Historians continue to assess and debate Napoleon's legacy. Politically, some have gone so far as to see him as the father of modern Europe -- certainly he had an enormous impact on the development of many European states. It is difficult to untangle the exact degree of impact of the French Revolution from that of Napoleon, particularly in terms of spreading the ideas of liberty, fraternity, and equality that would eventually spark so many other European revolutions from 1820-1848. Bonapartism remained a powerful force in French politics, leading directly to the controversial Second Empire of Napoleon III. Professional soldiers and military authors are quick to appreciate Napoleon's transcendent battlefield genius. Here, Napoleon's legacy is simply unsurpassed -- no soldier's career has been more profitably studied. His campaigns formed an important core of historical study at America's leading military academy at West Point, hugely influencing many future Civil War generals. The two greatest military theorists of the 19th century, Clausewitz and Jomini, were participants in the Napoleonic Wars and purveyors of Napoleon's methods. Even "Desert Storm" of 1991 has been described by its planners as largely Napoleonic in principle, almost 200 years after the master's first campaign. But perhaps Napoleon's greatest triumph is his enduring hold on the human imagination. While his presence is most deeply felt in Paris -- where the streets bear the names of his victories, and where monuments still illuminate the glory of his army -- the vast body of art and literature devoted to Napoleon provides no shortage of captivating material. Indeed, the rise and fall of his story perfectly resemble the plot of a Classic tragedy, and Napoleon himself admirably fills the role of the complex hero whose virtues and faults are larger than life. It is little wonder that so many enthusiasts continue to enjoy the Napoleonic epic, pursuing Napoleon's legacy in so many different ways. The photos on this page reflect just a tiny part of the huge interest in Napoleon and the manner in which people enjoy his legacy. Travel is one of the most pleasant and educational methods to learn more about the period -- the museum in Portsmouth, England, for example, preserves Admiral Nelson's flagship from Trafalgar, the HMS Victory. Some try to relive a part of the story by joining a historical recreation organization such as Brigade Napoleon and reenacting camp life, Napoleonic drill, and battles. Finally, there are those who collect artifacts from the era, such as coins, medals, snuff boxes, or swords and other military items such as these owned by Shep Paine. Regardless whether a person's passion is books, videos, music, or any of hundreds of other possibilities, there will be no shortage of ways to celebrate the 200th anniversary of the Age of Napoleon that carries us through the year 2015. Recommended Videos Ancien Regime Amadeus Dangerous Liaisons Ridicule Revolution A Tale of Two Cities Danton Napoleonic Colonel Chabert Desiree The Duellists Napoleon (Abel Gance's silent classic) Napoleon (staring Orson Welles) Sharpe's series. War and Peace (Kultur video version) Waterloo (starring Rod Steiger) Recommended Books More books have been written about Napoleon and his era than any other human being. The selections on this page are just a few of those available that can start or continue to build a good Napoleonic library. Napoleon's Early Life Napoleon and His Parents by Dorothy Carrington Revolutionary Period Bonaparte in Egypt by J. Christopher Herold Citizens by Simon Schama Eagles Over the Alps: Suvorov in Italy and Switzerland by Christopher Duffy Marengo and Hohenlinden: Napoleon's Rise to Power by James Arnold Napoleon in the Holy Land by Nathan Schur The Art of War of Revolutionary France, 1789-1802 by Paddy Griffith The Bayonets of the Republic by John A. Lynn The Origins of the French Revolutionary Wars by T.C.W. Blanning Military History Reference A Military History and Atlas of the Napoleonic Wars by Vincent J. Esposito & John R. Elting Blundering to Glory: