Napoleon's Specialist Troops

Description

Though less celebrated than the infantry and cavalry, Napoleon's 'specialist' troops - artillery, engineers and supporting services - were indispensable elements without which no army could have operated, and frequently assumed greater significance than the line regiments. Indeed, having suffered least from the emigration of Royalist officers, the artillery was the best element of the early Republican armies, the nucleus of the old Royal artillery serving with distinction in the early campaigns such as Valmy. The organisation and uniform of Napoleon's specialist troops are here examined by Philip Haythornwaite in a engaging volume complemented by a wealth of illustrations including eight full page colour plates by Bryan Fosten.

Philip Haythornthwaite is an author and historical consultant specialising in the military history, uniforms and equipment of the 18th and 19th centuries. His main area of research covers the Napoleonic Wars. He has written some forty books, including more than 20 Osprey titles, and innumerable articles and papers on military history, but still finds time to indulge in his other great passion: cricket. Bryan Fosten was born in 1928, the son of a Master Military Embroiderer and a Court Embroidress. He served in the army in Egypt and Palestine and returned to follow the printing trade. Since 1973 he has devoted himself to military research and illustration. He is the founding editor of the innovative magazine Tradition and has written and illustrated many books, often in collaboration with his late brother, Donald Fosten.