by
This is a reprint of the meticulously researched biography of Louis N.
Davout by John G. Gallagher. It was first released in 1976. Fortunately
for us it is a very good book for the simple reason that it is
really the only biography in English of this Marshal of France. This is
pretty astounding given that only one other Marshal under Napoleon,
Massena, would be close to or in Davout's class as a general.
Unfortunately for Napoleon, he relied less and less on Davout's
generalship in the First Empire's waning years. One can only imagine what
would have happened in 1813-1815 with a large amount of troops under
Davout's command. Ah well, history is filled with what ifs. So how does
the book rate as a biography? Please follow along and find out.
The
author starts, as usual, with the family of the biographical subject.
He then continues with what is known about his birth and early years.
Davout is shown to be a child of a family that was not rich, but was
certainly more well off than most Frenchmen of the time. He is shown to
have joined the Royal Army after a stint at the Ecole Royale Militaire at
Auxerre, and the military academy in Paris. Even after the outbreak of the French Revolution in 1789, his
life still continued in the same manner for a short while. That all
changed in 1790. The author shows that like all the other people of
France, he had to pick a side: King or Revolutionary Government? Like
most, Davout chose the latter. Gallaher informs us that instead of this being a
calculated move on Davout's part, it was a choice made in Davout's
heart.
We must remember
that even though Napoleon created himself emperor, most of the laws and
ideals that had occurred because of the revolution were still in place.
This is something that is sometimes forgotten about when we discuss
ex-revolutionary generals etc, who backed and actually supported
Napoleon's rule.
The
author continues with Davout's life and tale through the early years of
Napoleon's rise, with Davout also rising to become a Marshal of France. Unlike most of the other Marshals, Davout only increased his military
skill with higher commands. The book goes on to relate his important
role at Austerlitz, and his amazing victory at Auerstadt. His life is
continued through the apogee and descent of the First Empire.
The
book is written almost too well. The author really only places the
facts upon our plate. You will find bits and pieces about how Davout got
on with Napoleon and the generals and soldiers under his command. These
are all based on written records. What you will not find is the author
coming to his own conclusions about incidents in the Marshal's life. The
book should be a boiler plate for other biographers. If it is missing
one thing, it is the author's own assessment of Davout as a military
leader compared to the other Marshals. However, given the way it was
written, one could hardly expect it. I just wanted to see if my ideas
matched the author's. Thank you Frontline Books and Casemate Publishers
for the chance to review this not only wonderful, but needed book.
Robert
Author: John G. Gallaher
Publisher: Frontline Books
Distributor: Casemate Publishers
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