Napoleon and Blucher

One of the key takeaways about Blucher is his patience. He was let go from his military career and had to wait well over a decade before he returned to a military position. He advanced slowly through the ranks, only to get a major command fairly late in his life. The book does a nice job of describing the arc of his life--from his youth through his own developing family life and so on. But it is also focused on his military career. He rose through the ranks, making a name for himself as a leader of a cavalry unit; he often led from the front and earned the respect of his men. Over time, he took part in some of the most important battles of the day--Jena, Auerstedt, Leipzig, and Ligny/Waterloo. Sometimes, he took his licks; other times he was triumphant. Despite his advanced age, he adopted more "modern" military principles, somewhat akin to Napoleon's body of work. The book explores his military vision, his successes, and his failures. The last chapter is something like a "lessons learned" about Blucher's craft.