Napoleon's Mercenaries: Foreign Units in the French Army Under the Consulate and Empire, 1799-1814 - Hardcover

Dempsey, Guy C.

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 1853674885 ISBN 13: 9781853674884

Publisher: Greenhill Books, 2002

Synopsis

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. Colorful 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 Armee. Napoleon's foreign troops varied tremendously in quality, from the excellent Vistula Legion and Swiss regiments to the more dubious battalions of foreign deserters and Spanish prisoners of war. Some 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.

About this title

About the Author

Guy Dempsey is a respected scholar of this period and author on the uniforms and history of the Napoleonic Era. His other books include Napoleon's Soldiers and Napoleon's Army.

Edition details

• Publisher: Greenhill Books
• Publication date: 2002
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 1853674885
• ISBN 13: 9781853674884
• Binding: Hardcover
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 368