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Audiobook edition · 14 h 12 minPaperback · 6 × 9 in · printing soonHardcover · 6 × 9 in · printing soonAbout this book
Napoleon's victories were never his alone. Who were the men who carried his plans across Europe?
In Napoleon's Marshals, R. P. Dunn-Pattison follows the soldiers Napoleon raises to Marshal of the Empire. Their lives unfold against campaigns in Italy, Egypt, Spain and Russia. Sergeants, cavalrymen and lawyers' sons become princes and dukes, revealing how far military service can carry men once shut out of high command.
The studies bring together Berthier, Murat, Lannes, Davout, Masséna, Soult and Ney. Each life reveals different strengths and failures, from the work of Napoleon's chief of staff to daring in the field. As long wars wear these men down and the Empire comes under attack, loyalty faces a harder test.
What you’ll discover
- Rank beyond noble birth Discover how the Revolution opens senior army ranks once closed to most men without noble birth.
- Staff and saddle Meet Berthier and Murat, two sharply different figures within Napoleon's circle of military leaders.
- Daring in the field Follow Lannes from a humble background into campaigns where his courage comes to the fore.
- Success under strain Explore how wealth, pride and years of war put the marshals' loyalty under pressure.
- Napoleon through his commanders See what his choice of men reveals about his gift for placing talent.
Who will love it
You will enjoy this if you like Napoleonic history told through people, short biographies with sharp verdicts, and tales of ambition, loyalty and rivalry.
What’s inside
The key ideas, in the 15-minute summary
- Honors bind servants and rivals
- Opportunity needs training to become command
- Berthier turns thought into clear orders
- Murat mistakes brilliance for broader ability
- Masséna combines military genius with greed
- Soult shows why the post matters
- Courage and judgment are separate gifts
- Character gives command another kind of strength
- Loyalty may be virtue or habit
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Napoleon's Marshals
by R. P. Dunn-Pattison · 1909
Twenty-six soldiers receive a Marshal's baton from Napoleon, and each baton carries a price in loyalty and pride.
Challenging5–10 hours to read2 languages
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In short
What does a ruler do when he knows his throne rests on the swords of his own officers? Napoleon found an answer in 1804.
Napoleon's Marshals at a glance
- Reading time
- About 7 h 50 min6 h 10 min fast, 9 h 20 min slow
- Length
- 111,600 words
- Library level
- Challenging long sentences, a rich vocabulary
- First published
- 1909by R. P. Dunn-Pattison
Reading time at 238 words a minute (fast 300, slow 200). How long the classics take to read · Updated
From the 15-minute summary · Key idea 1
Napoleon created Marshals to bind his lieutenants
Napoleon believed that ambition drives people, and he built his Empire on that belief. He had won power with the sword, and he knew only the sword could keep it. His problem was how to hold the loyalty of the officers on whom his dynasty rested.
His answer was the revived office of Marshal of France. He limited the number on active duty to sixteen and added four honorary posts for older men. Each of twenty hungry men shared the glory with nineteen others. The author sees a serpent's cunning in this, since Napoleon gave with one hand and took with the other.
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Which edition is right for me
- 15-minute summary
- The key ideas of the whole book in about 13 minutes. A good first look, or a refresher.
Details
- First published
- 1909
- Language
- English
- Level
- Challenging
Cite this edition
Dunn-Pattison, R. P. Napoleon's Marshals. Library of Alexandria, 2026, libraryofalexandria.com/products/napoleons-marshals.
Dunn-Pattison, R. P. (2026). Napoleon's marshals. Library of Alexandria. https://libraryofalexandria.com/products/napoleons-marshals (Original work published 1909)
Dunn-Pattison, R. P. Napoleon's Marshals. Library of Alexandria, 2026. https://libraryofalexandria.com/products/napoleons-marshals.
@book{dunnpattison2026napoleons,
author = {Dunn-Pattison, R. P.},
title = {Napoleon's Marshals},
publisher = {Library of Alexandria},
year = {2026},
url = {https://libraryofalexandria.com/products/napoleons-marshals},
note = {First published 1909}
}
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What is Napoleon's Marshals about?
It is a set of short biographies of the twenty-six men Napoleon made Marshals of France. Each chapter follows one man from his early years through the Revolutionary and Napoleonic wars and ends with an assessment of his strengths and weaknesses.
How many Marshals did Napoleon create?
Fourteen active Marshals and four honorary ones were named on May 19, 1804. By the end of the Empire, deaths and rewards for merit raised the total to twenty-six, with Poniatowski added at Leipzig and Grouchy in 1815.
Why did Napoleon revive the title of Marshal?
The author argues that Napoleon wanted to bind his best officers to his dynasty. Limiting the number made each Marshal share his glory with others, and he reminded them that the title carried no authority on the battlefield.
The author
R. P. Dunn-Pattison
1874–1916 · British military historian
R. P. Dunn-Pattison (1874–1916) was a British military historian. He wrote about military history during the early twentieth century. His books included Napoleon’s Marshals, published in 1909, which dealt with military figures of the Napoleonic period. He died in 1916, during the First World War.
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