Napoleon's Military Campaigns by Owen Connelly Campaigns of Napoleon by David G. Chandler Dictionary of the Napoleonic Wars by David Chandler Historical Dictionary of Napoleonic France, 1799-1815 by Owen Connelly Napoleonic Wars Data Book by Digby Smith Napoleon's Elite Cavalry: Cavalry of the Imperial Guard, 1804-1815 text by Edward Ryan Napoleon's Marshals by David G. Chandler Napoleon's Regiments by Digby Smith Secret Service: British Agents in France 1792-1815 by Elizabeth Sparrow Swords Around a Throne: Napoleon's Grand Armee by John R. Elting Tactics and Experience of Battle in the Age of Napoleon by Rory Muir The Anatomy of Glory: Napoleon and His Guard by Henry Lachouque & Anne S. K. Brown The Art of Warfare in the Age of Napoleon by Gunther E. Rothenberg The Napoleonic Source Book by Philip Haythornthwaite The Napoleonic Wars (History of Warfare) by Gunther E. Rothenberg With Musket, Cannon, and Sword: Battle Tactics of Napoleon and His Enemies by Brent Nosworthy Battles & Campaigns 1812: Napoleon's Invasion of Russia (combined trilogy) by Paul Britten Austin 1815: The Waterloo Campaign (2 volumes) by Peter Hofschroer Austerlitz, 1805 by Christopher Duffy Crisis on the Danube: Napoleon's Austrian Campaign by James Arnold History of the Waterloo Campaign by W. Siborne Jena, Auerstadt: The Triumph of the Eagle by F.-G. Houtoulle Napoleon and Austerlitz by Scott Bowden Napoleon Conquers Austria, The 1809 Campaign by James Arnold The History of the Peninsular War (7 volumes) by Charles Oman Waterloo: A Near Run Thing by David Howarth With Eagles to Glory: Napoleon and His German Allies in the 1809 Campaign by John Gill War at Sea Fleet Battle and Blockade: The French Revolutionary War 1793-1797 edited by Robert Gardiner Nelson's Navy: The Ships, Men and Organisation 1793-1815 by Brian Lavery The Illustrated Companion to Nelson's Navy by Nicholas Blake and Richard Lawrence Trafalgar: The Nelson Touch by David Horwarth Warships of the Napoleonic Era by Robert Gardiner Memoirs A Soldier for Napoleon: The Campaigns of Lieutenant Franz Joseph Hausmann, 7th Bavarian Infantry translated by Cynthia Joy Hausmann, edited by John H. Gill An Ensign in the Peninsular War: The Letters of John Aitchison edited by Michael Joseph Exploits of Baron Marbot by Baron de Marbot Journal of the Waterloo Campaign Kept Throughout the Campaign of 1815 by Cavalie Mercer Memoirs of a Polish Lancer by Dezydery Chlapowski Military Life Under Napoleon by Elzear Blaze In the Legions of Napoleon: The Memoirs of a Polish Officer in Spain and Russia, 1808-1813 by Heinrich Von Brandt In the Service of the Tsar Against Napoleon: The Memoirs of Denis Davidov, 1806-1814 translated by Gregory Troubetzkoy The Notebooks of Captain Coignet: Soldier of the Empire, 1799-1816 by Jean-Roch Coignet Biographies Who Was Who in the Napoleonic Wars by Philp Haythornthwaite Napoleon: An Intimate Biography by Vincent Cronin Napoleon: an Intimate Account of the Years of Supremacy, 1800-1814 edited by Proctor Patterson Jones Prince Eugene at War: 1809 by Robert M. Epstein Napoleon's Opponents Napoleon's Great Adversary: Archduke Charles and the Austrian Army, 1792-1814 by Gunther E. Rothenberg Wellington's Army by Charles Oman Napoleon as Ruler Napoleon: How He Did It, The Memoirs of Baron Fain, First Secretary of the Emperor's Cabinet edited by Proctor Jones The Age of Napoleon by Will and Ariel Durant The Final Act: The Roads to Waterloo by Gregor Dallas Napoleonic Myths & Legends Assassination at St. Helena Revisited by Ben Wieder Napoleon, the Myth of the Saviour by Jean Tulard Fiction Bernard Cornwell's series about Richard Sharpe (Britain's 95th Rifles) C.S. Forester's series about Horatio Hornblower (naval) Patrick O'Brien's series about Jack Aubrey & Stephen Maturin (naval) War and Peace by Leo Tolstoy Back to Table of Contents -- Napoleon #17 Back to Napoleon List of Issues Back to MagWeb Master Magazine List © Copyright 2001 by Napoleon LLC. This article appears in MagWeb (Magazine Web) on the Internet World Wide Web. 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