
The Diary of a Napoleonic Foot Soldier
A Unique Eyewitness Account of the Face of Battle from Inside the Ranks of Bonaparte's Grand Army
Jakob Walter(Author)
Penguin Books Ltd (Publisher)
Published on 1. February 1993
Book
Paperback/Softback
208 pages
978-0-14-016559-3 (ISBN)
Description
Eighteen-year-old German stonemason Jakob Walter served in the Grand Army of Napoleon between 1806 and 1813. His diary intimately records his trials: the long, grueling marches in Prussia and Poland, the disastrous Russian campaign, and the demoralizing defeat in a war few supported or understood. It is at once a compelling chronicle of a young soldier's loss of innocence and an eloquent and moving portrait of the profound effects of all wars on the men who fight them.
Also included are letters home from the Russian front, previously unpublished in English, as well as period engravings and maps from the Russian/Soviet and East European collections of the New York Public Library.
"Vivid and gruesome ... but also a story of human fortitude. ... It reminds us that the troops Napoleon drove so mercilessly were actually more victims than victors-a side of Napoleon that should not be forgotten."
-Chicago Tribune
More details
Language
English
Place of publication
United States
Product notice
Paperback (trade)
Dimensions
Height: 197 mm
Width: 129 mm
Thickness: 13 mm
Weight
252 gr
ISBN-13
978-0-14-016559-3 (9780140165593)
Copyright in bibliographic data and cover images is held by Nielsen Book Services Limited or by the publishers or by their respective licensors: all rights reserved.
Schweitzer Classification
Persons
Jakob Walter
Content
Introduction
The Diary of a Napoleonic Foot Soldier:
Campaign of 1806 and 1807
Campaign of 1809
Campaign of 1812 and 1813
Historical Appraisal of Walter's Chronicle by Frank E. Melvin
Notes to the Diary
Writing Home: Six Letters
Notes to the Letters
About the Illustrations
Chronology
Place Names
Reading Suggestions