"Blucher: Scourge of Napoleon" Topic

Of possible interest?

link

Amicalement
Armand

I already have that one…

And your opinion of it is, Breschtel?

I like Leggiere's writing syle so am curious about the scope and them of this book.

Jim

I enjoyed it. It covers his early hussar career during the French Revolutionary period quite well. Leggiere is very impressed by Blücher and doesn't portray him as the alcoholic charge at anything hussar held back by Gneisenau as some do. He makes a big play for Blücher to get a lot of the credit for the Allies concentration to defeat Napoleon at Leipzig and especially for ensuring Bernadotte actually turns up. Whether it's convincing or over-stated you'll have to decide for yourself.

I haven't read it yet. I bought it for research for 1806.

Anything by Leggiere is worth getting, however.

Thanks!.

Amicalement
Armand

indeed, Leggiere did his homework – but I ask myself how could a senile alcoholic beat such a genius? Maybe the genius became an even more tattering old fool suffering from sever personal disorder?

The 'senile alcoholic' didn't defeat Napoleon-Wellington and Blucher did, and Blucher had Gneisenau to do his thinking for him.

Hope no doubt about that… (smile)

Amicalement
Armand

Having been 'out of play' for some time I'm only slowly catching up with print media.

I've borrowed this too from library recently to divert my concentration on French matters, And I've found the detail in the first part of his career interesting, and the 1793-4 period compelling.

Then up to p154 (about a qurter of the book) it's on with peacetime administration, bad finances, political neutrality and the war/ no-war efforts of others resulting in 1806.

He was certainly a facsinating character, and since I've previously researched the later wars in detail, I'll eagerly read up his influence in those.

For the revolutionary campaign alone it's a good read! Regards
davew
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