by Brent Nosworthy Publisher: Constable (Great Britain) Anyone who has wargamed Napoleonic battles (and particularly those who use WRG rules) will have at one time or another taken part in a lively debate across the tabletop about the tactics used and whether or not the rule set used to recreate the encounter is an accurate reflection of what actually took place. Wonder no longer. Practically everything you need to know or wanted to ask about Napoleonic warfare is referred to and discussed in great detail in Brent Nosworthy's book. From this reviewer's point of view, Mr. Nosworthy's research is meticulous and the theories he proposes on 18-19th century battle tactics are balanced and well-constructed arguments backed by numerous factual examples sourced from carefully selected original material. The notes on all of his research are copious and clearly set out - any amateur with the time or inclination to do a little detective work of their own would be hard pressed to find a better guide to work from. Although this book has been out since 1995 (where it made quite an impact among historians), the softcover version has just been released making it a little more affordable to enthusiasts and wargamers. The author traces the development of the 'impulse' system of battlefield tactics that evolved in the French Revolutionary wars of the late 1790's and early 1800's that replaced the linear tactics that had dominated Horse and Musket era warfare up until that time. Nosworthy points out that 'impulse' tactical theory had been around for some time and even been used on occasion in the Seven Years War but that its widespread use on the battlefield did not occur until the wars generated by the French Revolution and the coinciding rise of mass conscript armies. The 'impulse' system which came to dominate battlefield tactics in the 19th century had its roots in the hastily assembled French Revolutionary armies and evolved into a formal tactical system of great flexibility that ensured French battlefield success for nearly twenty years. "Battle Tactics..." is divided into four main parts. The first titled 'Background' details the emergence and psychological basis of tactical doctrines and developments in the 18th century. The second deals with the full flowering of the 'new' tactics - the origins of the 'impulse' system The author details its use by the Revolutionary and early Napoleonic armies and goes on to describe the height of these practises in their use by the Grande Armee, 1805-07. This part also deals with Allied responses to French methods before going on to explain the decline of French abilities in later Empire. The third part studies infantry tactics in detail with sections on French firepower, small arms fire, British tactics (explaining to a large degree why they alone of all Napoleon's enemies enjoyed such continual success against the French on the battlefield) and finally, the use of light infantry and skirmishing. Part four deals specifically with cavalry and artillery including sections on the historical reality of combat, weapons, cavalry versus infantry (itself somewhat of a revelation to this reviewer!) and French cavalry tactics. Artillery tactics and how these were dealt with by both cavalry and infantry are also described in depth. To underscore his theory on the development of tactical systems and the historical reality of their practise on the field of battle, Nosworthy concludes with a discussion piece on the reality of the Napoleonic battlefield and the utility of manoeuvre. Here the care with which he has selected his source material really stands out. All of it relates to eye-witness accounts from some of the more objective observers or contemporary authors with a reputation for balanced and careful reporting. In this regard Nosworthy's use of primary source material is quite outstanding. While Nosworthy does not have the easy conversational writing style of an Elting ("Swords Around A Throne" etc,) he has managed to author a very readable book and one that could or should become the reference for any serious student of Napoleonic warfare and an indispensable guide for the Horse and Musket wargaming enthusiast. Highly recommended. Back to Table of Contents -- Kriegspieler #6 To Kriegspieler List of Issues To MagWeb Master Magazine List © Copyright 1999 by Kriegspieler Publications. This article appears in MagWeb (Magazine Web) on the Internet World Wide Web. Other military history articles and gaming articles are available at http://www.magweb.com