The Mammoth Book of Soldiers at War: Firsthand Accounts of Warfare from the Age of Napoleon

This is a compendium of first hand accounts of campaigning and fighting during the Napoleonic period. While it is only excerpts, those chosen are excellent and render a very good picture of both the soldiers and the times in which they lived and fought. While it would be best, especially doing research, to have the entire diaries or memoirs of those mentioned in this volume, works of this nature are a great help to those who don't have the time or means to secure those priceless tomes.The excerpts are either French or English, with one American memoir from the War of 1812, and include some old reliables such as Coignet, Marbot, and Mercer. However, there are some that arent' seen too often, such as Marshal MacDonald's recollection of Wagram in 1809 (not always a reliable source), as well as Lejeune's story of the Great Retreat from Moscow (somewhat more reliable). He reluctantly served as Marshal Davout's chief of staff during the Retreat, serving in his normal efficient manner, having been an aide-de-camp to the Grande Armee's chief of staff, Marshal Berthier, who didn't suffer fools gladly.On the British side there is an excerpt from William Tomkinson's excellent memoir of the war in Spain, the bloody story of the stormings of Ciudad Rodrigo and Badajoz by William Graham of the famous Connaught Rangers, David Robertson's memoir of Egypt in 1801 and a rare glimpse of campaigning in northern Germany in 1813 by one of the few British units to participate in that campaign, the 73d Foot. As a rare treat, there is a memoir from a Kentucky militia corporal, Samuel Stubbs, who enlisted at age 63 and served at Queenstown, Lundy's Lane, Fort Erie, and at the Battle of New Orleans.Taken as a whole, this is an interesting, informative collection of memoirs and tall tales, that is as entertaining as it is valuable. It is useful for both research and entertainment, and is a must for the historian, wargamer, and researcher. The author has done us all a great service with this outstanding work. It is highly recommended