazine List © Copyright 2003 by Greenhill Books This article appears in MagWeb (Magazine Web) on the Internet World Wide Web. Other articles from military history and related magazines are available at http://www.magweb.com