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The Memoirs of Baron Lejeune, Aide-de-Camp to Marshals Berthier, Davout and Oudinot. Vol. I (The Memoirs of Baron Lejeune, Aide-de-Camp to Marshals Berthier, Davout and Oudinot. #1)
by Pickle Partners Publishing Mrs Arthur Bell Général de Brigade, Baron Louis-François Lejeune Major-General Sir John Frederick MauriceThis ebook is purpose built and is proof-read and re-type set from the original to provide an outstanding experience of reflowing text for an ebook reader. Amongst the many memoirs of the Napoleonic period, there are a number that stand out not just for their historical value, but also for their actual written style; however, in this sense Lejeune stands alone. He was by nature an artist and is still famous as a noted painter of scenes of battles, most of which he witnessed. As such his scenes are like his paintings, filled with evocative detail. The narrative in Vol. I runs from his earliest recollections of a chance encounter with Marie Antoinette to his joining the republican movement and a battalion of national volunteers. As the consulate dawns, we find him as an aide-de-camp with the army of reserve in 1800 and fought at the battle of Marengo. He was present at the battles of Austerlitz, Jena, Eylau, Friedland, Landshut, Eckmühl, Aspern-Essling and Wagram. A substantial part of this volume revolves around the vicious and protracted second siege of Saragossa, which even in the Peninsular War stands out for the courage and fierceness of both sides. His treatment of the siege and the forces engaged is the best of its genre by some distance. Lejeune was witness to some of the great events of the Napoleonic period, and moved with the grace of a courtier through them, his eye catches the human actors in his pen portraits beautifully. Highly Recommended. Includes Linked TOC Text taken from book published by Longmans, Green and Co, London 1897 Author: Général de Brigade Baron Louis Franc ois Lejeune, (1775-1848;) Translator: Mrs Arthur Bell [D'Anvers, N.],( ????-1933 ) Foreword: Major-General Maurice, John Frederick, Sir, 1841-1912 Annotations - Pickle Partners Publishing
The Memoirs of Baron Lejeune, Aide-de-Camp to Marshals Berthier, Davout and Oudinot. Vol. II (The Memoirs of Baron Lejeune, Aide-de-Camp to Marshals Berthier, Davout and Oudinot. #2)
by Pickle Partners Publishing Mrs Arthur Bell Général de Brigade, Baron Louis-François LejeuneThis ebook is purpose built and is proof-read and re-type set from the original to provide an outstanding experience of reflowing text for an ebook reader. Amongst the many memoirs of the Napoleonic period, there are a number that stand out not just for their historical value, but also for their actual written style, however in this sense Lejeune stands alone. Lejeune was by nature an artist and is still a famous as a noted painter of scenes of battles, most of which he witnessed. As such his scenes are like his painting filled with evocative detail. The narrative in Vol. II runs from the Napoleon's divorce of the Empress Josephine and his subsequent marriage to Marie-Louise of Austria with the attendant balls and festivities. As the war in Spain drags on, he is sent on an important mission to collect information for the Emperor, during which he is ambushed and captured by partisans. His subsequent imprisonment and transfer to Britain are painted in vivid colours and are surpassed only by his subsequent escape to France and evasion of the dread smuggler "Brick". Lejeune was on the staff of Marshal Berthier and, thereafter Marshal Davout, during the Russian campaign of 1812, and was witness to the bloody struggle to Moscow and the disastrous retreat back to Prussia. His numerous vignettes of the retreat are often quoted due to their detail and incisive nature, his description of his purchase of a bearskin from its unwilling seller, a colonel swaddled in furs, on the retreat is priceless. Lejeune also served on in the twilight of the Empire, at the battles of Lützen, Bautzen, and Leipzig. His military career was ended by wounds from a shell fragment the day after the battle of Hanau in 1813. Lejeune was witness to some of the great events of the Napoleonic period, and moved with the grace of a courtier through them, his eye catches the human actors in his pen portraits beautifully. Highly Recommended. Includes Linked TOC Text taken from book published in 1897, Longmans, Green and Co, London Author: Général de Brigade Baron Louis Franc ois Lejeune, (1775-1848;) Translator: Mrs Arthur Bell [D'Anvers, N.], ????-1933 Foreword: Major-General Maurice, John Frederick, Sir, 1841-1912 Annotations - Pickle Partners Publishing
Time Pieces: A Dublin Memoir
by John BanvilleFrom the internationally acclaimed and Man Booker Prize-winning author of The Sea and the Benjamin Black mysteries--a vividly evocative memoir that unfolds around the author's recollections, experience, and imaginings of Dublin. As much about the life of the city as it is about a life lived, sometimes, in the city, John Banville's "quasi-memoir" is as layered, emotionally rich, witty, and unexpected as any of his novels. Born and bred in a small town a train ride away from Dublin, Banville saw the city as a place of enchantment when he was a child, a birthday treat, the place where his beloved, eccentric aunt lived. And though, when he came of age and took up residence there, and the city became a frequent backdrop for his dissatisfactions (not playing an identifiable role in his work until the Quirke mystery series, penned as Benjamin Black), it remained in some part of his memory as fascinating as it had been to his seven-year-old self. And as he guides us around the city, delighting in its cultural, architectural, political, and social history, he interweaves the memories that are attached to particular places and moments. The result is both a wonderfully idiosyncratic tour of Dublin, and a tender yet powerful ode to a formative time and place for the artist as a young man.
