Add Prime to get Fast, Free delivery
Amazon prime logo
Buy new:
$24.00
FREE delivery Saturday, January 11 on orders shipped by Amazon over $35
Ships from: Amazon.com
Sold by: Amazon.com
$24.00
Get Fast, Free Shipping with Amazon Prime FREE Returns
FREE delivery Saturday, January 11 on orders shipped by Amazon over $35
Or Prime members get FREE delivery Wednesday, January 8. Order within 17 hrs 11 mins.
Only 6 left in stock - order soon.
$$24.00 () Includes selected options. Includes initial monthly payment and selected options. Details
Price
Subtotal
$$24.00
Subtotal
Initial payment breakdown
Shipping cost, delivery date, and order total (including tax) shown at checkout.
Ships from
Amazon.com
Amazon.com
Ships from
Amazon.com
Sold by
Amazon.com
Amazon.com
Sold by
Amazon.com
Returns
30-day refund/replacement
30-day refund/replacement
This item can be returned in its original condition for a full refund or replacement within 30 days of receipt.
Payment
Secure transaction
Your transaction is secure
We work hard to protect your security and privacy. Our payment security system encrypts your information during transmission. We don’t share your credit card details with third-party sellers, and we don’t sell your information to others. Learn more
$17.86
Get Fast, Free Shipping with Amazon Prime FREE Returns
Has some minor shelf wear, pages are clean, all text is legible. Has some minor shelf wear, pages are clean, all text is legible. See less
FREE delivery Saturday, January 11 on orders shipped by Amazon over $35
Or Prime members get FREE delivery Wednesday, January 8. Order within 20 hrs 11 mins.
Only 1 left in stock - order soon.
$$24.00 () Includes selected options. Includes initial monthly payment and selected options. Details
Price
Subtotal
$$24.00
Subtotal
Initial payment breakdown
Shipping cost, delivery date, and order total (including tax) shown at checkout.
Access codes and supplements are not guaranteed with used items.
Kindle app logo image

Download the free Kindle app and start reading Kindle books instantly on your smartphone, tablet, or computer - no Kindle device required.

Read instantly on your browser with Kindle for Web.

Using your mobile phone camera - scan the code below and download the Kindle app.

QR code to download the Kindle App

Follow the author

Something went wrong. Please try your request again later.

Toulon 1793: Napoleon’s first great victory (Campaign, 153) Paperback – July 13, 2005

4.7 4.7 out of 5 stars 21 ratings

{"desktop_buybox_group_1":[{"displayPrice":"$24.00","priceAmount":24.00,"currencySymbol":"$","integerValue":"24","decimalSeparator":".","fractionalValue":"00","symbolPosition":"left","hasSpace":false,"showFractionalPartIfEmpty":true,"offerListingId":"xCkPl9DQdTdibtjS9V0azngLoY4gwQ619FP4Svznfo%2FL9mwDxuPTCmwSaTfCKZyeXT28P9xsg3VS%2FPkAFK2ghUmMFF%2BVaWcUVNpNxC6rkIFlUVlOBTHb0RkHNbQNyys3%2BbcoMJKLRWA%3D","locale":"en-US","buyingOptionType":"NEW","aapiBuyingOptionIndex":0}, {"displayPrice":"$17.86","priceAmount":17.86,"currencySymbol":"$","integerValue":"17","decimalSeparator":".","fractionalValue":"86","symbolPosition":"left","hasSpace":false,"showFractionalPartIfEmpty":true,"offerListingId":"xCkPl9DQdTdibtjS9V0azngLoY4gwQ618MrhDGAyJYqBl15XqyrECGL%2B4yQOuAthZWIwLeL1FWUBB%2FNhBEG6v0V0YhlXqgOBu7kn8Qc6%2BDWQ8G7gn7PzhnruSjr5nrMwfoehKY8n5Ax%2FW7K9BNTun5jIOmZwyosWCZTMh6ExjK33WyBz%2FUYBmN8%2FoEczan7%2B","locale":"en-US","buyingOptionType":"USED","aapiBuyingOptionIndex":1}]}

