In 1821, Delaunay published a history of the former guard in Paris, covering its foundation to its dissolution. On 5 May of the same year, Napoleon breathed his last on St Helena. This work was particularly well documented, and the information gathered from contemporary primary sources made it possible to deal seriously and comprehensively with questions of organisation, service and uniform for each weapon and regiment of this army within the army. Incidentally, this work was obviously an important source of inspiration for Émile Marco de Saint-Hilaire in his Histoire de la Garde impériale, which is more famous but was written later. This new edition deals with the history of the Guard from the first guardsmen of the revolutionary government to the dismissal of the Imperial Guard during the Second Restoration, and in particular with its organisation, pay, service and uniforms, as described in detail in the original edition published in the Journal général de la littérature de France.
