One of the most colorful characters in the Napoleonic pantheon, Gebhard Leberecht von Blücher distinguished himself as a bold commander, though his actions at times appeared erratic and reckless. Drawing on exhaustive research in European archives, Leggiere eschews the melodrama of earlier biographies and offers instead a richly nuanced portrait of a talented leader who, contrary to popular perception, had a strong grasp on military strategy, and who justly deserves the credit received for helping to free Europe from the yoke of Napoleon's tyranny. -- From the publisher.

Prussia --The red king -- False sense of security -- The collapse -- The agony of defeat -- The fifth coalition -- Hope and despair -- Scapegoat -- The sixth coalition -- The spring campaign -- The armistice -- Silesia -- Leipzig -- France -- Paris -- The spoils of victory -- Ligny -- Auerstedt avenged.