Napoleon's Mounted Chasseurs of the Imperial Guard

by Ronald Pawly, Patrice Courcelle (Illustrator)

Overview

A concise history of the hand-picked elite cavalry guard that served as Napoleon's close personal escort and were committed to the most dangerous areas of combat on the battlefield. Formed from his original escort of "Guides" and the "Consular Guard" in 1799, the Mounted Chasseurs were a personal favourite of the Emperor, who wore their uniform on campaign. Ronald Pawly's unique research into regimental archives has uncovered unprecedented detail about this exceptional unit and its soldiers and officers. With their colorful uniforms recreated in full-color artwork and accounts of their actions in the most critical battles of the Napoleonic Wars (1799-1815), this book provides a comprehensive description of a legendary elite.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781846032578
Publisher:	Bloomsbury USA
Publication date:	01/22/2008
Series:	Men-at-Arms , #444
Pages:	48
Product dimensions:	7.30(w) x 9.89(h) x 0.14(d)

About the Author

Ronald Pawly is a respected member of several international societies for Napoleonic studies, and an expert on 19th century military portraiture. He is the author of the monumental The Red Lancers: Anatomy of a Napoleonic Regiment (Crowood Press, 1998), and of a study of Napoleonic veterans' tombs in Belgium. He has previously written for Osprey Men-at-Arms 355: Wellington's Belgian Allies 1815; MAA 371: Wellington's Dutch Allies 1815; MAA 371: Napoleon's Red Lancers; MAA 378: Napoleon's Guards of Honour; and Elite 115: Napoleon's Imperial Headquarters (1): Organization & Personnel. The author lives in Belgium.

Table of Contents

The Origins of a Legend     3
1796: the Guides of Bonaparte - Italy: Lonato - Arcole
1798: Egypt
The Consular Guard     7
1800: from Guides to Mounted Chasseurs - Marengo
1801: regimental status - 1802: delayed enlargement
The Imperial Guard     9
1804-05: organization - uniforms - the Chasseur brigade on the march - the Velites
The Early Campaigns     11
1805-06: the pursuit from Ulm - Austerlitz - reorganization
1806-07: Prussia - Eylau
1808-09: Spain - Benavente
1809: Wagram
The Interbellum, 1810-12     34
The Later Campaigns     35
1812: Russia
1813: Rebuilding the regiment - Old and Young Guard - the German campaign: Dresden, Leipzig and Hanau
1814: The campaign of France - the First Restoration
1815: The Hundred Days
Plate Commentaries     45
Index     48

Editorial Reviews

Overall another superlative Osprey book and one that is both an interesting and enjoyable read. I'm sure you will agree.” —Scott Van Aken, modelingmadness.com (January 2008)

From the Publisher