"This vividly illustrated history of the Napoleonic Wars documents the wars' origins in the French Revolution, narrates Napoleon's victories at Austerlitz and Jena, and concludes with his defeats in the Iberian peninsula, Russia, and finally at Waterloo. Author Gunther E. Rothenberg describes how Napoleon transformed interstate warfare into a system of relentless conquest, creating a military superpower on a scale not seen since the Roman Empire. Though eventually defeated, Napoleon's model of conquest set a pattern that was to be revived by modern totalitarian states, and their opponents. Book jacket."--Jacket.

Introduction: The Napoleonic Wars in the history of warfare -- The transformation of war and the emergence of Napoleon Bonaparte -- Egypt, the Second Coalition and the Grande Armée -- The years of victory, 1805-7 -- The Grande Armée, Spain, and the Hapsburg recovery, 1807-9 -- The Peninsular War : Wellington and the guerrillas, 1809-13 -- Russia, Germany and France 1812-14 -- The Waterloo campaign, 1815 -- Epilogue: Napoleon's system of war.