Citizens to Arms!: Uniforms of the French Revolutionary Armies 1792-1799 (From Reason to Revolution)
Yves Martin
Publisher: Helion and Company (July 30, 2024)
Paperback: 104 pages
ISBN: 9781804515426
Napoleon’s army was born from the multiple French revolutionary armies. These were a merger of the old royal troops and a mix of volunteer and conscripted units. Raw recruits filled with patriotic enthusiasm marched forward alongside royal veterans and rogue adventurers eager for loot. By 1799, the French armies had been battle-tested and hardened. They provided the human material with which Bonaparte put an end to the revolutionary wars and prepared for his future imperial successes.
The bewildering array of uniforms worn by the revolutionary soldiers is much less documented than those of their imperial successors. In 1943, Henry Boisselier produced a series of 56 plates providing a broad coverage of the troops which fought from 1792 to 1799.
This volume presents this series with comprehensive comments for each plate as well as a discussion on the artist, the sources he used and the citizens, men and women, who answered the call to arms. It fills a gap for anyone with an interest in the 1792-1815 period and its uniforms.
>>"It fills a gap for anyone with an interest in the 1792-1815 period and its uniforms."
Well correctly, the 1790-1802 period.
I bought it, but am disappointed that utterly bad translations (and I do not blame the author, but the publisher) that mitigates 3 different colours as 'sky-blue' in English destroys any credibility for me. [The French terms, as most here will know, are nothing like the 'modern sky-blue].
M. Martin also makes several comments of 'errors' or deliberate changes to original works, while noted haven't been corrected.
Finally despite misgivings, the artwork could have been presented in a more original, subdued format rather then the hyper-coloured glossy version given.
The multiple translations and captioning drives you nuts after 15 pages as well!
It is useful if you've never studied the subject in depth, but hardly authorative. I think I'll stick to his original French language works.
dave