Helle-Biblio

A.H. Atteridge's biography of Michel Ney, Napoleon's most famous marshal, is a classic work of its kind.

He describes Ney's meteoric career in vivid detail, from his enlistment as a hussar in the army of Louis XVI, his rapid promotion through the ranks of the revolutionary armies and his long service under Napoleon. Ney's pugnacious character and his capacity for inspiring leadership come across strongly in innumerable actions across 25 years of almost constant warfare.

Particularly striking are the author's accounts of Ney's contribution to Napoleon's most famous campaigns - Ulm and Austerlitz, Jena, Eylau and Friedland and the catastrophic march on Moscow. Ney's last battle, Waterloo, and his subsequent execution by the returning Bourbons form the last chapter of this fascinating story.