The Notebooks of Capitain Coignet
by Pickle Partners Publishing Captain Jean-Roch Coignet Lorèdan LarcheyThis ebook is purpose built and is proof-read and re-type set from the original to provide an outstanding experience of reflowing text for an ebook reader. The notebooks of Captain Coignet (1776-1865) are possibly the most legendary account of the services of a young conscript and his experiences under Napoleon's consulate and empire. Having distinguished himself at the battle of Montebello, and awarded an arme d'honneur, he is inducted into the famed Grenadiers of the Imperial Guard (having cheated the height restriction with the connivance of the normally strict Davout and four packs of playing cards in his stockings). Despite being illiterate until late into his adult life, due to his rough childhood as recounted in the first notebook, many famous personalities of the Empire are sketched in his honest style, although his own memory has somewhat embellished the facts. Prof. Jean Tulard refers to them as indispensible for understanding the mentality of the "grognard" or grumbler, the stalwart veterans of Napoleon's Guard. This edition benefits from a preface by Lorédan Larchey (1831-1902) author of numerous French historical works, and over a hundred illustrations. Text taken from book published in 1890 by Thomas Y. Crowell and Co, New York Includes 101 illustrations and TOC
Memoirs of British Generals Distinguished During The Peninsular War. Vol I. (Memoirs of British Generals Distinguished During The Peninsular War. #1)
by Pickle Partners Publishing John William ColeThis ebook is purpose built and is proof-read and re-type set from the original to provide an outstanding experience of reflowing text for an ebook reader. Although biographies of Duke of Wellington abound, there few biographies of the generals that fought alongside him and executed his orders (or in some cases disobeyed them). The author John William Cole was well placed to provide the details of their lives being a long serving soldier in the British Army; his biographical sketches of the generals are accurate, pithy and although tactful he does not avoid dealing with their faults such as Beresford's less than impressive performance at Albuera. Battles such as Coruña, the Coa, Salamanca, Vittoria, and Waterloo are covered in excellent detail in the round, and particular focus is shown to the actions of the generals in question. This volume chronicles the lives of No. I. -- SIR JOHN MOORE. No. II -- SIR DAVID BAIRD. No. III. -- THE MARQUESS OF ANGLESEY. No. IV. -- SIR EDWARD PAGET. No. V. -- LORD BERESFORD. No. VI. -- MAJOR-GENERAL ROBERT CRAUFURD. No. VII. -- SIR G. LOWRY COLE. Author - John William Cole (????-1870) Text taken, whole and complete, from the edition published in 1856, London, by Richard Bentley. Original - xiii and 352 pages. Illustrations- 3 Portraits Linked TOC
The Diary Of A Cavalry Officer In The Peninsular And Waterloo Campaigns, 1809 - 1815
by Pickle Partners Publishing Rt. Hon. James Tomkinson Lieutenant-Colonel William TomkinsonThis ebook is purpose built and is proof-read and re-type set from the original to provide an outstanding experience of reflowing text for an ebook reader. Lieutenant Colonel Tomkinson's memoirs are a rarity amongst the many books written by British soldiers of their experiences during the Napoleonic period, in that it has been written by a cavalryman. This in itself makes the book interesting, but the author was also a witness to many of the pivotal engagements of the Peninsular War and Waterloo. He was present at the sieges of Badajoz, Cuidad Rodrigo, and San Sebastian, the battles of Busaco, Fuentes de Oñoro, Salamanca and Vitorria. His work is often quoted in histories of the Waterloo campaign which offers much to the casual reader or the serious historian. Perhaps most striking about Tomkinson's text is the detailed notes that he must have taken contemporaneously are melded into a flowing account of his service. The detail of the marches and orders of battle are interspersed with anecdotes and insights. Includes Linked TOC Original Text taken from the 1894 edition published by Swan Sonnenschein, London. Author - Lt.-Col William Tomkinson (1790-1872) Foreword - Rt. Hon. James Tomkinson (1840-1910) Illustrations - Numerous maps and Illustrations Annotations - Pickle Partners Publishing
The Memoirs of Baron de Marbot - late Lieutenant General in the French Army. Vol. I (The Memoirs of Baron de Marbot - late Lieutenant General in the French Army #1)
by Arthur John Butler Pickle Partners Publishing Général de Division, Baron Jean Baptiste Antoine Marcelin de MarbotThis ebook is purpose built and is proof-read and re-type set from the original to provide an outstanding experience of reflowing text for an ebook reader. Perhaps the most famous of all Napoleonic memoirs to be written in any language are those written by Marbot. They stand in a league of their own. Napoleon, himself left a donation of 100,000 to him, for his refutation of General Rogniat's work - to quote Napoleon's will "I recommend him to continue to write in defense of the glory of the French armies, and to confound their calumniators and apostates." So entertaining and full of vivid details that Sir Arthur Conan Doyle fictionalized them into his adventures of Brigadier Gerard. In this the first volume of his translated memoirs, it covers his early childhood, born into a military family, to his first steps on the military ladder as a hussar in the 1e Regiment de Hussards (ex-Bercheny). His dash and leadership lead to a commission and appointments on the staff of Generals Augereau and Masséna. He writes poignantly of his fathers death at the siege of Genoa (1800) and the privations suffered in the city by the defenders and the inhabitants alike. His career takes him to the battles of Austerlitz, Friedland, Eylau and Aspern-Essling. His narrative is full of anecdotes and vignettes of the great and the good of the Consulate and Empire, he portrays himself in the midst of such luminaries as the Emperor, his Marshals and Generals. Contains portrait of de Marbot from 1812 as a colonel of 23e Hussards, and maps illustrating the 1805, 1806 and 1809 battles. The text and maps are taken from the 1892 publishing by Longmans, Green and Co, London and New York. Author - Jean Baptiste Antoine Marcelin, Baron de Marbot, 1782-1854 Translator - Arthur John Butler 1844-1910
