Reference Material
Every wargames project needs a good reference book. Aspern-Essling
has a good few wargames-friendly books to guide the project along.
Mouse-over book covers for comment.
Aspern and Wagram 1809
Ian Castle’s Osprey publications Aspern & Wagram 1809 and Eckmühl 1809 are wargames
project must-buys; clearly written and the best place for the 1809 wargamer to start. To
quote Gunther Rothenberg: “For the main battles in Bavaria and on the Marchfield,
there are two outstanding studies by the same author, Ian Castle.”
Gilles Boué’s Essling
Essling is a French translation. You know that already because it’s not called Aspern! It’s
a lazy translation and edit, unfortunately, and there’s nearly some kind of blooper or
typo on every page, the most glowing being the chapter heading “22 May 1807: A
Bridge Too Far.” And my favourite: “Archduke Charles knew everything about
everything.” (page 25) Nevertheless, it’s wargames friendly and its focus on Aspern-
Essling makes it a valuable addition to Ian Castle’s book and has lots of interesting extra
detail. Includes some handy uniform reference in colour for both armies.
John Gill’s Thunder on the Danube Series
I bought John Gill’s three volumes in April 2012. So
comparatively late in my project and after an awful lot of other
reading. Gill’s books are very detailed. Do wargamers ever get all
the detail they want? No, but these books deliver fact after fact
and are an absolute must-buy for the 1809 devotee. Not a first-
read, as other books serve better as introductions, but Gill’s books are the English
speaker’s bible of the Franco-Austrian War of 1809 and a great investment. The
total price is daunting, though, which explains my hesitant purchase. My patience
paid off and I was lucky to buy less-than-half-price like new copies.
Gunther Rothenberg
Gunther Rothenberg’s Napoleon’s Great Adversary (1978) was described by Ian Castle
in 1994 as, “Most comprehensive account of Austrian army available in English.”
Rothenberg’s The Emperor’s Last Victory (2004) is a narrative of the campaign and can
be picked up very cheaply as a pocket-sized paperback for handy 1809 reading.
Osprey Publications
Love them or just read them without admitting it, where would wargames be without
Osprey publications and their uniform reference? There’s a whole knapsack full of
Napoleonic titles to get hold of, or wonder where you’d be without them.
James R. Arnold
Crisis on the Danube is James Arnold’s account of the first phase of the Danube campaign
and was his first Napoleonic book, published in 1990. A new edition was produced in
2009 to coincide with the anniversary of the 1809 campaign. A treat for the 1809
enthusiast is that Napoleon Conquers Austria (the sequel to Crisis on the Danube) is due to
be re-published in 2013, this time with better maps and orders of battle than the first
edition of 1995. Arnold’s style is very readable and gripping and his research,
meticulous and thorough. Not the first time, Arnold’s literary flair has the ability to
inspire a Napoleonic wargames adventure.
