Lasalle-the Hussar General
Lasalle-the Hussar General

Author: John H. Lewis

Publisher: Leonaur Limited

Published: 2018-07-23

Total Pages: 280

ISBN-13: 9781782827566

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A new biography of possibly the most renowned light cavalryman There can be few, if any, students of the military history of the Napoleonic period who are unaware of the career of the flamboyant Antoine Charles Lasalle. General Lasalle did not only epitomise the spirit of the French light cavalry officer of his time, he became truly iconic--the archetypal 'hussar' who was brave to the point of recklessness on the battlefield and a libertine when there was no battle to fight. A soldier by the time he was just eleven years old, Lasalle rose meteorically through the ranks of the French light cavalry to become a General of Division. He fought in the early revolutionary campaigns, during the campaign in Italy--where he became a favourite of Napoleon Bonaparte, the Egyptian Campaign, during the War of the Fourth Coalition, in Spain and in the War of the Fifth Coalition at the battles of Aspern-Essling and at Wagram in 1809 where he was killed in the closing moments of the battle. This new and original Leonaur title follows Lasalle and his peers through all these campaigns and battles, and includes many of first-hand accounts and anecdotes in which Lasalle featured. Included are many illustrations and maps to support the text and this new biography will be an entertaining and essential addition to every library of the warfare of the age of Napoleon. Leonaur editions are newly typeset and are not facsimiles; each title is available in softcover and hardback with dustjacket; our hardbacks are cloth bound and feature gold foil lettering on their spines and fabric head and tail bands.

The Life of a General in Napoleon's Light Cavalry
The Life of a General in Napoleon's Light Cavalry

Author: Andrew W Field

Publisher: Pen and Sword Military

Published: 2023-10-30

Total Pages: 242

ISBN-13: 1399065904

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This is the first English translation of the memoirs of Jean-Nicolas Curély. Born in 1774, son of a laborer, Curély rose through the ranks to become a General in Napoleon's Light Cavalry. Although Curély did not fight in many of the most famous battles of the First Republic and the Napoleonic Wars, this reflects the role of the light cavalry; scouting ahead of the army, conducting reconnaissance to the flanks and launching raids. He did, however, take part in all Napoleon’s great campaigns, including Austerlitz, Heilsberg, Essling, Raab, Wagram, Beresina, Wachau, Leipzig, Craonne and Laon, and served as an aide de camp to many of the French army’s most famous light cavalry generals. Curély’s memoirs give a unique and detailed glimpse into the day-to-day life of the light cavalry from someone who, although of lowly birth and with no education, became an exceptional General. He was a hussar at 19 years, second lieutenant at 32, squadron commander at 35, Colonel at 38 and General at 40. He became Cavalier of the Légion d’Honneur in 1806, and was wounded five times in his career. His account describes in great detail the many actions he was involved in and the many exceptional scrapes he escaped. However, his narrative does not only describe combat but also the lengths he went to for the welfare of his men and horses, particularly during the retreat from Moscow which he survived with a hundred men and nearly all his officers still battleworthy. Stretching from Curély's enrolment with the Hussars in 1793 to Waterloo, capitulation of Paris and the disbandment of the army, this book is a 'must have' for anyone with an interest in the Napoleonic Wars.

Napoleonic Heavy Cavalry & Dragoon Tactics
Napoleonic Heavy Cavalry & Dragoon Tactics

Author: Philip Haythornthwaite

Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing

Published: 2013-07-20

Total Pages: 137

ISBN-13: 178200940X

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During the Napoleonic Wars the supreme battlefield shock weapon was the heavy cavalry – the French cuirassiers, and their British, Austrian, Prussian and Russian counterparts. Big men mounted on big horses, the heavy cavalry were armed with swords nearly a metre long, used for slashing or thrusting at their opponents; many wore steel armour, a practice revived by Napoleon. They were tasked with smashing a hole in the enemy's line of battle, with exploiting a weakness, or with turning a flank. Their classic manoeuvre was the charge; arrayed in close-order lines or columns, the heavy cavalry would begin their attack at the walk, building up to a gallop for the final 50 metres before impact. Illustrated with diagrams, relevant paintings and prints and specially prepared colour plates, this is the first volume of a two-part study of the cavalry tactics of the armies of Napoleon and those of his allies and opponents. Written by a leading authority on the period, it draws upon drill manuals and later writings to offer a vivid assessment of how heavy cavalry actually fought on the Napoleonic battlefield.

