Published by Greenhill (1995), price £ 18.50 ISBN 1-85367-196-7 Hardback, 198 pages, 2 pages of line illustrations.

Captain Elzear Blaze's Memoirs were first published in French in 1837. In 1850 they were published in English as part of Lights and Shades of Military Life, edited by Lt-Gen. Charles James Napier. This new edition presents the complete text from Lights and Shades, to which has been added line illustrations by Job from La Vie Militaire plus a new introduction by Philip Haythornthwaite

There have been many accounts published in English written by British soldiers who served during the Napoleonic Wars. It is a refreshing change to read an English translation of a French account of life in Napoleon's Army.

Blaze entered the army as a youth via the Velite organisation of the Imperial Guard, which was a path to commissioned rank open only to people with some wealth. He gained his commission as an officer and served in the French Army from shortly aher the BaKle of Eylau until 1815. He reached the rank of captain in 1814. During his period of active service from 1807-1815, he served in Poland, Germany, the Tyrol, and in Spain.

His book is not a chronological account of his own career but more a tale of the character, customs and mode of operation of the French Army during this period. Examples are given from the baKiefield and in barracks, camp and boudoir as illustrated by his own experiences, and the recollection of conversations he had with fellow-soldiers, and their own reminiscences.

As a Velite he experienced life in the ranks and service in the Imperial Guard, and later served as an officer of the Line. One interesting fact that emerges is that he saw military service as a career, not just something into which he was conscripted.

While he was at the military school of Fontainebleau he complained of always being hungry, and relates tales of how the cadets smuggled extra food into the barracks. One example of this was to have pasties made to the shape and size of the wooden block in the carryout-box, so they could be smuggled past the officers! These were known as cartouch-box pasties!

On military duty in Poland he describes how the troops acquired food and wood, and relates that life out in the open meant that he was always tired, wet and uncomfortable. One interesting facet of French Army life that he records is that when an official distribution of provisions was made then plundering was strictly forbidden, on pain of severe punishment. He acknowledged that this approach to discipline was only rarely practiced.

On campaign, so Blaze relates, a good dinner was a most important consideration. He goes on to describe the soldier's relationships with their comrades, their officers, and men of other regiments who had shared the same campaigns with them. This included details of the rivalries and jealousies between the Line Regiments and the Imperial Guard.

This book covers every aspect of life in the French Army under Napoleon. The clothing, the food, the long marches, the health of the troops and the maintenance of discipline (including executions} are all included. The work contains a large section on the campaign in Spain, with descriptions of the problems encountered in dealing with a hostile population. Indeed, Blaze states that the French were not liked either in Germany or Spain.

Life in Napoleon's Army is a very detailed account of all aspects of French Army life during the Napoleonic Wars. It is related in a colourful style that makes for an informative and enjoyable read. This book describes in great detail what it was like to be a French soldier at the time, and is a very good companion to books on the uniforms and tactics of the French Army. Having read numerous books on what life was like in Wellington's Army, it makes a pleasant contrast to take the view from the other side, as it were.

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