The Memoirs of Baron de Marbot - late Lieutenant General in the French Army. Vol. II (The Memoirs of Baron de Marbot - late Lieutenant General in the French Army #2)
by Arthur John Butler Pickle Partners Publishing Général de Division, Baron Jean Baptiste Antoine Marcelin de MarbotThis ebook is purpose built and is proof-read and re-type set from the original to provide an outstanding experience of reflowing text for an ebook reader. Perhaps the most famous of all Napoleonic memoirs to be written in any language are those written by Marbot. They stand in a league of their own. Napoleon, himself left a donation of 100,000 to him, for his refutation of General Rogniat's work - to quote Napoleon's will "I recommend him to continue to write in defense of the glory of the French armies, and to confound their calumniators and apostates." So entertaining and full of vivid details that Sir Arthur Conan Doyle fictionalized them into his adventures of Brigadier Gerard. In this second volume, de Marbot continues his varied adventures under Napoleon's eagles, He writes of the battle of Wagram and the death of General Lasalle the finest light cavalry commander of the time. He is assigned to Masséna's campaign to conquer Portugal in 1810 and faces his opponents at Busaco and records the features of the impregnable Line of Torres Vedras. More interesting than the mere descriptions of the battles, combats and affairs he is involved in, are the intrigues and fall-outs at the Headquarters between Marshal Masséna and most of his divisional generals including the famous Marshal Ney, sometimes over his military handling of the campaign and at others over his bringing his mistress Miss---X. with him. He provides a somewhat skewed but vivid account of the battle of Fuentes d'Oñoro in 1811 and withholds no venom in his descriptions of Masséna in particular, and also the other bickering generals, controlling their fiefdoms in the Peninsular. He joins the 23rd Chasseurs-à-Cheval for the campaign in Russia. His unit is part of the flank guard for the Grande Armée's push to Moscow and provides details of the battle go Polotsk. He gives an incisive portrait of Marshal Gouvion Saint-Cyr, who he portrays as brilliant but cold and eccentric. Present at the crossing of the Beresina, he recounts the woes of the army he finds in pieces after the retreat from Moscow, beaming with pride at the state of his regiment. He moves rather briskly into the wars of German liberation and the epoch defining battle of Leipzig in 1813. He describes the action as best as any eye-witness can of three days of rolling battle and carnage can be. Bitterly and with some passion, he speaks of Napoleon's German allies turning on the French. He is rather fulsome in his criticism of his senior commanders especially Exelmans. The campaign of 1814 in defence of France is but briefly covered, and the 1815 campaign not at all. Contains portrait of de Marbot from 1812 as a lieutenant-general, and maps illustrating the battle of Leipzig. Additional notes have been added to this edition. The text and maps are taken from the 1892 publishing by Longmans, Green and Co, London and New York. Author - Jean Baptiste Antoine Marcelin, Baron de Marbot, 1782-1854 Translator - Arthur John Butler 1844-1910
The Memoirs of Sergeant Bourgogne (1812-1813)
by Anon Pickle Partners Publishing Sergeant Adrien Jean Baptiste François BourgogneThis ebook is purpose built and is proof-read and re-type set from the original to provide an outstanding experience of reflowing text for an ebook reader. Considered by the majority of commentators to be the quintessential personal narrative of Napoleon's disastrous 1812 campaign in Russia. The book charts the progress of the Grande Armée toward it's apogee at the occupation of Moscow, followed by the great fire of Moscow and the looting of the city to the terrible retreat. During the retreat the full horror of the hunger, privation are vividly depicted, not only in Bourgogne's own sufferings, but also those of his friends and countrymen. He stumbles through trials that proved too much for most those around him, whilst maintaining a haunting ability to describe the torments that try him. This account written partly in captivity in 1813, after capture at the battle of Dessau in 1813 and partly from letters he sent to his family during 1812, its historical significance and value cannot be over stated. Text taken from book published in 1899 by William Heinemann, London
Journal of the Waterloo Campaign (Journal of the Waterloo Campaign (kept throughout the campaign of 1815) #1)
by Pickle Partners Publishing General Alexander Cavalié MercerThis ebook is purpose built and is proof-read and re-type set from the original to provide an outstanding experience of reflowing text for an ebook reader. Without doubt, one of the finest accounts of a participant of the Waterloo campaign. Mercer was famously in charge of "G" troop RHA during the campaign, and from the journal he kept at the time, he formed this book. It is written with a jaunty air more often seen in the writings of French cavalry officers memoirs, a certain irreverence to rank and custom (his description of the Duc de Berri is particularly cutting) and a keen eye for detail and the anecdote. This edition is the second volume of a two volume series as originally published. Having been stationed in Belgium for over a month during which time he offers a number of telling remarks on the country and its inhabitants, and their enthusiasm for the conflict, his troop arrived belatedly at the battle of Quatre Bars on the 16th June 1815 as the fighting died down. He was involved in covering the retreat of the Allied forces northward to Waterloo on the 17th. During this retreat Mercer sights Napoleon riding with the vanguard of his advanced forces, as he struggles to cover his retreating comrades, in a moment he refers to as "sublime". During the battle on the 18th his troop is in the thick of the fighting, during which time Mercer's account leaves no detail out, apart from his disobeying Wellington's order to avoid counter-battery fire. As the battle rolls on the magnificent and yet foolhardy charges of the massed French cavalry are recounted with their brave but ultimately futile attempt to break the squares on the ridge, Mercer and his troop pour fire into the horsemen mercilessly. As the Armée du Nord recoils from its final attack in disarray, Mercer is ordered with his men to follow up the retreating hordes, he replies to his superior "How?" as the charnel house surrounding his position contains the dead and dying horses needed to pull his guns. Essential reading. The Text, whole and complete, is taken from 1870 edition, published by William Blackwood and Sons, Edinburgh Author - General Alexander Cavalié Mercer (1783-1868)
