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In the Legions of Napoleon: The Memoirs of a Polish Officer in Spain and Russia, 1808–1813 (The Napoleonic Library) Kindle Edition

by Henrich von Brandt (Author), Jonathan North (Translator) Format: Kindle Edition

4.7 25 ratings

Part of: The Napoleonic Library (28 books)

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In this classic memoir, a Polish soldier chronicles his military service under Napoleon, battling in Spain and Russia during the early nineteenth Century.

In the Legions of Napoleon recounts the adventures of an intrepid Polish soldier who fought for Napoleon the length and breadth of Europe. By the time he was twenty-five, Heinrich von Brandt had marched from Madrid to Moscow and had been severely wounded on three separate occasions.

From 1808 to 1812 he was caught up in Napoleon’s attempt to subjugate Spain, fighting in battles, sieges—including the siege of Saragossa—and hunting and being hunted by merciless bands of guerrillas. In 1812 his unit took part in the crossing of the Niemen and the epic retreat from Moscow.

In his extraordinary memoirs Brandt details the actions in which he fought, the type of officers and men with whom he served, and the grueling campaigns in which they participated. He also gives fascinating insight into the minds of his comrades and superiors. This book is a must for every Napoleonic historian, enthusiast, and anyone who likes a good story of high adventure.

Praise for In the Legions of Napoleon

“This gem of a book is one of the best accounts of the Spanish war, as well as the desperation and heartbreak that was Russia . . . This book is a must for every Napoleonic historian, enthusiast, and anyone who likes a good story of high adventure. It is told in a soldierly, straightforward manner, by an officer who did more than his assigned duty for his Emperor and his native land of Poland. It is one of the best memoirs to come out of the period, and ranks with Parquin’s as one of the most accurate. Jonathan North’s masterful translation has added another gem to the crown of valuable and accurate Napoleonic memoirs available to us.” —Kevin Kiley, The Napoleon Series

Editorial Reviews

Review

"A good first-hand account of military life"
The Amourer incorporating Classic Arms and Militaria July 2017

“This gem of a book is one of the best accounts of the Spanish war, as well as the desperation and heartbreak that was Russia… This book is a must for every Napoleonic historian, enthusiast, and anyone who likes a good story of high adventure. It is told in a soldierly, straightforward manner, by an officer who did more than his assigned duty for his Emperor and his native land of Poland. It is one of the best memoirs to come out of the period, and ranks with Parquin's as one of the most accurate. Jonathan North's masterful translation has added another gem to the crown of valuable and accurate Napoleonic memoirs available to us.”
Kevin Kiley, The Napoleon Series

Product details

ASIN ‏ : ‎ B0716K1N3R
Publisher ‏ : ‎ Frontline Books (February 28, 2017)
Publication date ‏ : ‎ February 28, 2017
Language ‏ : ‎ English
File size ‏ : ‎ 7201 KB
Text-to-Speech ‏ : ‎ Enabled
Screen Reader ‏ : ‎ Supported
Enhanced typesetting ‏ : ‎ Enabled
X-Ray ‏ : ‎ Not Enabled
Word Wise ‏ : ‎ Enabled
Sticky notes ‏ : ‎ On Kindle Scribe
Print length ‏ : ‎ 347 pages

Best Sellers Rank: #979,774 in Kindle Store (See Top 100 in Kindle Store)
- #123 in Napoleonic War History (Kindle Store)
- #362 in Biographies of the Army
- #409 in Napoleonic War History (Books)

Customer Reviews:
4.7 25 ratings

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Heinrich von Brandt
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Jonathan North
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I'm Jonathan North (see more about me at http://www.jpnorth.co.uk). I was drawn early on to the period which followed the French Revolution and to the era of Napoleon, roughly 1789 to 1815. It was a time of tremendous upheaval in which the world seemed to advance at great speed, sometimes in a measured and rational way (the Code Napoleon), sometimes lurching and stumbling (the anarchy and the long wars). The period is also one of enormous historical significance, with the countries of Europe shaped and reshaped, political systems destroyed and refashioned, and the world, effectively, turned upside down and shaken.
Great historical figures dominated, with Napoleon, Nelson, Metternich and Beethoven, and others whose lives and actions remain significant, shaping the age. But, if I am honest, for me the lives of ordinary people was always more compelling, the way in which grand events sweep people up or simply pass them by. The accounts by soldiers and sailors, and of civilians caught up in some of the drama, are particularly revealing. My work has mainly looked at those accounts, and sought to bring them to a wider audience.
I've been a student of the Napoleonic age for many years but started publishing 15 years ago. You can see some of my books on these pages, or visit my website (http://www.jpnorth.co.uk/publications/) for more detail and for an insight into what I'm working on now. Thanks for reading.
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4.7 out of 5

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Col Benton

Entertaining and informative

Reviewed in the United States on January 2, 2010

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The style of writing is very easy to read, yet still conveys the feeling of the experiences being described. Also some interesting insights into incidents that were reported in a different way by more senior officers, some of whom were not actually present at the time, but wrote based on second-hand information.

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Jan Kostka

Great

Reviewed in the United States on June 25, 2012

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Great addition to your library if you are interested in the Napoleonic era. Shows how units were raised, used and abused, but fought for a cause.

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Kevin F. Kiley

From Saragossa to Moscow

Reviewed in the United States on May 13, 2000

Poles fought gallantly for France, and indirectly for their lost himeland, throughout the French Revoltionary and Napoleonic Wars. The most reliable of Napoleon's foreign troops, they marched the length and breadth of Europe and established a combat reputation second to none. Heinrich von Brandt was one of these, being commissioned into the Grande Armee as a sous-lieutenant shortly after Prussia's defeat in 1806. He quickly was assigned to the famous Legion of the Vistula, humped his pack, and went into Spain, seeing his first action in the famous second Siege of Saragossa. Brandt's fascinating narrative is lively, accurate, and blunt, telling in vivid detail the horrors of war and the lighter moments of garrison duty. He fought his war in Spain assigned to Suchet's Army of Aragon, seeing much action. When Napoleon starting gathering the huge army that invaded Russia in 1812, The Vistula Legion was one of the units pulled out of Spain to go into Russia. His description of the marches across Europe, the thorough preparation for the Grande Armee's invasion, and the trek to Moscow is fascinating-one can literally not put the book down. The best feature of the narrative, however, is Brandt's candid description of some of the notable personalities of the period, including Napoleon, Marshal Davout, and Marshal Suchet, all of whom he met and talked. He was praised by Suchet, interviewed for his commission by Davout, and saw Napoleon more than once, describing both he and Davout as having terrible tempers when provoked. His description of the terrible retreat from Moscow and the brilliant battle at the River berezina on the way out of Russian are fascinating. This is one of the best soldier memoirs I have ever read. It is as colorful as those by Charles Parquin and Baron Marbot, and very accurate. This book belongs on the book shelf of every Napoleonic historian and enthusiast.

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M. G. W. Paice

Very readable

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on June 7, 2021

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The translation is so well done it's like reading the words of an English speaker. The style of writing, too, is such that the reader is drawn into the world of a young officer in the service of Napoleon with all the trials and hardships experienced by a 19th century army.
For anyone who is interested in the period, or in warfare generally, I can't recommend this book too highly.

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Testimonio

Reviewed in Mexico on August 6, 2018

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Importante testimonio de la guerra.

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Arno Gropp

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Reviewed in Germany on April 10, 2023

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