Napoleon's Mamelukes

Description

The most exotic of all the troops of Napoleon's Imperial Guard were undoubtedly the Mamelukes - the bodyguard of Oriental cavalry which followed him home after the Egyptian expedition of 1798-1801, and remained with his Mounted Chasseurs regiment throughout the First Empire. For the first time in English, this book tells the Mamelukes' story, from Austerlitz to Waterloo. Quoting from the original nominal rolls and battle casualty returns, the author brings individual members of this extraordinary unit to life. His text is illustrated with rare early engravings and paintings, and the full-colour plates show the development of the unit's romantic Turkish uniforms.

Ronald Pawly was born in Antwerp, Belgium, in 1956 and still lives and works in that city. He is an expert on 19th century military portraiture. He is the author of the monumental 'The Red Lancers: Anatomy of a Napoleonic Regiment' (Crowood Press, 1998), and of a study of Napoleonic veterans' tombs in Belgium. His previous titles for Osprey include Men at Arms 378: 'Napoleon's Guards of Honour'; Men-at-Arms 389: 'Napoleon's Red Lancers'; and Men-at-Arms 405: 'Napoleon's Carabiniers'. Patrice Courcelle was born in northern France in 1950 and has been a professional illustrator for some 20 years. Entirely self-taught, he has illustrated many books and magazine articles for Continental publishers, and his work hangs in a number of public and private collections. His dramatic and lucid style has won him widespread admiration in the field of military illustration.

"This volume...is really fun to read, as it is devoted to such an odd force." --Alex Ness, popthought.com