When it comes to the French army of the 17th and 18th century there is one man who writes books that are more useful than anyone else. That man is Rene Chartrand and the good news is this book series looks like it's going to be as unmissable as all of his previous works. First thing you notice is how profusely illustrated this book is. There are 32 colour plates including some commissioned for the book by Ed Dovey. Black and white pictures are on practically every spread.
The period under review saw the Guard growing from a small retinue to a corp-sized army that fought in almost every theatre. The books follow a format - first part of the work is a rolling history of the wars and campaigns - starting in this volume in the mid 17thc and finishing up on Louis XIV's blitzkrieg of the 1660s. The next volume deals with the Franco-Dutch wars and so on. The second part is an in depth analysis of the troops their uniforms, weapons, battles and so on. Breaking down the book there are chapters on senior officers and orders of chivalry. There is even an appendix on the Spanish army who was the main enemy of the period covered in this history.
The next volume is on the infantry which I will definitely be getting based on this volume. All in all a must for any French army enthusiast or those with an interest in the development of armies in the 17th and 18th as where the French army led the others followed.
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