Purchase options and add-ons

In August 1793 of the French Revolutionary Wars (1792-1802), Republican France teetered on the brink of collapse. On every front her enemies' armies swept forward across her borders – the very survival of the Revolution itself was at stake. In Toulon, the strategically vital home port of France's Mediterranean fleet, a coup had overthrown the Republican government and handed over the city to the blockading British navy. In this, perhaps her darkest hour, France's saviour was at hand in the shape of a Captain of Artillery whose name all Europe would soon know - Napoleon Bonaparte. This title describes the Republican victory at Toulon that not only saved the Revolution but also saw the young Napoleon Bonaparte begin his meteoric rise to power.
The%20Amazon%20Book%20Review
The Amazon Book Review
Book recommendations, author interviews, editors' picks, and more. Read it now.

Frequently bought together

This item: Toulon 1793: Napoleon’s first great victory (Campaign, 153)
$16.05
Get it Jan 15 - 22
Only 5 left in stock - order soon.
Ships from and sold by Everest Poudel Books.
+
$18.47
Get it as soon as Saturday, Jan 11
In Stock
Ships from and sold by Amazon.com.
+
$16.55
Get it Jan 15 - 22
Only 3 left in stock - order soon.
Ships from and sold by Everest Poudel Books.
Total price: $00
To see our price, add these items to your cart.
Details
Added to Cart
spCSRF_Treatment
Some of these items ship sooner than the others.
Choose items to buy together.

Editorial Reviews

From the Publisher

Highly visual guides to history's greatest conflicts, detailing the command strategies, tactics, and experiences of the opposing forces throughout each campaign, and concluding with a guide to the battlefields today.

About the Author

Robert Forczyk has a PhD in International Relations and National Security from the University of Maryland and a strong background in European and Asian military history. He retired as a lieutenant colonel from the US Army Reserves having served 18 years as an armour officer in the US 2nd and 4th infantry divisions and as an intelligence officer in the 29th Infantry Division (Light). Dr Forczyk is currently a consultant in the Washington, DC area.

Adam Hook studied graphic design, and began his work as an illustrator in 1983. He specializes in detailed historical reconstructions, and has illustrated Osprey titles on subjects as diverse as the Aztecs, the Ancient Greeks, Roman battle tactics, 19th-century American subjects, the modern Chinese Army, and the history of fortification. His work features in exhibitions and publications throughout the world.

Product details

  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Osprey Publishing; Illustrated edition (July 13, 2005)
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • Paperback ‏ : ‎ 96 pages
  • ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 1841769193
  • ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1841769196
  • Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 11.2 ounces
  • Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 7.24 x 0.24 x 9.88 inches
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.7 4.7 out of 5 stars 21 ratings

About the author

Follow authors to get new release updates, plus improved recommendations.
Robert Forczyk
Brief content visible, double tap to read full content.
Full content visible, double tap to read brief content.

Discover more of the author’s books, see similar authors, read book recommendations and more.

Customer reviews

4.7 out of 5 stars
21 global ratings

Review this product

Share your thoughts with other customers

Customers say

Customers find the book provides great detail on the battles, leaders, and weapons involved. It lays out tactics and maneuvers of each side clearly, providing an overview of the campaign. The illustrations are described as fine and inspiring. Opinions differ on the effectiveness of the book, with some finding it excellent and refreshing, while others mention issues like politics, inept strategy, operational incompetence, and tactical errors.

AI-generated from the text of customer reviews

5 customers mention "Detail"5 positive0 negative

Customers find the book provides good detail on the battles, leaders, and weapons involved. It explains tactics and maneuvers of each side clearly. The book provides a general overview of the campaign and Napoleon's part in it, using maps and time lines. Overall, it is considered a fine entry in the Osprey Campaign series.