Journal of the Waterloo Campaign (Journal of the Waterloo Campaign (kept throughout the campaign of 1815) #2)
by Pickle Partners Publishing General Alexander Cavalié MercerThis ebook is purpose built and is proof-read and re-type set from the original to provide an outstanding experience of reflowing text for an ebook reader. Without doubt, one of the finest accounts of a participant of the Waterloo campaign. Mercer was famously in charge of "G" troop RHA during the campaign, and from the journal he kept at the time he formed this book. It is written with a jaunty air more often seen in the writings of French cavalry officers memoirs, a certain irreverence to rank and custom (his description of the Duc de Berri is particularly cutting) and a keen eye for detail and the anecdote. This edition is the second volume of a two volume series as originally published. Having been stationed in Belgium for over a month during which time he offers a number of telling remarks on the country and its inhabitants, and their enthusiasm for the conflict, his troop arrived belatedly at the battle of Quatre Bars on the 16th June 1815 as the fighting died down. He was involved in covering the retreat of the Allied forces northward to Waterloo on the 17th. During this retreat Mercer sights Napoleon riding with the vanguard of his advanced forces, as he struggles to cover his retreating comrades, in a moment he refers to as "sublime". During the battle on the 18th his troop is in the thick of the fighting, during which time Mercer's account leaves no detail out, apart from his disobeying Wellington's order to avoid counter-battery fire. As the battle rolls on the magnificent and yet foolhardy charges of the massed French cavalry are recounted with their brave but ultimately futile attempt to break the squares on the ridge, Mercer and his troop pour fire into the horsemen mercilessly. As the Armée du Nord recoils from its final attack in disarray, Mercer is ordered with his men to follow up the retreating hordes, he replies to his superior "How?" as the charnel house surrounding his position contains the dead and dying horses needed to pull his guns. Essential reading. The Text, whole and complete, is taken from 1870 edition, published by William Blackwood and Sons, Edinburgh Author - General Alexander Cavalié Mercer (1783-1868)
Adventures in the Rifle Brigade, in the Peninsula, France, and the Netherlands from 1809 to 1815 [Illustrated and Annotated Edition]
by Pickle Partners Publishing Captain Sir John KincaidThis ebook is purpose built and is proof-read and re-type set from the original to provide an outstanding experience of reflowing text for an ebook reader. This edition contains over 60 annotations, illuminating the people and events recounted by Sir John, and also 6 maps illuminating the battles of Fuentes de Oñoro, Salamanca and Vittoria, also the sieges of Cuidad Rodrigo and Badajoz and the fortifications of Torres Vedras. Sir John Kincaid served with the 95th Rifles throughout the Peninsular War and the Waterloo campaign in 1815. Written with verve and wit and an eye for an amusing story, Adventures in the Rifle Brigade (as the 95th was known at the time), Kincaid provided an oft imitated pattern for British Rife memoirs. Published originally in 1830 the originality of the book has led to numerous re-editions since. The narrative includes; The Battles of Sabugal, Fuentes D'Oñoro, Salamanca, Vittoria, the Nivelle and Waterloo,and the sieges of Badajoz and Cuidad Rodrigo. The Text has been taken from the edition published by T. and W. Boone, 1830 London Author - Sir John Kincaid 1787-1862
Notes of Conversations with the Duke of Wellington 1831-1851
by Pickle Partners Publishing Philip Henry, 5th Earl of StanhopeThis ebook is purpose built and is proof-read and re-type set from the original to provide an outstanding experience of reflowing text for an ebook reader. The notes that the 5th Earl Stanhope collected during his intimate friendship with the 1st Duke of Wellington, form an interesting and entertaining addition to the publications of the period and in particular the character and thoughts of the Duke himself. They are chronologically organised, in almost diarised format, and are clearly contemporaneous, Stanhope avoids adding much input of his own to the text, leaving the Duke words to be recorded verbatim. Although published after the Duke's death they are scrupulously cross-referenced with other publications such as the Croker Papers and the Greville memoirs which lends authenticity to the work. There is also a uniformity of character and phrase in the words that Wellington is quoted as saying, so as to lose none of their wit, verve, conservatism and in many cases severity of judgement. Stanhope, himself was no mean scholar, and a champion for the arts being a driving force behind the National Gallery in London. The text contains many insights into how Wellington viewed the world, his allies, and enemies, both political and on the field of battle. The anecdotes feature no less persons than the arch-schemer Prince Talleyrand, Prince Metternich, Field Marshal Blücher, Generals Gneisenau, Picton and Alava, the Royal families of Great Britain and France, Austria, Sir Robert Peel, Lord Castelreagh et al. Of particular interest are his views on the campaigns that made him famous and particularly of Napoleon; just to quote one example of the text 'I have heard, Sir, from military men that Napoleon's campaign to defend Paris was one of his most skilful?--"Excellent--quite excellent. The study of it has given me a greater idea of his genius than any other. Had he continued that system a little while longer, it is my opinion that he would have saved Paris. But he wanted patience--he did not see the necessity of adhering to defensive warfare.' Highly recommended The text, complete and unedited, of this edition is taken from the 1888 edition published by John Murray, London. Author - Philip Henry, 5th Earl Stanhope (30 January 1805 - 24 December 1875)
