We received the following--RL An inspiring story of courage and unswerving loyalty is set down in Edward Ryan's forthcoming biography, Napoleon's Shield and Guardian: The Unconquerable General Daumesnil, to be published by Greenhill Books. The book charts the career of a superbly brave Napoleonic cavalryman against the rise and fall of his imperial master. Pierre Daumesnil was a loyal follower of Napoleon for almost thirty years. Despite his key role, very little has been written about Daumesnil in English texts. Following a rewarding collaboration with Henri de Clairval, Daumesnil's great-grandson, Edward Ryan vividly depicts the French general's career from his enlistment as a private soldier in 1793. Daumesnil survived campaign after campaign and emerged as a much-decorated general and Baron of the Empire. It was a meteoric rise, earned through hard fighting, bravery and indefatigable courage. Daumesnil accompanied Napoleon as an officer of his chasseurs and his service record reflects his years of experience on the field of battle. Daumesnil joined the French army as a private in 1793 and was serving in Napoleon's Guides in 1797. At Arcole he helped save Bonaparte's life, as he did one again during the Egyptian campaign the following year. In 1800, he charged at Marengo in 1800 and in later years, fought at Austerlitz and Eylau, campaigned in Spain and saw action in Wagram. At that battle, Daumesnil sustained his 21st and worst injury, losing his left leg. In 1812, Napoleon declared that he required 'a man on whom he could count' to be the governor of the fortress of Vincennes. Daumesnil was selected and it was here that he played his most celebrated role in the wars of Napoleon by refusing to surrender the fortress to the Allies, during the latter's occupations of Paris in 1814 and again in 1815. On the first occasion, on 31 March 1814, he rebuffed a Russian summons to surrender by issuing the memorable retort: 'The Austrians took one of my legs. Let them return it, or come take the other one. In the meanwhile, I advise you to stay clear of my guns, if you do not wish to feel their effect.' Daumesnil chose loyalty to Napoleon over service under the Bourbons and was sent into obscure retirement by Louis XVIII. In 1830, however, after the Revolution set Louis-Philippe on the throne, Daumesnil was called back to Vincennes as governor once again. When a Paris mob came to the gates of the fortress, demanding the heads of ministers of Charles X, who had been arrested and delivered to Vincennes, Daumesnil faced down the rioters and won them over. In 1832, he fell victim to a remorseless foe, dying of cholera at the age of 56. His epitaph was 'He never surrendered or sold himself'. Daumesnil's life was an adventure and one which typifies the dash, colour and verve of this astonishing period. The 424-page biography is richly illustrated with 8 pages of colour and 16 pages of black and white images and will be of interest to Napoleonic enthusiasts and those interested in the life and times of Napoleon's elite cavalrymen. Edward Ryan served in the US Navy in World War II and is a life-long student of the campaigns of Napoleon. A specialist on the Imperial Guard, he is the author of Napoleon's Elite Cavalry. Back to 3rd Quarter 2003 List of News Items Back to Master List of News Items Back to Master Magazine List © Copyright 2003 by Coalition Web, Inc. This article appears in MagWeb.com (Magazine Web) on the Internet World Wide Web. Other articles from military history and related magazines are available at http://www.magweb.com