Jack Gill finally completed his outstanding study of the 1809 campaign in Austria. 200 pages of appendices and notes help wargamers, students and researchers to understand this campaign that knocked Austria out of the war for four years. Wargamers will love the detailed orders of battle with unit strengths. The detailed bibliography is a tremendous help to any researcher (Its in-between publication date shortly after the 200th anniversary makes it miss some of the most recent titles.).

His emphasis on the side-shows is both a strength and a weakness. It is a strength because a general reader will be unlikely to read about the Polish or Dalmatian campaign theater. Gill's account fills gaps that are only covered by rather obscure sources. It is a weakness because these side-shows detract from the main events. The battle of Wagram is described in only eighty pages (the Znaim skirmish merits thirty pages), which results in a staccato treatment of the first day, the main casualties are the Saxons and an aggregated presentation of the Austrian actions. There is still room for a comprehensive battle study of Wagram.

A time line of the events and chapters would have been very helpful to the reader as would have been an overall campaign map which situated the different actions and theaters. Map 9 which comes closest to an overall campagin map does not include Germany or Poland (partially represented in Map 29). The content of the maps is fine, their presentation could have been improved. The half page design is an unfortunate choice which is further constricted by in-line legends and captions.

The discussion of the campaign does not mention the fact that Napoleon used the Austrian's own defensive network and roads against them. Austria's defenses are laid out to defend against Eastern invaders. By pushing the Austrians across the Danube, Napoleon used the old Roman road systems while his opponents were reduced to secondary roads (which remain terrible to this day).

Austrian dispositions were directed not only against the French and Allied forces but also to protect the home front against insurgencies (as did Saddam Hussein during the American invasion). The Austrians' greatest fear was not a defeat but an independent Bohemia similar to the Rheinbund. The need to control Bohemia fixed Charles' Hauptarmee. This strategic inflexibility was the main cause of his defeat.

Overall, a great read and a tremendous achievement. Highly recommended. ( )