The Diary of a Napoleonic Foot Soldier

I enjoyed this book, don't think that a three star rating means it was bad; however it is not something I would have usually read, and I think it's value is more academic than literary. It is not a war book, there are no dramatic accounts of battles, and the historical epilogue even notes that the w......more

Only known memoir of the Napoleonic Wars written by a non-officer. Unbelievable account of the trials and hardships endured by this young German Stonemason conscripted in Napoleon's Grand Army between 1806 and 1813. It is truly amazing that he lived to tell the story when so many like him died a ter......more

Jakob Walters tells his experience as a soldier in Napoleon’s wars. The best guess is that this memoir was written some number of years after the experienced events. It is clear that he tells of a somewhat sanitized war. He is a soldier in a coalition fighting for the French Emperor. But he is a Ger......more

Several books were written about the Napoleon's failed campaign to Invade Russia in 1812.Several biographies were written about Napoleon and Kutuzov the main commanders on both sides. Even. Leo Tolstoy used this campaign as the backdrop for his Magnum Opus “War and Peace” and Lermontov penned his ve......more

If you’re interested in social history, then you’ll love this. This is the only account of a footsoldier in the Napolenoic wars. Usually only high ranking officers wrote accounts; this is the only common account that has been found. Pretty cool. I really like that this account doesn’t glorify war. Th......more