Napoleonic Wars in Cartoons

‘Mark Bryant has done it again. He has shown that one of the best ways of learning history is to look at cartoons. …All this is made clear in this brilliant and concise account…Each cartoon tells a tale, expertly described by Bryant…This is an exhilarating way to learn about the Napoleonic Wars…This beautifully produced book is a treasure – plunder it!’ Lord Baker of Dorking, Cartoon Museum News

‘A veritable feast…so full of interest on every page. For those interested in the social commentary of the period, or for someone who just wants a book to dip into, to flick through the pages and admire the prints, I can think of no better example at such an affordable price as this. A book which you can pick up and enjoy time after time.’ Keith Oliver, Napoleonic Association

‘A fascinating portrait not only of Napoleon but of Britain in the 19th century.’ Catholic Herald

Napoleon Bonaparte was the most caricatured figure of his time, with almost 1,000 satirical drawings about his exploits being produced by British artists alone. The diminutive, pugnacious French emperor was a gift to cartoonists and the Napoleonic Wars were the main topic of interest for some of the greatest artists of ‘The Golden Age of Caricature’. Indeed James Gillray’s The Plumb-Pudding in Danger (1805) – featuring British Prime Minister William Pitt and ‘Little Boney’ carving up the globe in the form of a Christmas pudding – is not only one of the best known political cartoons of all time but is also one of the most parodied and is still being adapted today by cartoonists worldwide. Napoleonic Wars in Cartoons is divided into chapters each prefaced with a concise introduction that provides an historical framework for the drawings of that period. Altogether more than 300 cartoons and caricatures from both sides of the conflicts, in color and black-and-white, have been skillfully blended to produce a unique visual history.