Napoleon: The Path to Power 1769-1799

Pb, in-8, 651 pp., illustrations in BW, map of the campaign in Northern Italy (1796-97), map of the campaign in Egypt and Syria (1798-99): Alexandria, Cairo, Katia, El Arish, Rafah, Gaza, Ramle, Jaffa, Haifa, St John of Acre, Nazareth. With bibliography and index. Dwyer,who studied under Jean Tulard, explains that the path to power is paved with murder, rape, massacre (at Jaffa), theft, lies, pillage and looting, ... Napoleon was the first to pay his troops in hard cash, without the Directoire's consent. (226-227) Requisitioning of art in Italy: two different methods: simple pillage or demands in the context of a treaty. (236) In Egypt and Syria the troops faced the plague. Well-written and meticulously rechearched.