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Napoleon's Italian Campaign. A Travel planner

Guide 22 May 2008

This travel planner offers an overview of historic trails to do with Napoleon's campaign in northern Italy 1796 – 1797, a spectacular chapter in military history which saw the rise of the young Napoleon's military genius.

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ISBN: -
Department: Film
Country: Italy
Topic: -.
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Travelling in Napoleon's footsteps

What to bring: Provided that one has access to a car being a Napoleonic traveller is actually very easy. Some of the trails require a bit of hiking and a pair of boots is a good choice, often a good pair of runners will suffice. A compass is always a good idea, not so much for finding directions but more as a way of exploring the terrain, working out the military manoeuvres. When examining battlefields hiking maps (1:25,000/50,000) are also useful. Kompass and Instituto Geografico Centrale publish some of the best hiking maps.

On the shelf: For a thorough reading of Napoleon’s military exploits David Chandler’s expertly written The Campaigns of Napoleon still stands out as the most authoritative account. For a detailed examination of the Italian campaign Martin Boycott-Brown’s recently published The Road to Rivoli is indispensable, and particularly useful to the reader interested in the plight of the soldiers. The older account by Elijah Adlow, Napoleon in Italy 1796 –1797, is also worth mentioning but should only be acquired by those interested in the more strategic aspects of warfare. For background reading of the French Revolution Christopher Hibbert’s The French Revolution comes highly recommended.

Second-hand bookshops: abeboks.com

On the web: Needles to say an endless amount of web sites thrive on Napoleon Bonaparte. Here some of the more serious sitesin English are listed:

napoleon.org: Probably the most serious and in-depth site on the web dedicated to the life and times of Napoleon.

historydata.com: The author of The Road to Rivoli, Martin Boycott-Brown’s own site contains valuable information on Bonaparte’s campaign in Italy.

The trails:

Trail I. Glory at Montenotte - Military tour de force in the Ligurian mountains

Trail II. Peril in the Bormida Valley - The French army on the verge of collapse

Trail III. Defeating the Piedmontese - Napoleon dictates the terms of peace

Trail IV. Mythical Fame at Lodi - Napoleon's manoeuvre of strategic penetration and army propaganda

Trail V. The Coffers of Milan - Revolutionary politics, art thefts, army requisitions and Josephine

Trail VI. Revolt in Pavia - Napoleon's brutal suppression of the popular uprising in Binasco and Pavia

Trail VII. The Austrians Defeated at Borghetto - Venetian politics and the end of the Austrian advance

Trail VIII. The Bitter Siege of Mantua - The Austrians suffer eight months of siege.

Trail IX. Acute Manoeuvring at Castiglione - Napoleon prevails on battlefield of Catsiglione

Trail X. Secluded March to Bassano - The French army ventures into the Tyrol

Trail XI. Near Defeat at Arcole - Napoleon barely pulls off a manoeuvre of strategic penetration

Trail XII. Glory at Rivoli - Magnificent victory on the shores of Lake Garda

Trail XIII. Popular Uprising in Verona - The French quench another popular revolt and bring down Venice
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Inspiration & Sources
Literature (3) Articles (7) Film/TV (1) Links (3)
The Campaigns of Napoleon (1973)
Author : David Chandler
David Chandler’s expertly written The Campaigns of Napoleon still stands out as the most authoritative account of the napoleonic Wars.
The Road to Rivoli (2002)
Author : Martin Boycott-Brown
The readable The Road to Rivoli is indispensable, and particularly useful to the reader interested in the plight of the soldiers.
The French Revolution (1982)
Author : Christopher Hibbert
For background reading of the French Revolution Christopher Hibbert’s The French Revolution comes highly recommended
Napoleon (2006)
Director : Pegasus Entertainment
If you ever wanted to find out who Napoleon Bonaparte was, or what made him famous, this is the DVD to buy.

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Comments
Fantastic idea for a travel book...makes really interesting reading without even leaving home!

By Julia Rodgers 06 Nov 2009

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Pages
  1. Travelling in Napoleon's footsteps
  2. TRAIL I. Glory at Montenotte
  3. Trail II. Peril in the Bormida Valley
  4. Trail III. Defeating the Piedmontese
  5. Trail IV. Mythical Fame at Lodi
  6. Trail V. The Coffers of Milan
  7. Trail VI. Revolt in Pavia
  8. Trail VII. Austrians Defeated at Borghetto
  9. Trail VIII. Bitter Siege of Mantua
  10. Trail IX. Acute Manoeuvring at Castiglione
  11. Trail X. Secluded March to Bassano
  12. Trail XI. Near-Defeat at Arcole
  13. Trail XII. Glory at Rivoli
  14. Trail XIII. Popular Uprising in Verona
Gallery (12)

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