"Great detail on the battles -leaders and weapons involved" Read more

"...Battles take place over space and time: use maps and time-lines...." Read more

"...The book does a nice job of laying out the tactics and maneuvers of each side. At the outset, there was a "back and forth" element to the combat...." Read more

"...A somewhat generalized overview of the campaign and Napoleon's part in it. Good maps, contemporary illustrations and models of the forts...." Read more

3 customers mention "Illustrations"3 positive0 negative

Customers like the illustrations. They appreciate the fine artwork and showmanship.

"...Many of the illustrations are period paintings--photography was in its infancy and battlefield photographs were in the future...." Read more

"...Good maps, contemporary illustrations and models of the forts...." Read more

"...even at this early stage of his career he understood that display, showmanship, and inspiring gestures - even if militarily ineffective - provide..." Read more

3 customers mention "Effectiveness"2 positive1 negative

Customers have mixed views on the book's effectiveness. Some find it an excellent work that provides a refreshing perspective. Others mention issues with politics, inept strategy, operational incompetence, and tactical errors.

"...Toulon was an early and rare success, and young Napoleon Bonaparte was a part of this success...." Read more

"...He provides many examples of poor politics, inept strategy, operational incompetence, and tactical errors...." Read more

"...all in all, however, this osprey effort is an excellent work and provides a refreshingly new viewpoint of a much-studied battle...." Read more

Top reviews from the United States

  • Reviewed in the United States on April 24, 2024
    Great detail on the battles -leaders and weapons involved
  • Reviewed in the United States on July 18, 2006
    The infant French Republic was in trouble. Internal revolt and enemies on all frontiers could have spelled the end of France as a nation. One flashpoint was a major French naval depot on the Mediterranean, Toulon. Admiral Hood had been directed with neutralizing the French Mediterranean fleet when an anti-Jacobin revolt virtually handed Britain that fleet. Spain, allied with Britain because of the anti-Catholic, anti-monarchical bent of the French Republic, sent the bulk of allied ground and naval forces to Toulon--with a slightly different agenda. There were also contingents from the city-states of "Italy" (not quite a nation at the time) and other European states--including several anti-Jacobin French factions. The French forces were not much more united.

    A young artillery captain from Corsica, Napoleon Bonaparte, stepped into this stew of intrigue and opportunity. The French Republic had dual command chains, a fore-taste of the Soviet political commisair, the "representitives on mission"--a neccesary evil because the "true believers" of the Republic often lacked military skills and the professional military officers didn't always demonstrate adequate loyalty to the Republican government in Paris. Robert Forczyk achieves something unusual in popular histories--he does not chose a side in the campaign. It is rare that a historian treats all the antagonists as humans. The normal thing is to label one side "the good guys" and demonize the other. This even-handed approach is usually more accurate because chosing sides frequently means ignoring the "hero's" many flaws and playing up any petty little vice of the "villians." Both sides in the Toulon campaign had their share of vices. Napoleon, for instance, started off as a minor officer who had been more-or-less AWOL since being commissioned. Napoleon made connections with the Republican government and played up his own successes. At the end of the campaign, as a wounded war hero, Napolean's star was ascending.

    I don't know much about the era of Napoleon--World War Two is my specialty. However, it seemed that everyone wanted to be the next Napolean. Santa Ana of Mexico was the Napoleon of the West. Adolf Hitler was an admirer of Napoleon. The old joke is that mental hospitals are filled with men who think they're Napolean. Somewhere in my library resides "Napoleon's Maxims," a reprint of a popular American Civil War manual. Forczyk painted Napoleon as a subordinate officer during Toulon--Napoleon didn't remain subordinate!

    Illustrator Adam Hook's dramatic "The Storming of Fort Mulgrave" and "The Batterry de la Montagne Opens Fire on the Allied Fleet" add visual drama. On of my reasons for buying Osprey is the fine illustrations. The reproduced drawing on Page 24 depicts the ragged nature of 18th Century "uniforms."

