Kevin F. Kiley

There are some odd constructions in the text of this book, such as using the term "Rearguard" when meaning "Rearguard Action." While the maps for a good many Napoleonic battles are competent, there is a better set of details on the French armies than any else's forces. This has led to several gaps in the non-French information. The book also uses the colour red for the French in the maps, and all their opponents are printed in Blue. Non-traditional at best, and unsettling. The maps also are not printed with a directional arrow for north, so the alignment for the battlefields are often confusing.
The chapter on Naval Warfare also suffers from a curious idea that carronades were not used for firing cannonballs, but were strictly anti-personnel weapons, firing grape. The coverage of naval battles is limited to three, and this is much weakens the value of the book for navalists. Therefore, this book is a two star performance with a misleading title.… (more)