Electronic Precinct - March 1996

Historian wins International Award

In July 1995 Dr Charles Esdaile of the Department of History published a major study of Napoleonic Europe entitled 'The Wars of Napoleon'. This is an important volume which breaks new ground in its field: despite the misleading title, it is not a mere campaign history, but rather an attempt to re-examine established notions of the impact of French expansion under the Revolution and Napoleon on the continent of Europe. Essentially the work breaks down into two sections. First of all the nature of the French challenge is subjected to a ruthless analysis that completely dispells the romantic picture painted by the Napoleonic legend - far from a liberator who spread the ideals of the Revolution to the four corners of Europe, Napoleon is revealed as a ruthless conqueror who essentially sought to turn the whole of Europe into a gigantic spoils system. Having established the implications of Napoleonic rule, Dr Esdaile goes on to examine both its impact on the states and societies which it affected and the responses which it provoked - collaboration, popular resistance, enlightened reform, and political revolution.

Such a work being certain to promote much debate, and, even more importantly, to encourage further research into Napoleonic Europe (a field that has tended to be overshadowed by the far greater attention paid to the French Revolution), it is fitting that it should be singled out for major recognition, Dr Esdaile has just been granted one of two literary awards offered by the International Napoleonic Society - a prestigious international group established to further the study of the Revolutionary and Napoleonic epoch by the Canadian millionaire, philanthropist, and historian, Ben Weider in 1995 - for works of outstanding academic merit. At the same time, Dr Esdaile has also been made a Fellow of the society in recognition of the major contribution that he has made to its field of interest - in addition to 'The Wars of Napoleon', he is the author of two books on Napoleonic Spain, not to mention numerous articles and reviews, has presented papers at conferences in the United States, Spain, Portugal and the Czech Republic, and in 1987 organised a major international conference on the life and times of the Duke of Wellington at the University of Southampton. Primarily a hispanist despite his strong interest in the Napoleonic era, Dr Esdaile is currently engaged in writing a history of modern Spain from 1808 to 1939.