Austerlitz, Wagram, Borodino, Trafalgar, Leipzig, Waterloo: these are the places most closely associated with the era of the Napoleonic Wars. But how did this period of nearly continuous conflict affect the world beyond Europe? The immensity of the fighting waged by France against England, Prussia, Austria, and Russia, and the immediate consequences of the tremors that spread throughout the world. In this ambitious and far-ranging work, Alexander Mikaberidze argues that the Napoleonic Wars can only be fully understood in an international perspective. France struggled for dominance not only on the plains of Europe but also in the Americas, West and South Africa, Ottoman Empire, Iran, India, Indonesia, the Philippines, Mediterranean Sea, and the Atlantic and Indian Oceans. Taking specific regions in turn, Mikaberidze discusses major political-military events around the world and situates geopolitical decision-making within its long- and short-term contexts. From the British expeditions to Argentina and South Africa to the Franco-Russian maneuvering in the Ottoman Empire, the effects of the French Revolution and Napoleonic Wars would shape international affairs well into the next century. In Egypt, the wars led to the rise of Mehmed Ali and the emergence of a powerful state; in North America, the period transformed and enlarged the newly established United States; and in South America, the Spanish colonial empire witnessed the start of national-liberation movements that ultimately ended imperial control. Skillfully narrated and deeply researched, here at last is the global history of the period, one that expands our view of the Napoleonic Wars and their role in laying the foundations of the modern world. "To grasp this changing world and understand Newman's response to it, Mikaberidze's The Napoleonic Wars is a great place to start." -- GEERTJAN ZUIJDWEGT, Katholieke Universiteit Leuven, newman studies journal "...Mikaberidze (Louisiana State Univ., Shreveport) offers a pathbreaking, genuinely global geopolitical narrative that pursues history down numerous remote pathways." -- CHOICE "In this extraordinary work of scholarship, Mikaberidze provides vital context and global perspective to the epic struggle between France and its European competitors until Napoleon's defeat at Waterloo in 1815." -- Foreign Affairs (Books of the Year) "Mikaberidze offers a clear, accurate, up-to-date and richly detailed narrative of the Napoleonic Wars. If you want a thumbnail sketch of the Battle of Austerlitz, a quick explanation of the reason the Franco-British Peace of Amiens broke down in 1803, or to learn how many horses Napoleon lost in Russia (200,000), look no further." -- David A. Bell, London Review of Books "Engrossing and authoritative" -- Brendan Simms, The Times Literary Supplement "An outstanding book for anyone interested in the French Wars or 'Big History'." -- Albert Nofi, Strategy Page "In this thousand-page tour de force, researched in over a dozen languages with 189 pages of notes, the exceptionally talented Georgian-American historian Alexander Mikaberidze, a professor at Louisiana State University Shreveport, revisits a foundational conflict in the modern world, the veritable 'world war' unleashed by the French Revolution and dominated by the towering figure of Napoleon Bonaparte." -- Paul du Quenoy, American Conservative "Alexander Mikaberidze ...argues persuasively in THE NAPOLEONIC WARS : A Global History that the deepest and longest-lasting effects of the 23 years of fighting actually occurred outside Europe." -- Thomas Ricks, The New York Times Review of Books "an impressive reinterpretation of the wars of the French Revolution and Napoleon (1792-1815) ... An outstand book for anyone interested in the French Wars or "Big History"." -- A. A. Nofi, NYMAS Review "Far broader and deeper in scope than any previous history of the Napoleonic Wars, Alexander Mikaberidze has produced a true masterpiece. He proves conclusively how intimately interconnected the events of the great struggle were, not just in Europe but also encompassing the Americas, Africa, the Middle East, Iran, India, China and Japan. He rightly argues that as an agent for social change, the Napoleonic Wars were the most important thing to have taken place between the Reformation and World War I. With his mastery of the myriad sources in multiple languages, Mikaberidze reminds us what first-class scholarship can do to our perceptions of an important subject when allied to excellent writing. This book will be an instant modern classic." --Prof Andrew Roberts, author of Churchill: Walking with Destiny "An entirely rewarding history of a Europe-based struggle that "influenced the course of events across the globe."" -- Kirkus , Starred Review "Through his mastery of international bibliography (facilitated by his knowledge of several languages), his expertise in political, diplomatic and military affairs (though we did n