"A wealth of detail about the Guard-including its history, officers, units, and music. (An English translation by Anne SK Brown, The Anatomy of Glory: Napoleon and His Guard, was published in 1961 by Brown University P:ress, Providence, RI. Its text is slightly abridged, but its illustrations are magnificent.)"
"This is the masterpiece on Napoleon's 'Immortals', the Imperial Guard. A lavish and sumptuous work, it combines vivid narrative with valuable and unique uniform illustrations, including 74 full color plates, to make one of the most magnificent books on military history ever published."
"Napoleons Imperial Guard was arguably the most famous military formation to tread the battlefields of Europe. La Garde Imperial was created on 18 May 1804, and from its origins as a small personal escort, the Guard grew in size and importance throughout the Napoleonic era. Eventually, it became the tactical reserve of the Grande Arme, comprising almost a third of Napoleons field forces. The men of the Imperial Guard were the lite of the First Empire, its officers and men the military aristocracy of post-Revolutionary France.Used only sparingly, the Guard acquired a reputation of invincibility. Such had become its prestige, when the attacks of the Guard were repulsed at Waterloo, they signaled not only the defeat of the French army but also the end of an era.In this magnificent study, unparalleled in depth and scope, the renowned French historian Commandant Henry Lachouque has produced a lavish and sumptuous work. It combines vivid narrative with valuable and unique uniform illustrations, including seventy-four full color plates from the Anne S.K. Brown collection, to make The Anatomy of Glory one of the most important and most sought-after books on military history ever published."
Greenhill republished it in 1997 with a new Introduction by John Elting.
From an article by Dawson placed on the old NSF site, maybe still available and worthwhile to consult.
The emperor personally accused the grenadiers for longing to be back in Paris with their mistresses and being 'back on the piss again'[118].. This attitude was perhaps partly due to the origins of a number of grenadiers, and being quartered in Paris at the end of most major campaigns. Other commentators note how NCOs' who were promoted into the guard as privates resented this and often challenged the authority of their new NCO's, not wishing to give up their rank and privileges[119]. Indeed in November 1808 according to surgeon Percy120]: The Imperial Guard, especially the infantry had got drunk. The men had found wine everywhere and had over indulged. The tracks were strewn with grenadiers a pied who were dead drunk. Some had lost their bearskins, others their muskets and at each halt they were still drinking. It was that years wine, which was very strong and still not totally fermented. It caused a long and brutal drunkeness, accompanied by vomitting and followed usually by diarrhoea. More than 200 of these men would spend the night on the ground in the open. The same thing happened when the guard moved in Leipzig in March 1813, general Rouget being forced to issue the following order: General Rouget will punish with arrest the commander of the company whose soldiers commit the least fault and make a public exhibition of themselves, The roll calls must be made more sternly: the general is convinced that whilst these are taking place, many soldiers who ought to be their roam the streets[121]. Similar stern words were needed only a few months later regarding the conduct of the grenadiers: Many chasseurs and grenadiers have for several days indulged in incredible excesses. Yesterday in particular, whilst passing through fulda, a large number of them were arrested and through their conduct have given serious cause for concern.[122] General Friant the following day on the 30th October, claimed that his orders had not been carried out, the duty Officers and NCOs being placed under arrest for failing to do their duty.[123] A day later these self same drunkards would go into battle at Hanau and regain much of their lost morals and reputation. Their attack perhaps being fueled by the Officers wishing to redeem themselves. Alongside the 1e grenadiers looting, drunkeness, and egotism, the regiment had critical functions which no other regiment in the army could fulfil: it provided an inspiring example of coolness on the battlefield, the cement which held the army together in 1813-1814, and as well as through its own existence was a powerful motivation for men to earn their admission to the guard, and to share in the privalidges and status of the regiment and their special, if somewhat strained at times, relationship with the Emperor. Approximately 8-10,000 men joined the 1e Grenadiers from the line in the ten years to 1813, with under 1500 being sent back as NCO's and Officers. The propaganda machine of Napoleon and subsequent authors like Marco de Saint-Hilaire created an illusion about the guard of it being a monolithic crack combat force of the highest morals and character. This illusion came crumbling down at Waterloo, when the guard with too high an expectation placed upon it from the Line, failed to win a decisive break though the allied lines and fell back, precipitating the line to collapse. The old guard took more from the line than they gave back in terms of man power. Its great value was in its imperturbability, capable of great feats of skill of arms as at Austerlitz, Eylau, Dresden and Montmirail, and inspiring awe and fear in friend and foe alike.