Few military formations have attracted more attention than Napoleon's
Imperial Guard, and fewer still have been so extravagantly clothed and
accoutred with the finest materials and the brightest colors. On both
campaign and parade, the Guard, and especially the cavalry regiments,
provided a dazzling display of military grandeur. From the green and
gold trappings of the Chasseurs à Cheval, to the multicolored Mamelukes,
the Guard cavalry was among the most brilliantly dressed formations ever
to grace the field of battle.
In compiling this magnificent volume, the author has collected copies of
almost all the surviving documents relating to the Guard, which includes
a vast amount of material regarding the issuing of dress items, even in
some instances down to company level.
This information is supported by around 100 contemporary prints, many of
which have never been published before, as well as images of original
items of equipment held in museums and private collections across the
globe. In addition, the renown military artist, Keith Rocco has produced
a series of unique paintings commissioned exclusively for this book.
This glorious book is, and will remain, unsurpassed as the standard work
on the clothing and equipment of the Cavalry of the Imperial Guard, and
will be eagerly sought by reenactors, wargamers and modelers, and will
sit on the book shelves of historians and enthusiasts as one of the most
important publications ever produced on this most famous of military
formations.
