Martin Boycott-Brown

The Road to Rivoli details Napoleon's first campaign as the commander of an army. The author spends a lot of time describing the political situation France found itself in, as well as the character of the armies involved.
He gets into stride when describing the campaign itself, drawing on a huge number of primary sources, importantly from all sides (and in various languages). One gets a real impression of the fiercely energetic military genius of Napoleon in his early career and the challenges of campaigning in Italy. Planning, logistics, contingencies, coalition warfare, terrain and keeping the initiative are all given due attention.
One problem with the book is that of the maps, which are detailed enough, but are not marked with any troop movements or positions, leaving the action difficult to follow.
That aside, this is a masterful and compelling account of an important if obscure campaign.… (mehr)