Review: Quand les Belges se battaient pour Napoléon, 1813-1814

Quand les Belges se battaient pour Napoléon, 1813-1814 by Declercq, Jacques

My rating: 3 of 5 stars



Although the subject is interesting, this book falls short of what I had hoped it would be: a view on Napoleonic warfare through the eyes of Flemish and Walloon soldiers.

In fact this book is mostly an account of the operations of the 5th Corps of La Grande Armée in 1813 and early 1814. The account even stops when the 5th Corps ceases to exist, while the regiments are incorporated into the 11th Corps in 1814.

There is too little in terms of personal accounts of those involved to really make this book stand out. As an operational study it is however interesting because it follows the corps throughout the 1813 campaign, while in most books on the campaign the focus shifts away every time Napoleon is away.



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