The Autobiography of Sergeant Lawrence - A Hero of the Peninsular and Waterloo Campaigns [Illustrated Edition]
by Pickle Partners Publishing Sergeant William Lawrence George Nugent BankesThis ebook is purpose built and is proof-read and re-type set from the original to provide an outstanding experience of reflowing text for an ebook reader. Sergeant William Lawrence's account of his life is an interesting addition to the memoirs of the Napoleonic period, not for the style and grace of the prose, as Lawrence was not a highly educated man, although highly observant. What is often missing from other memoirs of the period is that mostly, they are written by the officers, and with some notable exceptions do not give a feel for the way of life for the ranker and the N.C.O.. This autobiography goes some way to fill the gap in the record. Such instances as rations, the occasional pig of dubious provenance, "cyder", footsore marches lacking boots, and floggings are juxtaposed with the battles and skirmishes. Lawrence served in the 40th regiment of foot, in both the Peninsular war and the Waterloo campaign, ascending from private to Sergeant. Describing the storming of Badajoz, the battles of Vittoria and Waterloo in his turn he was rightly proud of his achievements and the Waterloo medal he wore, he died in his native Dorset in 1867 leaving a descendant to publish this book. Text taken from 1886 edition, full and complete, includes 10 additional maps to illuminate the text. All maps taken from Napier's History of the War in the Peninsular and the South of France, 1888 edition apart from 10. Which is taken from Captain Batty's An Historical Sketch of the Campaign of 1815, Illustrated by Plans of the Operations and of the Battles of Quatre Bras, Ligny, and Waterloo. 1 - The Battle of Vimiero, 21st August 1808 - Vol. I 2- Explanatory Sketch of the Campaign in Portugal August 1808- Vol. I 3- Battle of Talavera, 28th July 1809- Vol. II 4 - Operations on the Mondego and the Battle of Busaco - Vol. III 5 - The Lines of Torres Vedras - Vol. III 6 - Battle of Albuera, 16th May 1811 - Vol. III 7 - The Siege of Badajoz - 1812 - Vol. IV 8 - Battle of Vittoria and Operations leading up to it. - Vol. V 9 - Battle of Orthez and Soult's retreat to Aire. - Vol. VI 10- Map of the Battle of Waterloo, 18th June 1815. $ Author - William Lawrence [1791-1867] Editor - George Nugent Bankes [????-????]
The Life of Nelson - Vol. I [Illustrated Edition] (The Life of Nelson #1)
by Admiral Alfred Thayer MahanThis ebook is purpose built and is proof-read and re-type set from the original to provide an outstanding experience of reflowing text for an ebook reader. When Admiral Mahan, passed away in 1914, his ideas and thoughts lived on in his writings, which spanned the naval strategy of his own times and the lessons learnt from history. They are still read at the modern naval academies and the ideas permeate the teachings at Annapolis. A flag officer in the U.S. Navy who fought during the American civil war for the Union forces, his works have gained a fame that makes him the foremost of the naval historians of the late 1800's. Of enduring interest is his two volume history of Horatio Nelson, the hero of the Royal Navy and the battle of Trafalgar. An epic and tragic figure in age that abounds with them, the victor of Trafalgar who never lived past that day to see his fame endure is a favourite for biographies however few are as balanced and detailed as Mahan's. The first volume covers Nelson's early years his entrance to the Royal Navy and the patronage that enabled him to progress up the ranks swiftly. His decisive action at the battle of Cape St Vincent is covered in detail. Nelson's thirst for action and glory is brought out in stark relief with his youthful naivety, and his deeply questionable actions in Naples are discussed in depth. The book ends after the brilliant victory at the battle of the Nile, which in itself would have been enough to be a crowning glory, leaving Napoleon and his expeditionary force stranded in Egypt. Illustrations - Nelson (aged 22), Captain Maurice Suckling, Captain William Locker, Admiral Lord Hood, Admiral Sir John Jervis, Sir Thomas Troubridge, Lady Nelson, Lady Hamilton, Admiral Lord Keith Maps - Northern Italy and Corsica, Action of the Agammemnon vs the Ca Ira, Fleet action 1795, Battle of Cape St Vincent (3 maps), Mediterranean, Alexandra to Rosetta, Aboukir Bay, Battle of the Nile (2 Maps) Text taken, whole and complete, from the 1897 FIRST edition published in London by SAMPSON LOW, MARSTON, & COMPANY, Original 454 pages. Author - Rear Admiral Alfred Thayer Mahan 27/09/2010 - 01/12/1914
The Life of Nelson - Vol. II [Illustrated Edition] (The Life of Nelson #2)
by Admiral Alfred Thayer MahanThis ebook is purpose built and is proof-read and re-type set from the original to provide an outstanding experience of reflowing text for an ebook reader. When Admiral Mahan, passed away in 1914, his ideas and thoughts lived on in his writings, which spanned the naval strategy of his own times and the lessons learnt from history. They are still read at the modern naval academies and the ideas permeate the teachings at Annapolis. A flag officer in the U.S. Navy who fought during the American civil war for the Union forces, his works have gained a fame that makes him the foremost of the naval historians of the late 1800's. Of enduring interest is his two volume history of Horatio Nelson, the hero of the Royal Navy and the battle of Trafalgar. An epic and tragic figure in age that abounds with them, the victor of Trafalgar who never lived past that day to see his fame endure is a favourite for biographies, however few are as balanced and detailed as Mahan's. The second volume of the biography focuses on the years 1800 to 1805, which were an exceptionally trying and busy time for all Royal Navy officers, but also pivotal to Nelson's development and led to his masterful action at Trafalgar. Nelson's role in the pre-emptive strike at the Danish fleet at Copenhagen, and his anger nearly boils over with superiors who he considers not forward-thinking or aggressive enough in what was a conservative arm of the forces. Nelson's life at home is not ignored or passed over and his life with Lady Hamilton and their daughter Horatia are covered although in less details than modern biographies. Finally the epic, tragic and brilliant battle of Trafalgar which ended the French hopes of global dominance by sea but also Nelson's life. Includes Linked Table of Contents. Illustrations - Vice Admiral Nelson, Vice Admiral Nelson, Vice Admiral Hyde-Parker, H.M ships Agamemnon, Captain, Vanguard, Elephant and Victory, Admiral Collingwood, Meeting of Nelson and Wellington, Vice Admiral Lord Nelson, Captain Thomas Masterman Hardy, Horatia (22 year old). Maps - Baltic and approaches, Battle of Copenhagen (2 maps), English channel and North Sea, Sardinia, North Atlantic, Plans of attack of the French and Spanish fleets (2 plans), Plan for the battle of Trafalgar (2 plans), The attack of Trafalgar. Text taken, whole and complete, from the 1897 FIRST edition published in London by SAMPSON LOW, MARSTON, & COMPANY, Original 423 pages. Author - Rear Admiral Alfred Thayer Mahan 27/09/2010 - 01/12/1914
