This is an excellent volume on the Imperial Guard which features not only excellent line drawings of uniforms and equipment of the Guard but also primary source material on the tables of organization of the different Guard units as well as the Imperial Decrees, and their dates, that formed and organized the Guard units. Anyone who is interested in the Imperial Guard, the individual units of the Guard, as well researching the Guard's formation, this volume is invaluable.
An example of the Imperial Decrees forming the Guard units follows for the Guard infantry taken from the book:
-Decree of 29 July 1804: The reorganization of the Consular to the Imperial Guard for all Guard units.
-Decree of 15 April 1806: The new organization of the Grenadiers a Pied and Chasseurs a Pied.
-Decree of 19 September 1806: The organization of the Fusilier-Grenadiers from the Regiment of Velites.
-Decree of 1 October 1808: The reorganization of two grenadier regiments back into one regiment each.
-Decree of 13 September 1810: The creation of the Dutch Grenadiers.
-Decree of 8 April 1815: The organization of the four regiments of grenadiers a pied.
-Decree of 15 December 1806: The organization of the fusiliers-chasseurs and the fusiliers-grenadiers from the 2 regiments of velites..
-Decree of 16 January 1809: The creation of the tirailleurs-grenadiers and the tirailleurs-chasseurs.
-Decree of 25 April 1809: The creation of the 2d regiment of tirailleurs-grenadiers and tirailleurs-chasseurs.
-Decree of 30 December 1810: Change of title for the 1st and 2d regiments of tirailleurs-grenadiers to the 1st and 2d regiments of tirailleurs. Change of title of the 1st and 2d regiments of tirailleurs-chasseurs to the 1st and 2d regiment of voltigeurs.
-Decree of 29 March 1809 created the 1st regiment of conscrits-grenadiers.
-Decree of 31 March 1809 created the 2d regiment of conscrits-grenadiers.
-Decree of 4 September 1811 created the flanker-chasseurs.
-Decree of 23 March 1813 created the flanker-grenadiers.
-Decree of 30 December 1810: Change of title of the conscript-grenadiers to 3d and 4th regiments of tirailleurs. Change of title of the conscript-chasseurs to 3d and 4th regiments of voltigeurs.
There was one possible error in that the Flanquers-Chasseurs were probably formed before the Flanquers-Grenadiers, and that change is reflected in the above decree listing.
Absolutely Hans-Karl. I have learned so much from the selfless sharing of people on here. The depth and breath of knowledge is truly humbling and awe inspiring.
I am not disagreeing, but you will find here a lot of people along with whom you can discuss - ignore the rest - I cannot waste me time (another good dictum of my hero Nabulieone 😉)
For me - it is a great book, containing a wealth of information (citing primary sources, like ordres du jour), well laid out, beautifully illustrated as well - I would recommend it to buy without any hesitation, I am glad to own it.
I have Dawsons Napoleon's Imperial Guard Uniforms and Equipment - The Infantry as well.
It is differently structured and contains a wealth of information as well as numerous photos of colour showing contemporary prints or existing original items - the only weak point are the Keith Rocco paintings, a modern artist who - in my opinion - doesn't understand how to paint Napoleonic soldiers - in contrast to like Patrice Courcelle.
I am usually torn back and forth reading Dawson, who mainly draws on archival sources and must have spent a huge amount of time and money to obtain them.
Sill on the other side some incomprehensible howlers like
Sac a toile
This was the French soldier's bread bag (no it wasn't, the French soldiers did not have an individual bread bad like soldiers of other armies, like Prussians, but it was used to gather food, and yes bread as well) - It was slung over the shoulder en sautoir (no it wasn't, it was placed in the back pack, it had a dual role as of being a distributor back (which Dawson rightly mentions as well) and also to sleep in, I know it under the name sac a distribution / dormir (Blaze mentions that in his memoire, as well as Sergent Faucheur ).
I could go on on other aspects as well, like the drawers.
Another point is the "capotes" or great coats - page 75, he accuses that Rousselot got the dates of issue wrong and that his work has numerous errors and major omissions, in case it does, he had the change to do a critical re view and correct where and when appropriate.
According to Dawson :
Indeed new capotes arrived in stores on 22 November 1804 and were issued on 30 November 1804.
Really?
Capotes - at 7 th of december 1805
« Pendant notre séjour, nous reçûmes nos capotes d’uniforme venant de France. Elles furent bien accueilles, car not sarraux de toile avec lesquels nous avions fait la campagne n’était ni chauds, ni beaux. »
Barrès, page 56
Barrès, J-B, Souvenirs d’un officier de la Grande Armée, Éditions du Grenadier, Paris 2002
According to Barrès - and he was with the Chasseurs and not Grenadiers, they did the campaign using the sarraux de toile, which were neither neat nor warm.
He uses as source Barrès - but an English translations, which ever so often as with other memoires may be abridged, he also used Blaze - again as English translation.
Dawson stops in 1814, there he covers the French Army of 1815 in a separate book.
He did not list Fallou as a source, which he should have - it is too good to be ignored.
Ours is an interpretive (and re-interpretive) discipline.indeed and some old books will forever hold up to the highest degree and won't be surpassed by more recent research, to name Kling, Foucart, Alembert and Colin.
Those chaps knew what they were writing about.
Other old books won't - but they do unfortunately, though misleading, are still used as reference because they are written in English language.
Whilst as statements of intent the decrees make a good starting point. However, the truth on the ground can often vary. Even if the decree is complied with there can often be considerable time lag before it becomes reality. As it’s quite an old work, I’d be interested in forumites views in light of later research. I’m minded for example of Paul L Dawson’s and others work in this area. In ‘Napoleon’s Waterloo Army’ there are several instances of pre-Bardin articles still be manufactured, issued and worn long after the relevant decrees should have consigned them to oblivion. Most of these relate to line units though, and it could be argued that La Garde, being in close contact with the Emperor were far more likely to be compliant. Common sense though dictates that there are plenty of times when even they were hard pressed, after Russia or in the rush of the 100 days for example. Ours is an interpretive (and re-interpretive) discipline. How do people believe older works like these continue to measure up?