    Page 12's chronology, like the maps, helps organize the campaign's chaos for the reader. Battles take place over space and time: use maps and time-lines. I'm still involved with military operations, and even minor training exercises get confusing due to the complexity of many moving parts going in different directions. Don't ask me to tell you about my National Guard drill of last weekend--I don't have a good timeline to explain the entire thing. Isn't it funny that the events of two centuries ago can be more "clear" than last week's adventures? Don't overlook the Order of Battle (pages 29-32).

    "Toulon 1793: Napoleon's first great victory" has a bibliography (with many of the sources in French rather than English) and a useful index. Seven maps and two "bird's eye view maps" helped me make sense of the confused and chaotic fighting that took months to resolve. Photos include some taken by the author at the Musee de la Marine in Toulon and the Musee de l'Armee in Paris (including the Musee de la Relief in the attic of The French Army Museum at Les Invalides)--worth the extra time and cost for military historians visiting Paris). Many of the illustrations are period paintings--photography was in its infancy and battlefield photographs were in the future. Speaking of "future," Forczyk devotes a short chapter to Toulon of today. The copyright date is 2005, so if you visit the French Meiterranean you can see the battleground yourself. Forczyk writes that there isn't much left, and that the museums are open only part of the year. I can vouch for that! When I visited the Hotel des Invaildes, Napoleon's Tomb was undergoing renovations and closed to the public. Warning to tourists: Toulon can be dangerous to the careless visitor. Take the same basic security precautions that you would when visiting any major American city.

    Most of "Toulon 1793" is about the battle for the port city of Toulon. Napoleon's rising star is but a part of this battle. Historians do not like to speculate "what if" because "what was" isn't always clear. Forczyk comments on logistics and the failure of the British to interdict coastal supply routes. He provides many examples of poor politics, inept strategy, operational incompetence, and tactical errors. When the British and allies evacuated Toulon, they failed to destroy the French fleet and port. It's all part of the friction of war. History helps lift some of war's fog, but after the fact.
    5 people found this helpful
    Report
  • Reviewed in the United States on February 29, 2020
    Thank you all very much from South Korea.
  • Reviewed in the United States on November 2, 2013
    The subtitle: "Napoleon's first great victory." A bit of hyperbole? Maybe not. He was only an artillery commander, a Lieutenant Colonel. But he did play a key role in the siege of Toulon. The book is well written by Robert Forczyk. In a number of the Osprey books on Napoleon's battles, one gets lost in a welter of detail--whose brigade is where, over and over, until one loses sight of what was going on during the battle.

    French forces had not been very successful in combat after the overthrow of the king. Toulon was an early and rare success, and young Napoleon Bonaparte was a part of this success. One of the points made in this book is that a number of relatively low ranking officers--such as Massena and Victor and Marmot--later became senior officers under Napoleon.

    The siege of Toulon was a muddle for the Allied forces. There were three commanders of ground forces, two of whom were undistinguished at Toulon--Mulgrave, O'Hara (who surrendered for the British forces at Yorktown), and Dundas. Admiral Graves, who had performed badly in the sea battle that doomed Yorktown, was the chief naval officer. It is worth noting that one of the junior naval officers, Horatio Nelson, did quite well for the British forces later. In addition, there were Spanish, Neapolitan, Sardinian, and French rebel forces defending Toulon. A mixed lot with varying degrees of combat competence. French forces? An unstable command structure, with revolving commanders. Reinforcements arrives for both aides, but the French heavily outnumber the Allied forces as the battle become most intense.

    The book does a nice job of laying out the tactics and maneuvers of each side. At the outset, there was a "back and forth" element to the combat. Later, with General Dugommier taking command, the French forces did much better. In November and December of 1793, the French became more aggressive. Ultimately, they attacked the Allies in a complex but pretty successful movement. Napoleon took an important role in leading an attack (although he was scarcely the only one who performed well). Thus began Napoleon's career as a leader of French forces.

