LIFE IN NAPOLEON'S ARMY
The Memoirs of Captain Elzéar Blaze
Commentary by Lieutenant General Charles Napier
Introduction by Philip Haythornwaite

8.75 x 5.5 in.  208 pages.  Line drawings.
Greenhill Books Napoleonic Library
 

Elzéar Blaze's Life in Napoleon's Army is one of the most fascinating memoirs of the Napoleonic Wars, written by an officer of wide experience and with a colourful style. It presents an outstanding picture of the First Empire, providing an officer's perceptive view of the character, customs and mode of operation of the French army, its value enriched and enlivened by anecdotes from the author's own experiences.

Blaze entered the army as a youth, via the Vélite organisation of the Imperial Guard, a path to commissioned rank open only to those of some wealth. After gaining his commission as an officer, he served in the campaigns of the empire from shortly after the Battle of Eylau until the conclusion of the Napoleonic Wars, attaining the rank of captain in 1814. He continued to serve after the Bourbon restoration, and only retired following the revolution of 1830. The wide range and extent of his service made Blaze particularly suited to produce a record of Napoleon's army during this climactic period.

A valuable feature of this edition is the commentary by Charles Napier, one of Britain's most remarkable generals, and brother of William Napier, the author of the classic history of the Peninsular War.

Greenhill Books  U.S. Distributor: Stackpole Books ISBN 1-85367-196-7

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