Seven Men of Gascony

Delderfield has done an excellent job at protraying the life and experiences of average French soldiers during 1809-15. The novel follows six recruits and their veteran sergeant as they fight their way across Europe with Napoleon's armies. The 'petit corporal' himself makes a cameo appearance or two, as do several of the Marshals. Aspects of camp life are excellently explained, and the 'cantinere' (female camp follower and regimental shop owner) plays a major role. The seven men, Voltigeurs (light infantrymen) participate in the 1809 campaign on the Danube, getting their baptism of fire at the slaughterhouse of Aspern-Essling, and then Wagram. They then are transferred to Spain, where they experience the brutalities of the Guerilla war, fighting at Bussaco in 1810 and marching with Massena's army to the Lines of Torres Vedras. They then spend a spell as POWs in England before travelling back to France to take part in the futile Russian campaign in 1812 and the 1813-14 battles in Germany and France. The portrayal of the combat at Leipzig is particularly intense. The final combat for the Voltigeurs is on the bloody field of Waterloo. While anyone could pick up this book and enjoy the story (my girlfriend did) a bit of background knowledge of the Napoleonic era makes the book doubly rewarding. If you are interested in this book, do check out Delderfield's 'Napoleon's Marshals', which is of similar style. Highly reccomended.

This novel follows seven French voltigeurs (skirmishers) through the later years of the Napoleonic wars. We join them on Lobau Island, on the eve of the battle of Aspern-Essling, and follow them through Wagram, the occupation of Vienna, Massena's peninsular campaign of 1810, a stint as POWs in England, the 1812 catastrophe in Russia, the desperate campaigning of 1813 and 1814, the first restoration of the Bourbons, the 100 days and Waterloo. By the end, there is only one left, the others having fallen along the way. There is a beautiful young Cantiniere who is also in the mix, and marries two of the men at different times. Delderfield writes very well, although there is, occasionally, a jarring note, as when one of the men refers to the "gods of the First Empire." While a German in the 1940s might refer to the "Third Reich," a Frenchman in the Napoleonic wars would not, for obvious reasons, refer to the "First Empire." He also has them referring to the battle as "Aspern" or "Aspern-Essling" whereas I believe the French refer to it only as Essling. But the few minor slip-ups do not detract from the wonderful, clear and lucid writing style. Delderfield's female characters are strong and decisive. They are not wilting flowers. This is true of the Cantiniere, Nicholette, and also true of an Englishwoman whose path they cross in England. This seems to be true of many of his female characters, because his other novel on the Napoleonic wars, "Too Few For Drums," also features a very wise and decisive female character. Delderfield doesn't try to overwhelm you with historical detail. Although the backdrop is the Napoleonic wars, the story is about people, not battles. Only Waterloo is described in any detail at all. Delderfield does, however, weave in many factual anecdotes, as well as some trenchant, incisive historical commentary. Although you will probably be able to guess who will survive, the ending is no less poignant. Delderfield even writes a postcript in which the survivor, many years later--in a dream sequence similar to the ending of "Titanic"--at last joins his comrades in death.

I have been a Delderfield fan (female) for 30 years but had not yet read any of his Napoleonic tales. Having recently enjoyed the Hornblower books, and Sharpe and Hornblower video series, I decided to give my library-sale copy a try. I read it on vacation this past week and truly enjoyed it. The story of the seven comrades drew me into the story of the war from a French perspective (moderated, of course, by Delderfield's inherent Britishness). While steering away from melodrama, I would not consider the book at all "plodding," as another reviwer put it. The scenes featuring Napoleon brought on the tingles created by the best of fiction or drama. Recommended.

Despite what others have said about this book I have always found it worthwhile. I recently re-read it after many years and still found it to be a sweeping saga of the Napoleanic wars. Perhaps readers are too taken with the more sleek, action packed yarns of today to allow themselves to get into Delderfield's world of the Napoleanic wars. Yes the book starts off a bit slow, and yes its not as action packed as some other historical fiction on the same period. But Delderfield's strength lies in his story-telling, and this book gradually enfolds you into the epic of what was the campaigns of Napolean. After a while you find yourself swept up into the episodic writing of this story which takes its seven Voltiguers on a tour-de-force of Napoelean's battles. The author has a deep love for the period which is reflected in his style of writing. Delderfield is a writer of the old school. His story and characters slowly grow on you if you allow time for it to do so. While I agree with one reader that it would have been nice if some description of the kind of skirmish tactics the French Voltigeurs employed on the battlefield were provided, I didn't find that it detracts from the story that much. This book was written many years ago before the plethora of military historical fiction was available. I'am sure this book served as inspiration for many of the Sharpe novels et al that we see today. C.H. Forester and R.F Delderfield were the fathers of Napoleanic military historical fiction. These works stand up well over time, and since there are few books in English on the French perspective out there this makes "Seven Men" even more important. Give this book time and allow it to enfold you into its sweeping, epic events that were the horror and grandeur of thewars of Napolean.

An excellent story. Well written to sustain your interest to the last word.It is also an excellent introduction to the naploenic wars, telling the highs and lows of the era from the view point of group of soldiers in Napoleaon's Grand Army.The tale of the seven maintains your interest in the story from the beginning to the end.