Recollections of a Peninsular Veteran
by Pickle Partners Publishing Captain Acland Anderson Lt.-Colonel Joseph Anderson C.B. K.H.This ebook is purpose built and is proof-read and re-type set from the original to provide an outstanding experience of reflowing text for an ebook reader. Lt. Col, Anderson wrote his memoirs as for his own family not suspecting their interest to the larger reading public. As such they hold a charm of their own apart from a number of the more swashbuckling accounts of soldier's adventures in the British army during the Napoleonic and Victorian periods. That is not to say that they are staid in any way but written from a more modest view-point than some. Joining the British army at the tender age of fifteen as an ensign in the 78th Regiment of Foot, he took part on the clash at Maida in which an out-numbered British force decisively defeated the French division of General Reynier. Posted to the main Peninsular theatre of war, he took part on the battles of Talavera, Busaco and Fuentes d'Oñoro. A humane and reasonable man capable of great bravery, such as going into French lines to recover the body of his dead friend, Anderson's memoirs have deserved a greater audience than the circle of his family and were duly published after his death. Text taken, whole and complete, from the 1913 edition published in London by Edward Arnold, Original 330 pages. Author - Lt.-Col Joseph Anderson C.B. K.H. 01/06/1790 - ??/01/1877 Foreword - Captain Acland Anderson ????-????
A Journal of the Russian Campaign of 1812.
by Pickle Partners Publishing Général Raymond-Aymerie-Philippe-Joseph, Duc de Montesquiou-Fézensac General Sir William Thomas KnollysThis ebook is purpose built and is proof-read and re-type set from the original to provide an outstanding experience of reflowing text for an ebook reader. An acclaimed classic of the many memoirs to have survived from the epic, tragic and disastrous Russian Campaign of 1812. This translation is taken from chapters of Fézensac's larger memoir - Souvenirs Militaires de 1804 a 1815 par le duc de Fezensac, Paris, 1863. The author starts the campaign as an aide-de-camp attached to the General Staff, and is slightly more insulated to the horrors of the march to Moscow, although glimpses of the hardships reach even the higher reaches of command. Later, after the fire and sack of Moscow, he takes command of regiment of infantry and it is then that the truly epic struggles the men undertook against their principal nature on the retreat from Moscow. His regiment forms part of Maréchal Ney's dwindling, over-worked, staving rearguard, and is witness to its trials and Homeric travails including the crossings of the Dneiper and Berezina. This edition is introduced by a withy summation of the campaign by General Knollys, who without impinging on the narrative, gives a good overall account of the campaign leaving the details of Fézensac's experiences to be brought out in his own words. Raymond-Aymerie-Philippe-Joseph de Montesquiou-Fézensac, born in Paris in 1784 into an ancient noble family, a cadet branch of the House of Gascony, he volunteered as a private soldier in 1803. He achieved rapid promotion in the campaigns of 1805 and 1806, and later serving as Maréchal Ney's aide-de-camp. His promotion would not have been hampered by his marriage to Mademoiselle Clarke, daughter of the Minister of War, General Clarke who held this post the majority of the Empire, also played a pivotal role in the fall of Paris and Napoleon's abdication in 1814. Created a baron of the empire by Napoleon, he had been promoted to the rank of chef d'escadron by the time of the 1812 Russian campaign. He was promoted to général de brigade in 1813 during the German campaign of 1813 but did not rally to Napoleon during the Hundred Days. He was elevated to the title of comte in 1817 and duc in 1821. The text is taken from the edition published in 1852 by Parker, Furnivall, and Parker, London Author: Raymond-Aymerie-Philippe-Joseph de Montesquiou-Fézensac 1784-1867 Translator and Introduction: General Sir William Thomas Knollys 1797-1883
Leaves From The Diary Of An Officer Of The Guards
by Pickle Partners Publishing Sir John Cowell-StepneyThis ebook is purpose built and is proof-read and re-type set from the original to provide an outstanding experience of reflowing text for an ebook reader. Originally written under the nom de plume of "A Veteran Comrade", the leaves of Sir John Cowell-Stepney's diary make for a fascinating read as he recounts his experiences during the Peninsular Campaign and his other anecdotes of his military career. Commissioned in the Grenadier Guards in May 1809 as an Ensign, and rose to the rank of Lt-Colonel in 1830. In his later life he was active in politics as a Liberal Member of parliament and the High Sheriff of Carmarthenshire. Focusing on the campaigns of 1810 and 1811 in particular, the author describes his experiences vividly from his initial landing in Portugal, throughout his varied trials of the British army officer in the Peninsular. Major battles that his was involved in such as Fuentes D'Oñoro, Albuera and perhaps the best account of the siege and assault of Cuidad Rodrigo, are covered in his inimitable style. Reminiscent in tone to Kincaid's "Adventures in the Rifle Brigade", with a jaunty self-deprecating humour, and eye for detail. A classic of the Genre. Text taken, whole and complete, from the 1854 edition, published in London by Chapman. Original - 312 pages. Author- Sir John Cowell-Stepney (1791-1877) Linked TOC.
