This title draws on contemporary testimonies of life in Napoleon's army, documenting the reality of conscription, training, camp life and combat action for the common infantry soldier. In contrast to most works on this period, it calls into question the propagandist views expounded by numerous Bonapartists - the romantic notion of La Gloire is very much tempered by some hard-hitting recollections of the horror and misery of military life 200 years ago. Packed with prints taken from contemporary sources and superb colour illustrations, it provides a concise and revealing portrait of life in the Grand Armee.

Author Biography

Terry Crowdy has had a life-long interest in the life and times of the common soldier of the late-18th and early-19th centuries, with a particular passion for the subject of the French 9eme Legere. A committed re-enactor and historical researcher, Terry has written numerous articles for various magazines on the French forces of the Revolutionary and Napoleonic wars. He lives in Kent, UK. Christa Hook is one of Osprey's most popular illustrators, a reputation justly deserved given the perfect blend of attention to detail and narrative realisation that characterises her artwork. Her work for Osprey to date has covered subjects such as the daily life of the Norman knight, the key battles of the Napoleonic wars, and the life of the US cavalryman of the 19th century. Christa lives and works in Sussex, UK.