Napoleonic history?

Why not start with the man who faced 'old Bones apart' during the Napoleanic War? The memoirs of Lord Wellington would give you as much insight into the military aspect of the campaigns. As for readability, you have to remember you're talking about the early 19th century. People thought differently than we do and they also spoke differently. It takes a little getting used to but it's better than trying to understand Shakespeare!

Who said that War & Peace was readable? A bit overwealming yet readable is ""Napoleon Bonaparte: A Life (Paperback)

by Alan Schom (Author) "On December 17, 1778, thirty-two-year-old Carlo Maria (or Charles, as he now called himself) Buonaparte boarded a coastal vessel in the Corsican port of Ajaccio..."

http://www.amazon.com/Napoleon-Bonaparte-Life-Alan...

And flawed but worthy

""The Campaigns of Napoleon (Hardcover)

by David G. Chandler (Author) "CAPTAIN OF ARTILLERY Napoleone di Buonaparte (he habitually signed his name after the Italian fashion until 1796) was practically twenty-four years old before his name..."

http://www.amazon.com/Campaigns-Napoleon-David-G-C...

But a favorite would be

Napoleon: The Immortal Emperor (Hardcover)

by Gerard Gengembre (Author), Pierre-Jean Chalencon (Author), David Chanteranne (Author)

http://www.amazon.com/Napoleon-Immortal-Emperor-Ge...

Those three should keep ypu reading for a while. Big Friends of the Library Booksale in Honolulu June 30 thru July 8, good place to stock up on books!

Peace..

I can't say one history really stands out to me, but for historical novels, Cornwell's series with Richard Sharpe as the hero is hard to beat for land battle, as is Forester's Horatio Hornblower series. Caution: Once you start, the entire series becomes an obsession. I'd recommend reading the Sharpe series in time historical order rather than in the order they're written.