Letters of Captain Thomas William Taylor of the 10th Hussars during the Waterloo Campaign
by Major-General Thomas William Taylor C.B.This ebook is purpose built and is proof-read and re-type set from the original to provide an outstanding experience of reflowing text for an ebook reader. Jonathan Leach's service with the 95th Rifles throughout the Peninsular and Waterloo campaigns placed him in an authoritative position to write a short exposition on the Field Services of the Rifle Brigade. Although brief the document is a valuable addition to the works on this famous corps. Text taken whole and complete from the 1838 edition
Marshal Ney - Bravest Of The Brave: Michel Ney, Marshal Of France, Duke Of Elchingen, Prince Of The Moskowa, 1769-1815 (1912)
by Pickle Partners Publishing Andrew Hilliard AtteridgeThis ebook is purpose built and is proof-read and re-type set from the original to provide an outstanding experience of reflowing text for an ebook reader. Few of Napoleon's Marshals have been involved in such controversy as the son of a cooper from Sarrelouis, Michel Ney. His reputation has been argued over fiercely by military historians, Bonapartists, revisionists and romantics for almost two centuries since his untimely demise at the hands of his own countrymen in the gardens of the Luxembourg. This volume paints a sympathetic picture of Marshal Ney, drawing on the memoirs of his subordinates and Général Bonnal's Vie Militaire du Maréchal Ney to combine into the best single volume biography yet published in English. Atteridge writes concisely but vividly, and does not shy away with the controversies that have dogged Ney's reputation, whilst providing a clear framework of the events. The details are accompanied by numerous maps, including excellent details on the often overlooked Battle of Hohenlinden in 1800 which secured the French Republic. From the early days of the French Republic, Ney fought fiercely and with much skill, through to the dark days of the retreat from Russia in 1812 in which he saved the remnants of the vast army Napoleon led to their destruction. His actions in the Hundred Days, for which he lost his life in a trial whose outcome was predetermined, are analyzed clearly and he deserved a better lot than he received for his efforts. Ney was a pivotal figure in an era of giants and Atteridge's book does him the justice his brave and valorous character demands. Highly recommended. Atteridge's book forms a companion to his other single volume biography of Marshal Murat and his work on the varied personalities on Napoleon's Brothers. Text taken, whole and complete, from the 1912 edition, published in London by Metheun and Co. Ltd. Original - 468 pages. Author- Andrew Hilliard Atteridge (1844-1912) Linked TOC and 8 Illustrations and 8 maps.
Memoirs of Constant - First Valet de Chambre to the Emperor. Vol II (Memoirs of Constant - First Valet de Chambre to the Emperor #2)
by Pickle Partners Publishing Elizabeth Gilbert Martin Imbert de Saint Martin Louis Constant WairyThis ebook is purpose built and is proof-read and re-type set from the original to provide an outstanding experience of reflowing text for an ebook reader. Louis Constant Wairy, mainly known as Constant through-out his life and as the author of his memoirs, was a man intimately connected to General Bonaparte and his wife Josephine Beauharnais, and later in their incarnation as Emperor and Empress of the French. Achieving the rank of first valet de chambre to the Emperor after the previous incumbent Louis Marchand, who also wrote a memoir of his experiences shadowing Napoleon, had abandoned him in 1814. A definite admirer of the Emperor, his place in the Emperor's household allowed access to the Great man and as he says himself; "From the departure of the First Consul for the campaign of Marengo, whither I attended him, until the departure from Fontainebleau, where I was obliged to leave the Emperor, I was absent from him only twice, the first time for three times twenty-four hours, the second for seven or eight days. Aside from these brief holidays, the last of which was necessary in order to restore my health, I quitted the Emperor no more than his shadow did." For this reason alone ensures that the memoirs which he wrote, and although not quite the "warts and all" portrait that Constant might have us believe it is of capital interest to the general reader and the Napoleonic enthuasiast. Text taken, whole and complete, from the 1907 edition published in New York by Century, Original 307 pages. Author - Louis Constant Wairy, known as Constant 02nd December 1778-1845 Foreword - Imbert de Saint-Amand. 1834-1900 Translator - Elizabeth Gilbert Martin ????-????
