In the Legions of Napoleon

In this classic memoir, a Polish soldier chronicles his military service under Napoleon, battling in Spain and Russia during the early nineteenth Century.

In the Legions of Napoleon recounts the adventures of an intrepid Polish soldier who fought for Napoleon the length and breadth of Europe. By the time he was twenty-five, Heinrich von Brandt had marched from Madrid to Moscow and had been severely wounded on three separate occasions.

From 1808 to 1812 he was caught up in Napoleon’s attempt to subjugate Spain, fighting in battles, sieges—including the siege of Saragossa—and hunting and being hunted by merciless bands of guerrillas. In 1812 his unit took part in the crossing of the Niemen and the epic retreat from Moscow.

In his extraordinary memoirs Brandt details the actions in which he fought, the type of officers and men with whom he served, and the grueling campaigns in which they participated. He also gives fascinating insight into the minds of his comrades and superiors. This book is a must for every Napoleonic historian, enthusiast, and anyone who likes a good story of high adventure.

Praise for In the Legions of Napoleon

“This gem of a book is one of the best accounts of the Spanish war, as well as the desperation and heartbreak that was Russia . . . This book is a must for every Napoleonic historian, enthusiast, and anyone who likes a good story of high adventure. It is told in a soldierly, straightforward manner, by an officer who did more than his assigned duty for his Emperor and his native land of Poland. It is one of the best memoirs to come out of the period, and ranks with Parquin’s as one of the most accurate. Jonathan North’s masterful translation has added another gem to the crown of valuable and accurate Napoleonic memoirs available to us.” —Kevin Kiley, The Napoleon Series