Hi Bernard, My knowledge of Napoleon is quite thin, fed mostly indeed by Sharpe and his exploits. Prior to discovering Sharpe I had the vague impression that Napoleon had a reputation as a military genius. And given that he conquered most of Europe I guess this reputation may have some foundation. However, from reading Sharpe it appears from Talavera to Waterloo (and please correct me if I am wrong), Napoleon seemed to more or less have one tactic and one tactic only in facing Wellington on the battlefield, namely the frontal assault in column formation with a dependence on weight of numbers as much as anything else. The tactic failed at Talavera and though damn close at Waterloo failed also. My question&why didnt Napoleon modify his tactics when facing the British lines as the years went on? Was Napoleon that great a military tactician after all? Regards Willie