Here, in one volume, is the essence of Napoleon's knowledge and wisdom, the fruit of his practical experience and his study of the great empire-builders from Alexander to Frederick the Great. David G. Chandler has updated the best among previous editions of Napoleon's maxims: the work produced in 1901 by William E. Cairnes, who selected the most insightful and authentic of the maxims and annotated each of them. In the process Cairnes considered the great captains who had influenced Napoleon's thinking as well as the impact of his teachings on the conduct of war since his death. In addition to his penetrating introduction, Chandler has contributed further commentaries that examine Napoleon's work from the 20th-century perspective of the two world wars, Vietnam, the Falklands, and other conflicts, and analyzes the ways in which commanders have observed or failed to observe Napoleon's teachings. Now every military student and enthusiast can benefit from the brilliance of Napoleonic insight and wisdom.