    This is a fine entry in the Osprey Campaign series.
    One person found this helpful
    Report

Top reviews from other countries

Translate all reviews to English
  • Antonio Gómez
    5.0 out of 5 stars Desmitificador, Apasionante y Ajustado
    Reviewed in Spain on May 19, 2022
    Una obra de lo más curiosa, que puntualiza una campaña que siempre se contempla de soslayo, y que aquí se narra con la profundidad adecuada. Un buen análisis de la figura de un Napoleón que aquí maniobraba más en lo político que en lo militar, una extensa y de lo más interesante disertación sobre la coalición aliada, y unos apuntes de lo más impresionantes sobre la participación española, que rompe con la historiografía tradicional anglosajona. Dibujos y mapas excelentes. De lo más recomendable.
  • Tim
    4.0 out of 5 stars Four Stars
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on July 23, 2018
    good source if you wish to visit the battle field
  • S.M.
    3.0 out of 5 stars Introduction au siège du début de la légende napoléonienne
    Reviewed in France on June 16, 2014
    Le Osprey de la collection Campaign sur le siège de Toulon (1793) est signé Robert Forczyk, ancien officier de l'US Army, qui écrit plutôt d'habitude sur la Seconde Guerre mondiale et en particulier sur le front de l'est. C'est donc avec un peu de curiosité que j'ai relu son volume sur cette bataille, qui n'est pas a priori dans sa période de spécialiste.

    Toulon se soulève contre Paris et rejette la domination des Montagnards à partir du mois d'août 1793. La ville ouvre le port à la flotte anglaise de l'amiral Hood, qui avait hésité à venir au secours de Marseille, bientôt reprise par la Convention. La situation dans la ville est confuse puisque les marins français doivent être désarmés en urgence, n'étant pas exactement d'accord avec la nouvelle orientation politique de la municipalité. Les Anglais sont bientôt renforcés de navires et de troupes espagnols.

    La Convention souhaite avant tout reprendre la ville et l'armée engagée n'a pas véritablement de plan à long terme, comptant sur un siège facile. Les difficultés initiales du siège de Toulon vont permettre à plusieurs jeunes officiers de se distinguer. Pour les Anglais, Toulon, siège mené plus par la flotte que par l'armée, n'est qu'un front secondaire, et l'effort de coalition est assez inefficace. Les Espagnols, eux aussi, ne souhaitent pas voir les Anglais dominer les mers... Les premiers commandants français, Carteaux et Doppet, se révèlent inadaptés au siège : seule l'arrivée de Dugommier, ancien officier de ligne, galvanisera les énergies. Les chefs de divisions sont plus compétents. Au niveau subalterne, c'est l'occasion de s'affirmer pour Napoléon Bonaparte, mais on trouve aussi plusieurs de ses futurs maréchaux ou généraux : Marmont, Victor, Suchet, Masséna et Junot. Les représentants en mission, Barras, Fréron, Salicetti, ont un rôle important car leurs pouvoirs dictatoriaux leur permettent d'évincer les officiers incompétents pour promouvoir des subordonnés plus agressifs. En face, le commandement allié est inégal, aussi bien sur terre que sur mer, mais on compte des officiers éminents comme le général O'Hara ou Nelson.

    L'armée française qui réalise le siège est surtout composée de volontaires, et de quelques unités de ligne ; plusieurs dizaines de milliers d'hommes au final. Le bataillon reste l'unité de base. Les Français disposent d'une puissante artillerie : plus de 100 pièces et 1 600 hommes à la fin du siège. Ils peuvent compter sur un système de dépôts même si certains ont été pris par l'adversaire. En face, l'armée britannique, encore réduite, n'engage que 2 500 fantassins ou fusiliers marins en défense, avec près de 50 vaisseaux de guerre. Ce sont les Espagnols qui sont les plus nombreux : plus de 6 500 hommes, 23 bâtiments, plus d'un millier de fusiliers marins. Le reste de la garnison est composé de Napolitains (plus de 4 000 hommes) et de Sardes (1 500 hommes). A partir du 7 septembre, les Alliés lèvent un bataillon français anti-républicain, le Royal Louis. En tout, la défense compte 17 500 hommes, mais seulement 7 500 sont vraiment opérationnels.

