Title: Life in Napoleon's Army The Memoirs of Captain Elzear Blaze
Publisher: Greenhill Books, Park House, 1 Russell Gardens, London NW11 9NN
ISBN: 1-85367-196-7.
Price £ 18.50

Blaze is a somewhat fascinating character who, born in 1787, entered the ranks of Napoleon's Imperial Guard via the velite system. Seeing active service during the period 1807 to 1815, and continuing service with the Bourbons until 1830, Blaze was ideally placed to produce a commentary of every day in the service of the First Empire. This book could be considered as complementary to Life in Wellington's Army (see above), with the added bonus that a chapter is dedicated to a day of battle. Military reviews and executions obviously made a lasting impression on the author.

The publishing history of this tome is also worthy of note, Blaze's memoirs were first published in 1837 as La Vie Militaire Sous Le Premier Empire On Moeurs De Gamison, Du Bivouac et De La Caseme and were published in English as part of Lights and Shades of Military Life, edited by Lt-Gen Charles James Napier (London 1850). This new edition features artwork by Job that appeared in La Vie Militaire originally.

Not to be confused in style, with the excellent Francois memoirs 'From Valmy to Waterloo' which is a blow by blow account of the Napoleonic Wars, the Blaze memoirs are again an indispensable aide to the background history of French Imperial service.

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