Provides background information on what led to the Austrian campaign, discusses tactics and strategies used during battle, and examines the consequences of the war The Franco-Austrian War of 1809 has been relatively neglected by English-language scholars. This work focuses not on the climactic battles of Aspern-Essling and Wagram, as would be expected, but on the earlier operations that culminated in the Battle of Eckmuhl and the storming of Ratisbonne (Regensburg). Arnold's interpretation of the war's origins in terms of Talleyrand's betrayal of Napoleon is one-sided. He offers, however, an excellent portrait of a French army and emperor just past their peaks of 1805-07, yet significantly superior to their foes. Austria's military improvement meant that Napoleon was no longer master of the battlefield. He could, however, still dominate a theater of operations, outmaneuvering enemies it had become harder to fight. This work effectively complements Gunther Rothenberg's biography of Archduke Karl, Napoleon's Great Adversaries (Indiana Univ. Pr., 1982). - Dennis E. Showalter, Colorado Coll., Colorado Springs Copyright 1990 Reed Business Information, Inc.