This book will provide a careful analysis of the preparation of the French troops from manual regulations to the training ground, as well a study of the changing quality of command and control within the army. Initially this ensured that the French infantry were virtually unstoppable and for several years they enjoyed blistering triumphs at Austerlitz and Jena. Paddy Griffiths explores the role of the French infantry at the apex of their powers and their role in these key battles. However, he also provides a detailed explanation of their eventual decline until their final defeat at Waterloo providing a critical overview of French Napoleonic Infantry tactics.