Jean-Marie Mongin – författare

In 1796, the Directoire decided to hit the Austro-Hungarian Empire hard. Two armies had failed in Germany whereas the little Army of Italy, under the command of Bonaparte, thrashed the Austrians in a vigorous, marvellous campaign. In less than twelve months it smashed four Austrian armies, captured a part of the Piedmont, founded two republics, conquered Northern Italy and on 7 October 1797, signed the Treaty of Campio-Formo with Austria. Napoleon Bonaparte had covered himself in glory. After the Battle of Arcola, the legend was born; after the Battle of Rivoli, the Hero of a whole country had arisen… This book reveals various aspects of the final months of the campaign. The initial chapters describe the battles and the manoeuvres, with the tactical import of the victories as well as the strategic value of Bonaparte’s vision. The second part deals with technical aspects and uniforms of the units on both sides. The third looks more closely at the “booty” picked up by the young general, and deals with the cultural, economic and political dimensions of Bonaparte’s first successful campaign. In his account, the author insists on the daily life of the va-nu-pieds (barefoot soldiers) in the Army of Italy and the important role they had in creating the myth. With this first book describing one of the future Emperor of France’s most incredible campaigns, Editions Heimdal paints the first strokes on the canvas of the Napoleonic legend to come.Language : French

“The Guard charges” Napoleon gave special attention to this splendid unit – the Imperial Guard – and it became a sort of little army within the “Grande Armée”. This study of its organisation is here at its most erudite, like the one on the uniforms and equipment. Discover the uniforms, the equipment, and the weapons used by all those “Grognards”, who were launched into a battle as a last resort, at the decisive moment. Explaining how the Guard was organised into Old, Middle and Young Guards, in this volume, the illustrator-researcher André Jouineau shows the colonel-generals, the grenadiers, the chasseurs à pied, fusiliers, velites, flanqueurs, wards, workmen, sappers, doctors, magistrates and foot gunners; in the second volume he shows the centaurs of the Guard’s cavalry. This small practical, clear, concise, logical and visual tool is a real vade mecum, intended for imperial history buffs as well as figurine makers. The third volume – a compilation of two dossiers published in the fifth and sixth issues of the magazine ”Soldat” – is the new, improved, entirely revised and re-drawn larger version (more than fifty per cent more characters) than the previous work published several years ago now by the authors. In this volume : the last mounted units of the Guard, the follow-up units, the Horse Artillery, the Artillery trains and teams, the Health Service, the Guard HQ Staff but also the Emperor’s Household, the Emperor and the first uniforms of the Royal Guard.

“The Guard Attacks!”. The Imperial Guard, this glorious phalange, the fruit of the Emperor Napoleon’s greatest attention, was almost an army within the “Grande Armée”. This study of the Guard’s organisation, uniforms and equipment is fully comprehensive.Vol. I: Discover the uniforms, equipment and weaponry of the Old Guard, often the last resort to be thrown into battle at the decisive moment. The illustrator and researcher, André Jouineau presents here a fully comprehensive overview of all aspects, regiments, etc. of the French Imperial Guard.Vol. II Continues where vol. I ended with a wealth of images to conclude this fully comprehensive overview of the Imperial Guard.

In keeping with their way of presenting History’s most beautiful uniforms, the authors in their new book present us with the French Army during the Franco-Prussian War of 1870. Even though the formidable war machine which Napoleon III’s army had become had already been through several campaigns in Europe, Asia, Africa and also in America, and made a good impression on European general staffs, was it really ready to face a modern army on its own soil ? Against perhaps a Prussian army, which had recently become German, and which had also forged itself by winning battles ? The uniforms, equipment and weapons of all the Imperial Army corps are presented here with extraordinary uniform plates by André Jouineau, the famous illustrator-researcher. The texts are by Jean-Marie Mongin and go well beyond the customary details, delving into the organisation and the strength of this formidable force, which quite unpredictably suffered what some people in many ways still consider a humiliating defeat, even today. Discover the campaign clothes – and the great parade uniforms – of the Cent-Gardes squadron, the Guides, the Cuirassiers at Reichshoffen, the Marsouins at Bazeilles, the Hussars, the Turks, the Zouaves, but also that terrible year’s “Moblots” (conscripts), the heroes of Bourbaki’s army and the volunteers of the last months of this war which was, when all is said and done, a foundational conflict. This volume is for the uniform and figurine buffs ; it’s a small, practical tool, precise, clear, logical and visual. Almost 140 uniform plates and maps. More than 1000 infantry, artillery and cavalry drawings.