Paithan’s Reviews > Gonneville of the Cuirassiers: The Personal Recollections of a French Cavalryman of the First Empire > Status Update

Book is a bit of a drag in the last quarter.

Corsica seems like it was a pretty interesting place in the early 1800s. Guys strolling around with pistols and daggers. Clans feuds spurring on killings. Revenge killings following those killings. Common people totally unwilling to speak to the authorities.

I guess when you live on an island with a different language and culture you'll want to stick to your own.

Book is getting kind of dry. There are little islands of interesting things, but overall it seems to be a slog.

Gonneville transferred from 6th to 13th. Not happy about it. 13th is composed of the dregs from other regiments. As they travel through Spain and fight against rebels (led by the infamous Mina) they become a band of brothers. There is one specific instance in which the French are surrounded by Mina's rebels, and the infantry decide to surrender. Cavalry do not. They ride out and cut their way through the rebels.

Much better than the memoirs of Jean Rapp. Gonneville focuses more on the human element; what it's like to be cold and hungry on campaign, and what it's like to make friends with the enemy while being their prisoner. Yet sometimes he gets bogged down in the battles.