Soldiers of the French Revolution

Alan Forrest is one of the great writers on French military history. His focus is not on the battles itself but the social construct of the army. No one does it better and this book focuses on the structure and political make up of the army. Forrest argues that the army was politically aware and reacted to ideological changes. It was made primarily of volunteers who were enthusiastic to fight and it would be a mark of pride for them to have taken arms to fight for the revolution. This budding nationalism allows for the success of the military and Forrest weaves a beautiful verbal tapestry that allows the reader to see what the French army really looked like.