    L'attaque française initiale se heurte à la puissante artillerie capturée par les alliés et au manque de renseignements sur la défense de la ville. L'encerclement est long et incertain : Carteaux, qui tente d'avancer par la gorge d'Ollioules, est repoussé. Son chef d'artillerie étant hors de combat, la situation est un don du ciel pour Bonaparte, qui sait déjà jouer de ses relations politiques et organiser sa propre légende. Récupérant des canons de marine abandonnés dans les places côtières, il organise des batteries aux noms jacobins et fait tirer sur les vaisseaux anglais et espagnols dans la baie. Les Anglais, eux, doivent évacuer les 5 000 marins français désarmés qui posent un problème de sécurité ; mais ils ne font pas confiance aux autorités de la ville. Les alliés occupent le Point de l'Eguillette pour empêcher que Bonaparte y installe des canons qui fermeraient le port intérieur. Fin septembre, 15 000 assiégeants font face à 8-9 000 assiégés bien ravitaillés par mer.

    Le 30 septembre, les Français tentent d'emporter le mont Faron, au nord de Toulon, mais ils sont repoussés. Les Anglais font ensuite une sortie importante contre l'une des batteries. Le 14 octobre, un engagement mineur dégénère en bataille rangée. La garnison souffre de la maladie. Fin octobre, des changements de commandement interviennent des deux côtés - c'est le 18 que Napoléon prend la tête de toute l'artillerie à Toulon et aux alentours. La chute de Lyon et les renforts portent les Français à 25 000 hommes. Les Anglais dispersent leur flotte pour d'autres missions en Méditerranée et seuls les Espagnols restent concentrés sur Toulon.

    Dugommier prend le commandement le 16 novembre et le siège s'accélère. Les Anglais ont mal interprété les efforts français : ils croient que l'attention est sur le fort Malbousquet alors qu'elle est en fait sur le fort Mulgrave. Une sortie, le 30 novembre, se termine en désastre, avec près de 500 pertes, dont de nombreux officiers. L'assaut final engage trois colonnes principales contre les défenses. Dans la nuit du 17 au 18 décembre, le fort Mulgrave est emporté, notamment par l'engagement de la réserve commandée par Bonaparte, blessé dans le combat. A l'est et au nord, le mont Faron et ses forts sont enfin pris, menaçant l'ensemble du périmètre allié, car certaines troupes commencent aussi à retraiter vers la mer. Faute de temps et de préparatifs, les destructions à l'arsenal et à la flotte de Toulon restent limitées. En tout, les Alliés perdent de 4 à 5 000 hommes à Toulon, pour 500 morts français et 1 200 blessés.

    La ville est soumise à la Terreur, débaptisée. Si une bonne partie de la flotte de la Méditerrannée a été perdu, l'arsenal continue à produire des navires, et l'expédition d'Egypte de Bonaparte n'aurait pu se faire sans sa contribution. Les Alliés ont perdu l'occasion de détruire ce port faute de stratégie cohérente. Les Français, au contraire, battent les Britanniques et montrent combien ils ont progressé sur le plan militaire. Bonaparte y entame son brillant parcours et rassemble autour de lui les hommes qui le serviront plus tard.

    Une bonne introduction au final, servie par les nouvelles cartes en 3D d'Osprey où les phases de la bataille sont décomposées avec des numéros et triangles jaunes, ce qui est beaucoup plus commode que l'ancien système (même si certains numéros sont au milieu des cartes et quasiment illisibles : des cartes plus petites sur une page seraient sans doute parfois plus adaptées). On notera toutefois que la bibliographie, surtout étrangère (alors qu'il existe manifestement nombre d'ouvrages français à consulter, et le livre est un peu faible sur le contexte français, en conséquence), est parfois un peu datée. Il faudrait lire des ouvrages plus savants afin d'en savoir plus...