Book
Review:
French Soldier in Egypt, 1798-1801
By
Terry Crowdy
Artwork by Christa Hook
Napoleon
Bonaparte’s expedition to Egypt in 1798 opened up the way for
Europe to rediscover the wonders of the ancient lands of the Pharaohs.
It
was a gruelling time for Bonaparte’s troops, who were fighting
in a harsh foreign climate, cut off from La Belle France by Admiral
Nelson’s destruction of the French fleet at Aboukir Bay and stricken
with disease.
In
a wonderful eye-opener about life for the soldiers of the Army
of Egypt, Terry Crowdy has put together a work that tells us a
lot about how the French fared personally during the campaign.
Much
of French Soldier in Egypt is taken up with fascinating
extracts from diaries or journals that give an I-was-there flavour
for the reader and they superbly build on the factual story Crowdy
tells.
The
eyewitnesses include General Morand (when a colonel), the expedition's
First Tailor, Francois Bernoyer, and other interesting observers.
Among
the gems are descriptions of the battle of the Nile and the reaction
of folk watching the naval action, a soldier telling of his friend's
horrific death from bubonic plague and a sick man who survived
the French army's poisoning of its own men to save them from torture
when captured - only to be nursed back to health by the Turks.
There
are also accounts of Bedouin atrocities where they raped French
men in front of their comrades and how Egyptian women reacted
to European men.
Crowdy
has broken the books into key areas of the Egyptian Campaign including
Preparations, Farewells, Malta, Aboukir and Marooned.
If
that isn't enough then French Soldier in Egypt also gives
you more than 40 black-and-white images, many contemporary, eight
evocative colour plates and two maps.
This
is an excellent addition to the knowledge base of the Napoleonic
Era and easily conveys to the reader the various challenges of
the Egyptian Campaign.
-
Richard Moore
9/10
Osprey Publishing
PO Box 140,
Wellingborough,
Northants,
NN8 2FA,
UK.