Memoirs of Constant - First Valet de Chambre to the Emperor. Vol III (Memoirs of Constant - First Valet de Chambre to the Emperor #3)
by Pickle Partners Publishing Elizabeth Gilbert Martin Imbert de Saint Martin Louis Constant WairyThis ebook is purpose built and is proof-read and re-type set from the original to provide an outstanding experience of reflowing text for an ebook reader. Louis Constant Wairy, mainly known as Constant through-out his life and as the author of his memoirs, was a man intimately connected to General Bonaparte and his wife Josephine Beauharnais, and later in their incarnation as Emperor and Empress of the French. Achieving the rank of first valet de chambre to the Emperor after the previous incumbent Louis Marchand, who also wrote a memoir of his experiences shadowing Napoleon, had abandoned him in 1814. A definite admirer of the Emperor, his place in the Emperor's household allowed access to the Great man and as he says himself; "From the departure of the First Consul for the campaign of Marengo, whither I attended him, until the departure from Fontainebleau, where I was obliged to leave the Emperor, I was absent from him only twice, the first time for three times twenty-four hours, the second for seven or eight days. Aside from these brief holidays, the last of which was necessary in order to restore my health, I quitted the Emperor no more than his shadow did." For this reason alone ensures that the memoirs which he wrote, and although not quite the "warts and all" portrait that Constant might have us believe it is of capital interest to the general reader and the Napoleonic enthuasiast. Text taken, whole and complete, from the 1907 edition published in New York by Century, Original 307 pages. Author - Louis Constant Wairy, known as Constant 02nd December 1778-1845 Foreword - Imbert de Saint-Amand. 1834-1900 Translator - Elizabeth Gilbert Martin ????-????
Memoirs of Constant - First Valet de Chambre to the Emperor. Vol I (Memoirs of Constant - First Valet de Chambre to the Emperor #4)
by Pickle Partners Publishing Elizabeth Gilbert Martin Imbert de Saint Martin Louis Constant WairyThis ebook is purpose built and is proof-read and re-type set from the original to provide an outstanding experience of reflowing text for an ebook reader. Louis Constant Wairy, mainly known as Constant through-out his life and as the author of his memoirs, was a man intimately connected to General Bonaparte and his wife Josephine Beauharnais, and later in their incarnation as Emperor and Empress of the French. Achieving the rank of first valet de chambre to the Emperor after the previous incumbent Louis Marchand, who also wrote a memoir of his experiences shadowing Napoleon, had abandoned him in 1814. A definite admirer of the Emperor, his place in the Emperor's household allowed access to the Great man and as he says himself; "From the departure of the First Consul for the campaign of Marengo, whither I attended him, until the departure from Fontainebleau, where I was obliged to leave the Emperor, I was absent from him only twice, the first time for three times twenty-four hours, the second for seven or eight days. Aside from these brief holidays, the last of which was necessary in order to restore my health, I quitted the Emperor no more than his shadow did." For this reason alone ensures that the memoirs which he wrote, and although not quite the "warts and all" portrait that Constant might have us believe it is of capital interest to the general reader and the Napoleonic enthuasiast. Text taken, whole and complete, from the 1907 edition published in New York by Century, Original 367 pages. Author - Louis Constant Wairy, known as Constant 02nd December 1778-1845 Foreword - Imbert de Saint-Amand. 1834-1900 Translator - Elizabeth Gilbert Martin ????-????
Notes and Reminiscences of a Staff Officer: Chiefly relating to the Waterloo Campaign and to St Helena matters during the captivity of Napoleon
by Pickle Partners Publishing Lt.-Colonel Basil Jackson Robert Cooper SeatonThis ebook is purpose built and is proof-read and re-type set from the original to provide an outstanding experience of reflowing text for an ebook reader. Although written many years after the events, Lt-Col Jackson's writing makes for much interesting reading. The text falls into three distinct parts; the first, the events of the Waterloo Campaign, the second, Jackson's experiences on St. Helena and his interactions with Napoleon's staff and his meeting of the Great Captain and thirdly his view of the works published or purportedly published about St Helena. The eyewitness account of a young staff officer on the Quartermaster-General's staff at Waterloo, whilst containing some errors perhaps due to memory lapses, makes for excellent reading and is an important memoir of that momentous campaign. His praise of the Duke of Wellington's actions during the battle itself are tempered with some criticism of his handling of the campaign as a whole, particularly his reaction to Napoleon's advance. Although avoiding the Anglocentric view of the critical Prussian intervention at Planchenoit, doesn't hesitate to condemn their pillage and attempts to make off with cannon captured by the Anglo-Dutch army. Following the occupation of Paris, during which he takes part in a number of dangerous incidents with a surly and angry populace, Jackson is ordered to St Helena as a part of the staff organisation. His interactions with Gourgaud, Montholon, Las Cases and Bertrand are of capital interest, and his estimation of Napoleon's character. During his brief interview with the prisoner himself, Napoleon "... alluding to two or three block-houses then in course of erection at the island, asked what Emmett expected to attack them, "est-ce les rais et les souris?" [is it the rays of the sun and the mice?] we were then dismissed." Jackson also defends his former chief, Sir Hudson Lowe against various slanderous attacks for his role as Governor of St Helena, for the majority of Napoleon's imprisonment. An interesting read. Text taken from 1903 edition, full and complete, published by John Murray, London Author - Basil Jackson [1795-1889] Editor - Robert Cooper Seaton [1853-1915] Annotations - Pickle Partners Publishing