Napoleon's Guard

Napoleon's Guard
Author: Philip Haythornthwaite
Publisher: Osprey Publishing
Total Pages: 0
Release: 2000-04-25
Genre: History
ISBN: 9781841761312

Napoleon's Imperial Guard was the elite corps of the French Army. The Guard differed from the guard corps of other European sovereigns of the period, in that its function was rather functional than ceremonial, and its expansion was such that it came to represent a considerable portion of France's military establishment. By supplying personnel to other units, it functioned as a training school for the remainder of the army, yet the elite status of the guard did little to protect its soldiers from the rigours of combat in the brutal Napoleonic Wars.

Napoleon's Mercenaries

Napoleon's Mercenaries
Author: Guy Dempsey
Publisher: Pen and Sword
Total Pages: 462
Release: 2016-02-29
Genre: History
ISBN: 1784380199

This superb and comprehensive book details the foreign units which formed such an important part of Napoleon's forces. It examines each non-French unit in turn, giving an overview of the unit's origins, its organizational and combat history, its uniforms and standards, and details of the unit's eventual fate. Colourful accounts, taken from contemporary reports and memoirs, emphasize the qualities of the unit and throw light on what life was like for many of the foreign soldiers recruited into the Grande Armée. In total more than 100 different foreign units that served in the French Army are investigated in detail in this ambitious publication. Some foreign units fought and flourished throughout the Consulate and Empire, whilst others lasted for just a few months. Covers Polish, German, Swiss, Italian, Spanish, and other units in the French Army and presents a combat history and details uniforms for each regiment. Napoleon's Mercenaries is the best single-volume study of this aspect of Napoleon s army and a vital reference for every Napoleonic enthusiast. Little can be found on the foreign units that were an integral part of the French army ... For a long time a gap has existed, but now Napoleon s Mercenaries fills this gap. Robert Burnham, Napoleonic Series

Napoleon's Red Lancers

Napoleon's Red Lancers
Author: Ronald Pawly
Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing
Total Pages: 118
Release: 2012-03-20
Genre: History
ISBN: 1780965575

The legendary Dutch 'Red' Lancers – the 2nd Light Horse Lancers of Napoleon's Imperial Guard – were formed in 1810 after the emperor annexed Holland and its army to France. The former hussars of the Dutch Royal Guard got a handsome new uniform, a new weapon, and a hard-driving new colonel in Baron Edouard Colbert. His lancers distinguished themselves in Russia in 1812, at huge cost; in Germany in 1813, and in the Low Countries in 1814. When Napoleon returned from exile in 1815 the Red Lancers were with him until night fell over Waterloo. Ronald Pawly is the world's leading expert on the archival and pictorial record left by this regiment; his detailed text is illustrated with rare portraits and photographs, and eight glowing colour plates of a surprisingly wide variety of uniforms.

The Art of Giuseppe Rava

The Art of Giuseppe Rava
Author: Giuseppe Rava
Publisher:
Total Pages: 0
Release: 2023-06-19
Genre:
ISBN: 9781958872215

A compilation of the art of Giuseppe Rava

Napoleon's Imperial Guard Uniforms and Equipment. Volume 1

Napoleon's Imperial Guard Uniforms and Equipment. Volume 1
Author: Paul L. Dawson
Publisher: Pen and Sword
Total Pages: 653
Release: 2019-08-30
Genre: History
ISBN: 1526701936

The author of Battle for Paris 1815 examines the uniforms and equipment of the infantry of Napoleon’s Imperial Guard. From its origins as the Consular Guard of the French Republic, and as Napoleon’s personal bodyguard, the Imperial Guard developed into a force of all arms numbering almost 100,000 men. Used by Napoleon as his principal tactical reserve, the Guard was engaged only sparingly, being deployed at the crucial moment of battle to turn the tide of victory in favor of the Emperor of the French. Naturally, the Imperial Guard has been the subject of numerous books over many decades, yet there has never been a publication that has investigated the uniforms and equipment of the infantry of the Imperial Guard with such detail and precision. The author has collected copies of almost all the surviving documents relating to the Guard, which includes a vast amount of material regarding the issuing of dress items, in some instances down to company level. This information is supported by an unrivaled collection of illustrations, many of which have never been published before, as well as images of original items of equipment held in museums and private collections across the globe. In addition, the renowned military artist, Keith Rocco, has produced a series of unique paintings commissioned exclusively for this book. This glorious book is, and will remain, unsurpassed as the standard work on the clothing and equipment of the Imperial Guard, and will not only be invaluable to historians, but also reenactors, wargamers and modelers. It is one of the most important publications ever produced on this most famous of military formations.

