Captain Coignet - A Soldier of Napoleon's Imperial Guard from the Italian Campaign to Waterloo Paperback – 19 Jan. 2007

Glimpses into the past are always fascinating but it is often hard to get past the language and writiung conventions of the time and see the individual. Coignet's account of a what must have been a hellish childhood and a tough life as a soldier is uttterly absorbing and it is very unuusl to find an account form one of the rank and file of that French military elite unit, the Imperial Guard. His account of the aftermath of the Royalist return with his making a life as a civilian in a society where he could be - and was - denounced as a traitor by any informer who wanted to make a bit of cash throws an insight into a situation which has become too familiar in the last century and in this. Definitley recommend this to anyone woith an interest in the period or in the life of someone who was despite all the odds a pretty decent human being

Took me a few goes before i finished this book.

Interesting but poor translation. Some doubt about the veracity of his early life but accounts of 1812 and Waterloo present the recollections of one participant with a limited view. Noteworty how much of a police state France became after Naploeon went on an all-expenses paid holiday in the South Atlantic.

This is a remarkable memoir from a modest and ordinary man who lived through extraordinary times. He was born into extreme rural poverty in 1776 but ended up in Napoleon's army and fought in every campaign without serious injury. He started as an illiterate foot soldier but learned to read at 35 in order to become first a corporal and by the end a captain. He served on the Army General Staff and ran messages for Napoleon during several of his great battles. He obviously loved Bonaparte and met him many times. Strange but true and oddly touching.

Compelling, engaging, honest and historically fascinating interesting. An insight into a Frenchman`s view and experiences of the Napoleonic wars from an Imperial Army perspective. From an extraordinary difficult beginning to a commissioned rank via the Imperial Guard in the main campaigns of the era, this has a ring of authenticity a n d truth about if from a common soldier perspective.From someone who knew and was known by Napoleon, this is a window into an era most commonly told from the victors perspective so is a valuable record and a must for anyone interested in the era.I cannot recommend it highly enough!

A good read and an extraordinary account of the rise of a french pauper through the ranks of La Grande Armée. Interesting to read from the "enemy's perspective.

It is hard to believe that this story is true, yet it seems to have withstood the serious scrutiny of historians and one must, I think, accept it as such. And, as such, it appears to bear out the old maxim that truth can be stranger than fiction.A fascinating study of the day to day life and experiences of one of Napoleon's Vielle Guarde.

This story is interesting but does stretch credulity on occasions. Detail is given when it would be difficult to see, and yet close range experiences are often left vague.