Title: Asprey's "Rise" Left Me Flat
Review: First off, let me say that I am not an avid reader of biographies. But when a compelling, beautifully written biography like Edmund Morris's "The Rise of Theodore Roosevelt" or Antonia Fraser's "Marie Antoniette" comes along, I devour it happily. I did not find Robert Asprey's "The Rise of Napoleon" to be that kind of book at all. This is a military history, first and foremost. If you want to know (and can keep track of) every move of every division of every army in which Napoleon ever fought, or fought against, this book is for you. I wanted much more personal information, much more about the inner thoughts of the man and what might have made him tick. Nor does Asprey do much towards explaining the world in which Napoleon lived or the political forces that made him what he became. Honestly, I couldn't finish this first volume, and will certainly not go on to read the second.
Is this product review negative?