Imperial Guardsman 1799-1815 (Warrior) [Paperback]

Philip Haythornthwaite (Author), Richard Hook (Illustrator)

Book Description

Series: Warrior | Publication Date: November 15, 1997

Napoleon's Imperial Guard was one of the most famous military formations in history. The Imperial Guard could perform ceremonial duties as well as any, but it was primarily as an élite combat formation of the army that it excelled. Although it would expand to represent a considerable portion of France's military establishment, it remained Napoleon's personal guard during the Napoleonic Wars (1799-1815) and was accorded care and attention which set its members above the rest of the army. In this book, Philip Haythornthwaite examines their lives, organisation and privileges, paying particular attention to how their experience differed from those of the regular French line units.

Editorial Reviews

From the Publisher

Insights into the real lives of history's fighting men, packed with full colour illustrations, highly detailed cutaways, exploded artwork of weaponry and armour, and action-packed battle scenes.

About the Author

Philip Haythornthwaite is an author and historical consultant specialising in the military history, uniforms and equipment of the 18th and 19th centuries. His main area of research covers the Napoleonic Wars. He has written some forty books, including more than 20 Osprey titles, and innumerable articles and papers on military history, but still finds time to indulge in his other great passion: cricket.

Product Details

• Paperback: 64 pages
• Publisher: Osprey Publishing (November 15, 1997)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1855326620
• ISBN-13: 978-1855326620
• Product Dimensions: 7.2 x 0.2 x 9.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,976,090 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

1 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars A snap shot of the Guard, August 3, 2001

By 

Richard P Marsden (Scottsdale, Arizona United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Imperial Guardsman 1799-1815 (Warrior) (Paperback)

Haythornthwaite has a long name, but writes wonderfully concise short books for the Napoleonic fan. "Imperial Guardsman" covers the various duties and formations of the Imperial Guard as well as looking at the more statistical information such as numbers, pay, equipment etc. The included color pictures bring to life the author's work which is, as is his custom, not so much entertaining as it is strictly informative. Very little detail is given over to the "glory" of the Guard, and much more attention is given to the hard facts about them. The work is short and so one will not get bored reading it. Haythornthwaite has mastered the art of conveying statistical information in this quick but incredibly informative book.

1 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Very informative, March 28, 2000

By A Customer

This review is from: Imperial Guardsman 1799-1815 (Warrior) (Paperback)

This book covers the confusing formations of the Guard. It breaks down the pay, uniforms and a history of the Old, Middle and Young Guard plus all the other units comprising this colorful corp. A very informative book with beautiful artwork.