Lasalle-the Hussar General

Book excerpt: A new biography of possibly the most renowned light cavalryman There can be few, if any, students of the military history of the Napoleonic period who are unaware of the career of the flamboyant Antoine Charles Lasalle. General Lasalle did not only epitomise the spirit of the French light cavalry officer of his time, he became truly iconic--the archetypal 'hussar' who was brave to the point of recklessness on the battlefield and a libertine when there was no battle to fight. A soldier by the time he was just eleven years old, Lasalle rose meteorically through the ranks of the French light cavalry to become a General of Division. He fought in the early revolutionary campaigns, during the campaign in Italy--where he became a favourite of Napoleon Bonaparte, the Egyptian Campaign, during the War of the Fourth Coalition, in Spain and in the War of the Fifth Coalition at the battles of Aspern-Essling and at Wagram in 1809 where he was killed in the closing moments of the battle. This new and original Leonaur title follows Lasalle and his peers through all these campaigns and battles, and includes many of first-hand accounts and anecdotes in which Lasalle featured. Included are many illustrations and maps to support the text and this new biography will be an entertaining and essential addition to every library of the warfare of the age of Napoleon. Leonaur editions are newly typeset and are not facsimiles; each title is available in softcover and hardback with dustjacket; our hardbacks are cloth bound and feature gold foil lettering on their spines and fabric head and tail bands.