Book review: La Campagne de France, 1814

When I ordered this book back in February, I thought that it was a history of the campaign of 1814, chiefly from the French side. How mistaken I was. It is quite different and far, far more delightful, useful and insightful for the fact!

Author Gilles Boué describes each arm/formation of the French army in 1814 against the backdrop of the campaign and battles. He provides details of formations, events and actions, interspersed with anecdotes, observations and challenges to myths. The book is 'lusciously' illustrated with some of the well-known paintings of the mid-18th and early 19th centuries, along with some more recent examples, drawings and loads of uniform prints. These are all beautifully, crisply reproduced—the vast majority in colour.

The first two chapters describe, respectively, the lead-up to the campaign (a sort of ‘story so far’) and brief description of its course from February to April 1814. The bulk of the book is dedicated to the troops who made up the French army of 1814, answering Boué’s own question posed in the opening chapter; “Qui étaient-ils?” (Who were they?).

Two examples of the beautifully reproduced paintings that adorn the book. The last halt of the Cossacks before the invasion of France (above) and Charge of the Guard Cossacks at Fère Champenoise (below).
[Note: I didn't twig until adding this caption that I just happened to choose these two, both involving Cossacks!]

Above and below: examples of pictures related to troops and uniforms.

There are chapters about the levée and conscripts, the Imperial Guard, the cavalry, the infantry, the national guard and the free corps (local peasant ‘units’ and those made up of stragglers and other ‘lost’ soldiers). For each of these Boué describes the formation, establishment, regulations, arms and equipment (that there were, particularly for the conscripts and National Guard) as well as examples of their performance in key actions with specific numbers, dates, and names, losses, successes and failures. The specific structure of each chapter is slightly different, but for each the text is rich in detail, examples and anecdotes.

One of the numerous tables in the book. This one the only example that fills two pages!

The numerous ‘sidebars’ and tables presented include a list of the main battles, maps of fifteen of the key ones and detailed orders of battle (for the French). These are complimented by additional information such as a list of revenues, effectives in garrisons, units in reserve camps, table of levees 1804–1814, pay for troops of different ranks and units, along with the cavalry regiments and numbers of men in each joining the army over the course of dates in February—to list about half of it—making for a book packed with excellent content.

Map of the Battle of Champaubert, one of fifteen presented.

The French text is quite easy to read, even for someone like me with only an intermediate grasp of the language. My French vocabulary is quite limited, but I hardly needed to go to the dictionary. I have been reading a bit of French lately, so perhaps have my ‘eye in’ a little, but would certainly not claim any fluency. If you have no knowledge of French I’d still recommend the book as the images need no translation (a picture tells…) and the tables can be comprehended largely without translation, so you’d still get value from the book.

Highly recommended. A most useful, unique, detailed, comprehensive and beautifully produced addition to books about this campaign.

Rating

Reference

Boué, G (2021) La Campagne de France, 1814. Editions Soixante, Paris. 176 pp.