Memoirs of Napoleon's
Egyptian Expedition,
1798-1801
Book Review
by Paul Chamberlain
 |
By Captain Joseph-Marie Moiret
Captain Moiret was a soldier in the Aquitaine Regiment of the pre-Revolutionary Army. During the 1790s, he progressed through the ranks until by the time of the Egyptian Expedition he was a supply officer with the rank of captain in the 75éme Demi-Brigade. He produced a valuable account of the expedition and life in the French Army whilst on campaign. His story covers the period from May 1798 on board a troopship in Toulon Harbour to November 1801 when he returns home to quarantine at Marseilles. His rank ensured that he mixed both with the senior officers in the army (including Napoleon) and the lower ranks, and was able to record the sufferings and grumbling of the latter, which he understood and shared. Moiret described everything he saw and heard, and we are treated to a very detailed and vivid account of the campaign. He tried to analyse the reasons for the expedition and the events that unfolded once the French were in Egypt. His account includes opinions of the senior officers under whom he served, and he certainly does not have a high regard for Napoleon. Indeed, Napoleon comes across as simply another over-ambitious French general, whom many of the ordinary soldiers had little time or regard for. During this period, his charisma and reputation had not permeated to all the soldiers in the French Army. While he may have agreed with many of the sentiments expressed in the numerous proclamations issued by General Bonaparte, Moiret took a very dim view of Napoleon abandoning the army. Moiret held General Kléber, Napoleon's successor, in higher regard, and describes the funeral after his assassination. This makes these memoirs even more interesting in that we are treated to the opinions of a soldier of Napoleon's army, rather than a simple description of the campaign. While Moiret's memoirs relate the French side of the campaign in detail, they also include descriptions of the country he was in. He describes the people, both rich and poor, their clothing, homes and food. Moiret noted the many ancient monuments in the country, and his inquisitive mind made him want to learn more about the people and their history and customs. We hear of the many actions against the Mamelukes, and the problem of the Bedouin Arabs who were always on the fringes of the army, waiting to murder and rob any stragglers. There is a fascinating account of a festival held in Cairo to celebrate the founding of the French Republic, and Moiret certainly possessed an awareness of the broader scale of events, for example British involvement elsewhere in the Mediterranean and Egyptian theatres. Despite his busy work schedule as supply officer, and his observations on the events taking place around him, Moiret still found time to meet and fall in love with a local girl, Zulima. The translator of Moiret's memoirs includes short biographies of the main characters in the story, plus appendices detailing the ships of the French Expeditionary force, the members of the Egyptian Institute who accompanied the army, and notes from private letters. Memoirs of Napoleon's Egyptian Expedition is an enjoyable and interesting account of the French campaign in that country, from the viewpoint of an intelligent soldier in the army. It is an account in which Napoleon does not feature prominently, which makes it refreshingly more interesting. Under Review Book Reviews
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