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NAPOLEONIC LIBRARY: IN THE LEGIONS OF NAPOLEON The Memoirs of a Polish Officer in Spain and Russia 1808-1813
£3.99
In the Legions of Napoleon recounts the adventures of an intrepid Polish soldier who fought for Napoleon the length and breadth of Europe. This gem of a book is one of the best accounts of the Spanish war, as well as the desperation and heartbreak that was Russia. Truly, Napoleon was entirely accurate when he called the Grande Armée’s survivors of the retreat his ‘men of bronze.’
The account of the crossing of the Berezina is skillfully told. The fighting was fierce and savage, and the Grande Armée was fighting for its very life, and whipped two separate Russian armies to the ground, even though it was dying on its feet. Brandt’s expert telling leaves no doubt how desperate the action was.
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Description
This recently translated memoir,tells the exciting story of one of these intrepid Polish soldiers who left home and fought for Napoleon the length and breadth of Europe. Heinrich von Brandt was a Pole of Prussian heritage who had been a junior officer in the Prussian Army. After the destruction of that army in the Jena Campaign, he applied for a commission in the French service, and after an enlightening interview by Marshal Davout, he was given his commission, assigned to the Legion of the Vistula, and humped his pack to Spain.
What follows is one of the best memoirs of the period, definitely on a par with that excellent French memoir by Charles Parquin. Brandt, a 19-year-old second lieutenant, takes to the military life with a passion, and is an efficient and observant officer. His first assignment gets him into Spain for the second siege of Saragossa, in which he played an important part. This leads to some of the interesting and informative character sketches that pepper these memoirs and give critical insight to some of the French commanders of the period. Brandt saw Lannes, Davout, Suchet, Lacoste, Laval, Habert, Claparede and others, and some of his stories have not been related to us before.
Brandt describes in great detail the actions in which he and the Legion fought, the type of officers and men he served with, and the grueling campaigns in which they participated. He also gives insight into the minds of his comrades and superiors
Additional information
| Author/Editor | Henrich von Brandt |
|---|---|
| Product Code | 27283 |
| Delivery | This item is usually dispatched Next Day |
| Format | Hardback, 286 pages+plates with 9 maps |
| ISBN | 9781473882898 |
