Author:
Martin, Yves, 1959- author.
ImprintSolihull, West Midlands, England : Helion & Company Limited, 2017.
Imprint2017
Descriptionix, 128 pages, 32 pages of plates : illustrations (some color) ; 25 cm.
Note:The French expedition to Egypt 1798-1801: an overview -- The men and their daily life -- Doing much with little: organisation and tactics -- Lining up the troops: orders of the battle of the Orient 1798-1802 -- Uniforms: "the most beautiful sight the eye could behold" -- Conclusion, sources, and further reading.
Bibliography Note:Includes bibliographical references.
Note:"More than 200 years ago- under the inspiration and leadership of Bonaparte- a revolutionary French Army invaded Egypt, then part of the Ottoman Empire; this presence lasted beyond Bonapartes own departure and subsequent rise to power as First Consul. It ended with another invasion- this time by the British- and the repatriation in France of what was left of the 'Army of the Orient'. The birth of Egyptology; the rise of modern Egypt; the demise of the Ottoman Empire; and start of 'the great game' have all been often told and studied, but what is less well known is that as the French found themselves stranded in a foreign land- profoundly alien to them in culture and climate- they had to adapt to survive. Egypt was a proving ground for many officers and ordinary soldiers who were to rise to prominence during the Napoleonic period. Some of Napoleons future inner circle- like Davout, Savary and Lasalle- were first spotted by the young Bonaparte in Egypt, and although initially unplanned as such, it turned out to be the first attempt by the French to build a colony on the African continent. It especially led the French Army to adopt totally new clothing and equipment; to organise native units; and even to draft men from faraway Darfur into its own ranks. Drawing from a wealth of original primary material- much of it never published or even seen before- this study focuses on the French Army of the Orient and its organisation, uniforms, equipment and daily life. It aims at providing a renewed and updated image of the French soldier, as told by the surviving archives, memoirs and rare contemporary iconography." --Publisher website.
