The Austrian Army fought Napoleon in more major campaigns and battles than any other, either alone or as part of successive Allied coalitions. This book examines the multi-national character of the army that makes it intriguing and colourful - the Austrian generals were a much more varied group, in background and character, than those of many other armies of the day. They were far from all being Germanic princes and nobles; many were Western "soldiers of fortune" or exiles, of German, French or even Anglo-Irish background; some were from the East - Hungarians and Yugoslavians; some were of humble birth - including one who rose from common soldier to chief of staff.

The book describes commanders of the most famous Napoleonic battles including Marengo, Austerlitz, Aspem-Essling, Wagram and Leipzig, analyzing how individual strengths, weaknesses and characters affected the outcome of many of the most famous battles of the day.