In the Legions of Napoleon: The Memoirs of a Polish Officer in Spain and Russia, 1808-1813

by Heinrich von Brandt, Jonathan North (Editor)

32 illustrations ,9 maps ,6 x 9 A superb evocation of life in Napoleons armies A classic account of the Peninsular War and the 1812 invasion of Russia These superb memoirs, never before published in English, are some of the finest to have emerged from the Napoleonic Wars. They recount the adventures of a man who, by the time he was twenty-five, had marched from Madrid to Moscow and had been severely wounded on three separate occasions. From 1808 to 1812 he was caught up in Napoleons attempt to subjugate Spain, fighting in battles, sieges (including the siege of Saragossa) and hunting and being hunted by merciless bands of guerrillas. In 1812 his unit was ordered to take part in the invasion of Russia. Crossing the Niemen 3,000 strong, his regiment and was completely destroyed in the epic retreat from Moscow. Brandts exciting memoirs paint a startling picture of life on campaign, and the brutal face of the Napoleonic battlefield and make for gripping reading. Jonathan North is a specialist in Napoleonic history, concentrating on Eastern Europe.

Genres: History, Nonfiction

287 pages, Hardcover

First published November 1, 1999

Reviews

[Vincent · Rating 5 out of 5]

Brandt was a Lutheran Pole in the Vistula Legion from 1808 until 1814, but this memoir cover through the retreat from Moscow. This is typical in some respects from many other memoirs of the period, but Brandt is more light hearted in his style even though the subject can be serious. Within the life and death struggle there are moments of humor and pathos which allowed the soldier to survive. At one point the Spanish were amazed that he was a heretic, yet had no horns. The priest then pointed out that he was not a heretic, only a schismatic.

If you are looking for strategic overviews of battles, you will not find them here. Brandt only reports on what he sees, so this is a low level view of war. Nor, does the author try to make strategic judgments of the commanding generals, he paints them as he sees them and leaves the "what ifs" to others. His description of the retreat from Moscow and medical attention makes you wonder how anyone survived the war.

Not a detailed history of the Napoleonic period, nor of the Vistula Legion, but a fascinating view of the daily life of a soldier in the 19th century.