Napoleon's Imperial Guard Uniforms and Equipment. Volume 2

Napoleon's Imperial Guard Uniforms and Equipment. Volume 2
Author: Paul L. Dawson
Publisher: Frontline Books
Total Pages:
Release: 2019-11-19
Genre: History
ISBN: 9781526708960

Few military formations have attracted more attention than Napoleon's Imperial Guard, and fewer still have been so extravagantly clothed and accoutred with the finest materials and the brightest colours. On both campaign and parade, the Guard, and especially the cavalry regiments, provided a dazzling display of military grandeur. From the green and gold trappings of the Chasseurs à Cheval, to the multi-coloured Mamelukes, the Guard cavalry was among the most brilliantly dressed formations ever to grace the field of battle. In compiling this magnificent volume, the author has collected copies of almost all the surviving documents relating to the Guard, which includes a vast amount of material regarding the issuing of dress items, even in some instances down to company level. This information is supported by around 100 contemporary prints, many of which have never been published before, as well as images of original items of equipment held in museums and private collections across the globe. In addition, the renown military artist, Keith Rocco has produced a series of unique paintings commissioned exclusively for this book. This glorious book is, and will remain, unsurpassed as the standard work on the clothing and equipment of the Cavalry of the Imperial Guard, and will be eagerly sought by reenactors, wargamers and modellers, and will sit on the book shelves of historians and enthusiasts as one of the most important publications ever produced on this most famous of military formations.

Napoleon's Army, 1807-1814

Napoleon's Army, 1807-1814
Author: Guy C. Dempsey
Publisher: Weidenfeld & Nicolson
Total Pages: 192
Release: 1997
Genre: Military uniforms
ISBN: 9781854094896

The fine detail and accurate colour of these 162 paintings were based on sight of the French Army uniforms shown to the artists. As a result, these images represent primary source information for all those studying Napoleonic and general military history.

The Anatomy Of Glory; Napoleon And His Guard, A Study In Leadership

The Anatomy Of Glory; Napoleon And His Guard, A Study In Leadership
Author: Commandant Henri Lachouque
Publisher: Pickle Partners Publishing
Total Pages: 1692
Release: 2015-11-06
Genre: History
ISBN: 1786255820

The glory of the Imperial Guard resounds above all others in the annals of war. Created, built and nurtured as a bodyguard for Napoleon, it grew from a brigade of less than two thousand men into a virtual army, and became ‘a human fortress which no one but he could dominate and no enemy could penetrate’. And, on such battlefields as Austerlitz, Jena, Friedland, Wagram and Waterloo, it won the laurels of undying fame. Written by France’s foremost historian of the Napoleonic Wars, Commandant Henry Lachouque, and translated and adapted by Anne S. K. Brown, this sumptuous work is enhanced by over 180 illustrations, including 86 plates in full colour. With its vivid narrative and lavish illustrations, The Anatomy of Glory can lay justifiable claim to be one of the most magnificent books on military history ever published. The critical acclaim that greeted it upon its first publication provides ample testimony to its reputation: ‘This dramatic account of the birth, life and death of the fabulous Imperial Guard tells a stirring story in English for the first time.’-The Saturday Review of Literature. ‘No one but the most presumptuous who wishes to know about the Imperial Guard can afford to ignore this astonishing compilation. The illustrations alone...are reproduced with a clarity, a beauty, and technical perfection which no one can fail to admire.’ Journal of the RUSI. ‘This sumptuous book ... can yield rich rewards to any reader interested in the fabric of leadership. It is a delight to look at and a pleasure to read.’ -The New York Times. `... Not the well-worn history of conquest and defeat, but of the grognards themselves, marching through readable pages.’ -History Today. ‘Anne S. K. Brown has used her knowledge of French history and uniforms to render Lachouque freely and vigorously. Napoleon just happened to be fallible. But the superb apparatus of his fallibility is gorgeously recalled in this volume.’ The Scotsman.

Napoleon's Waterloo Campaign

Napoleon's Waterloo Campaign
Author: Steven Marthinsen
Publisher: Xlibris Corporation
Total Pages: 0
Release: 2003-04
Genre: Waterloo, Battle of, Waterloo, Belgium, 1815
ISBN: 9781401072254

Napoleon's Waterloo Campaign: An Alternate History is a story of this famous campaign with a twist. What would have happened if Marshal Grouchy, Napoleon's wing commander, had marched to the sound of the guns as his subordinate commanders had urged? This intriguing idea is an open invitation for taking a closer look at what might have been in June of 1815. This volume is the first modern full length alternative history written about the Waterloo campaign but it does not stop there. First, the narrative seeks to examine and explain the logic behind the French emperor's decisions and, to a lesser extent, those made by his famous enemies. Then, the change in history is seamlessly inserted into the overall context of the campaign and followed to its dramatic climax at the battle of Ohain on June 19, 1815. The campaign of Waterloo was a series of opportunities taken and missed by both sides and the volume shows how a single decision could have changed the course of history.