Book News: Napoleon’s Long Shadow

Without a doubt, the influence of Napoleon Bonaparte was felt in both popular and military circles for a good chunk of the nineteenth century following the French emperor's final defeat and exile. His impact on American officers is mentioned countless times in Civil War biographies and military history books and articles, yet writers only rarely delve into particular examples or analyze the connection at any meaningful depth. Timothy Smith aims to correct that with his next book, Napoleon’s Long Shadow: How French Military Genius Shaped the American Civil War.

From the description: "Despite decades of casual analogy, until now, no comprehensive study has ever examined how Napoleon’s campaigns shaped Civil War operations on the battlefield. Through a series of clear, apples-to-apples comparisons, author Tim Smith places nine of Napoleon’ campaigns alongside their closest Civil War counterparts. The result is a fresh interpretation of how the Civil War was fought. Smith argues that the war’s early years were profoundly shaped by earlier models of warfare, while its final year marked a decisive break toward a more modern, industrial style of conflict." Through that interpretation, Smith's book "not only clarifies how Civil War commanders operated, but also challenges long-held assumptions rooted more in legend than in reality."

Sounds very interesting. Look for it in November from University Press of Kansas.