First new edition of these memoirs since 1801. Joseph Petit, a mounted grenadier in the Consul's Guard, recounts his campaign in 1800, Napoleon Bonaparte's second campaign in Italy. He describes the First Consul's crossing of the Great St Bernard Pass, the advance of the French army through the Alpine valleys and the entry into Milan. His account ends with the death of General Desaix and the victorious attack by the Consul's Guard cavalry under the command of Brigadier General Jean-Baptiste Bessières on the plain of Marengo on 14 June 1800. Joseph Petit is an honest man, full of openness, and although he does not dwell on phrases he cannot formulate, he knows how to see and observe. His report has rare qualities, the seriousness and composure with which the mounted grenadiers of the Guard carried out their attacks. There are no jokes here, no sensationalist phrases, but rather a moving sincerity and a delightful naivety.
Author
Petit, Joseph
Title
Marengo
Details
French text, paperback, bw-illustrations. 160 pges.
