Napoleon's Immortals

Elite fighting forces have an extraordinary hold on popular imagination; this ground-breaking new book is the story of one of the most famous military elites of all time. It explores the life and battles of Napoleon's Imperial Guard and destroys the many myths that have surrounded it. In doing so, it throws new light on Napoleon himself and contributes to the ongoing debate about the value of elite military units. Napoleon's Imperial Guard established a unique reputation for loyalty, courage and battlefield effectiveness, but despite its fame, it had rarely been analysed thoroughly and impartially. "Napoleon's Immortals" uses previously unpublished archive material to reassess this great fighting formation. Andrew Uffindell argues that too much attention has been focused on the Imperial Guard's military role and that it was essential to Napoleon politically as a pillar of his regime, a means of integrating his Empire and a tool of patronage. He also explores the life of an Imperial Guardsman. Using important new research and photographs of the battlefields today, the author sheds light on the controversial charge at Somosierra in 1808 and the Battles of Dresden (1813) and Montmirail (1814).