Britain and the Defeat of Napoleon, 1807-1815
Britain and the Defeat of Napoleon, 1807-1815

Author: Rory Muir

Publisher:

Published: 1996

Total Pages: 466

ISBN-13: 9780300064438

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This account of the final years of Britain's long war against Revolutionary and Napoleonic France places the conflict in a new - and wholly modern - perspective. Rory Muir looks beyond the purely military aspects of the struggle to show how the entire British nation played a part in the victory. His book provides a total assessment of how politicians, the press, the crown, civilians, soldiers and commanders together defeated France. Beginning in 1807 when all of continental Europe was under Napoleon's control, the author traces the course of the war throughout the Spanish uprising of 1808, the campaigns of the Duke of Wellington and Sir John Moore in Portugal and Spain, and the crossing of the Pyrenees by the British army, to the invasion of southern France and the defeat of Napoleon at the Battle of Waterloo. Muir sets Britain's military operations on the Iberian Peninsula within the context of the wider European conflict, and examines how diplomatic, financial, military and political considerations combined to shape policies and priorities. Just as political factors influenced strategic military decisions, Muir contends, fluctuations of the war affected British political decisions. The book is based on a comprehensive investigation of primary and secondary sources, and on a thorough examination of the vast archives left by the Duke of Wellington. Muir offers vivid new insights into the personalities of Canning, Castlereagh, Perceval, Lord Wellesley, Wellington and the Prince Regent, along with fresh information on the financial background of Britain's campaigns. This vigorous narrative account will appeal to general readers and military enthusiasts, as well as to students of early nineteenth-century British politics and military history.

French Napoleonic Infantry Tactics 1792–1815
French Napoleonic Infantry Tactics 1792–1815

Author: Paddy Griffith

Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing

Published: 2012-08-20

Total Pages: 160

ISBN-13: 1782002235

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Bonaparte's Grande Armée, one of the most renowned battle-winning machines in history, evolved from a merging of the professional army of the Ancien Régime and the volunteers and conscripts of the Revolutionary levée en masse – although the contribution of the former is often underestimated. A leading authority on the history of tactics draws here on original drill manuals and later writings to explain how the French infantry of 1792–1815 were organized for fire and movement on the battlefield. Illustrated with clear diagrams and relevant paintings and prints, and specially prepared colour plates, this text brings the tactical aspects of eight battles vividly to life.

Waterloo General
Waterloo General

Author: John Morewood

Publisher: Pen and Sword

Published: 2016-09-30

Total Pages: 286

ISBN-13: 1473868068

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The defeat of Napoleons French army by the combined forces of Wellington and Blcher at Waterloo on 18 June 1815 was a turning point in world history. This was the climax of the Napoleonic Wars, and the outcome had a major influence on the shape of Europe for the next century and beyond. The battle was a milestone, and it cannot be properly understood without a detailed, on-the-ground study of the landscape in which it was fought and that is the purpose of David Butterys new battlefield guide. In vivid detail, using eyewitness accounts and an intimate knowledge of the terrain, he reconstructs Waterloo and he takes the reader and the visitor across the battleground as it is today. He focuses on the pivotal episodes in the fighting the day-long struggle for the chateau at Hougoumont, the massive French infantry assaults, repeated cavalry charges, the fall of La Haye Sainte, the violent clashes in the village of Plancenoit, the repulse of the Imperial Guard and rout of the French army. This thoroughgoing, lucid, easy-to-follow guide will be a fascinating introduction for anyone who seeks to understand what happened on that momentous day, and it will be an essential companion for anyone who explores the battlefield in Belgium.

British Napoleonic Infantry Tactics 1792–1815
British Napoleonic Infantry Tactics 1792–1815

Author: Philip Haythornthwaite

Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing

Published: 2012-05-20

Total Pages: 66

ISBN-13: 1846038537

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The British Army that faced Napoleon in the Peninsula was small by continental standards, but it consistently out-fought larger French armies, never losing a major open-field action. Its cavalry and artillery were standard; but its infantry achieved unique results, as their tactics were brought to a peak of professional perfection by Wellington. Using contemporary instruction manuals, first-hand accounts and in-depth analysis of individual actions, this book examines exactly how Wellington was able to convert a rabble of volunteers and criminals into a well-oiled, highly disciplined and professional war-winning machine. With a detailed look at the effective use of terrain, line rather than column manoeuvres and fortification assaults, Philip Haythornthwaite reveals the crucial tactics of Wellington's army, illustrated with comprehensive maps, images and full-colour artwork.

Waterloo Archive
Waterloo Archive

Author: Gareth Glover

Publisher: Frontline Books

Published: 2010-01-30

Total Pages: 290

ISBN-13: 1848325401

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In the first groundbreaking volume of a new series, acclaimed Napoleonic scholar Gareth Glover brings together previously unpublished material relating to the Battle of Waterloo. The range and unique nature of much of the research will intrigue and fascinate enthusiasts and historians alike. The wealth of hitherto unseen British material contained in Volume I includes: a series of letters written by a senior officer on Wellington's staff to Sir Thomas Graham immediately following the battle; the letters of a member of the Wedgwood family in the Guards at Waterloo; the journal of Sergeant Johnston of the Scots Greys, detailing all his experiences, including a very rare transcript of his own court martial; and letters from eminent surgeons – including those of Hume, Davy and Haddy James – who recall their harrowing tales of the horrific wounds suffered at Waterloo. In addition to these letters and journals, this volume will include 21 original line drawings created by Cavalié Mercer to accompany his famous book on his experiences at Waterloo, but which was never published. Subsequent volumes will include French, German, Dutch and Belgian material that has never been translated into English before.