Napoleon's Polish Troops (Men-at-Arms) [Paperback]

Otto Pivka (Author), Michael Roffe (Illustrator)

Book Description

Series: Men-at-Arms | Publication Date: May 10, 2011

In 1795 the kingdom of Poland fell prey to her stronger neighbors, Russia, Prussia and Austria. Following the death of the king of Poland in 1798, his kingdom was divided among these three neighboring powers. France became increasingly involved, and protested at Poland's treatment, offering refuge for Polish exiles. On October
11th, 1796, the Polish Legion was formed in the French army by General Dombrowski and Napoleon. This book covers the uniforms, dress, organization and equipment of the infantry, artillery, and cavalry of Napoleon's Polish Troops. Among the cavalry units covered are the Chasseurs and Lancers. This title also provides a summary of the Polish divisions' campaigns in Spain, Russia and within Poland itself.

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From the Publisher

Packed with specially commissioned artwork, maps and diagrams, the Men-at-Arms series is an unrivalled illustrated reference on the history, organisation, uniforms and equipment of the world's military forces, past and present.

About the Author

Otto von Pivka (the nom de plume of Digby Smith) wrote his first title for Osprey Publishing in 1972. A former major in the British army he is a prolific author, who has contributed many titles to the Men-at-Arms series on the armies and forces of the Napoleonic Wars.

Product Details

• Paperback: 48 pages
• Publisher: Osprey Publishing (May 10, 2011)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0850451981
• ISBN-13: 978-0850451986
• Product Dimensions: 7.3 x 0.2 x 9.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 4.8 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 1.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #825,677 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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14 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars Weak and incomplete, March 19, 2007

By 

Wadecki Krzysztof "Christoffer Wadecki" (Sweden) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Napoleon's Polish Troops (Men-at-Arms) (Paperback)

This is a 32 years old publication, written during the Cold War when contacts and cultural exchange between the West and East were rather scarce and slow. Since then much has happened. Why Osprey chooses to reissue this weak publication about Napoleon's single biggest and most devoted ally is beyond me. The least they could do is to at least upgrade the poor illustrations of Michael Roffe, as done with Napoleons German Allies : Vol. I (first published in 1975), where the "effort" by Roffe has been replaced by the work of much more talented artist Rick Scollins. The remaining illustrations and photographs in Napoleon's Polish Troops are mostly completely irrelevant to anyone with the slightest interest in the Polish effort during the Napoleonic wars. Out of some 40 illustrations only about 10 concern Polish Napoleonic matters, the remaining only cover the pages residual space and portray Russian, Prussian, Dutch(!) and French generals and battles with little or no Polish participation. Besides the Polish Commander in Chief Poniatowski not one single Polish general or other Polish officer is portrayed. But the Prussian major Schill is not omitted... What he ever had in common with Napoleon's Polish troops this poor effort of a book do not let you know though.

The text by von Pivka (alias for a major Digby Smith) also leaves a lot to be wished for, both in missing facts and knowledge, obviously he is much more acquainted with German military history than Polish (I will leave out the misspelling of Polish names and language) .
Furthermore, in my view, the history and uniformology of the Napoleonic Polish infantry, artillery and cavalry of the Polish Legion in Italy, the Danaube Legion, the Vistula Legion, the Legion of the North , the main army of the Duchy of Warsaw, Napoleon's Polish Guard lancers, Napoleon's Polish Guard infantry battalion and all the other Polish units scattered over French Europe and the French West Indies, deserve a whole lot more than this weak single volume.
All in all a very weak and incomplete effort.