The Memoirs of Baron de Marbot

[Hilarion]

Has anyone has read this? To what extent can it be relied upon for historical accuracy? It seems like a fascinating account of the Napoleonic Wars through the eyes of a French light cavalry officer... I just ordered the 320 page edition from Amazon.com.

[Hilarion]

Half-way through and I'm thinking I'm going to buy the full version. Best read I've had in a while, but I feel like this abridged copy has omitted too many details. Anyway, nobody else has read it?

[Ataraxie]

I have an edited version, by C.J. Summerville, published in 2000.

Even in that cut-down version, they're a thoroughly enoyable read - so much historical literature leaves the actual lives of flamboyant cavalrymen as the realm of poets, painters and other artists. It's nice to have a fairly reliable first-hand account of such a life, rather than a sanitised biography or a romanticised work of art.

As for relying in them for historical accuracy - they're generally very accurate, right down to that Hussar mess with wine glasses with no stems, so that they couldn't be put down until they were empty.

Of course, they're also very subjective - they're the memoirs of Jean-Baptiste de Marbot, rather than an analytical history of the era, and as such if you're going to use 'em in a piece of writing, use them alongside objective works

[Hilarion]

Yep, that's the version I have. My question about historical accuracy though concerns the adventures Morbat describes as having, some of which I find rather unbelievable... I wonder if they might have been exaggerated to glorify Morbat himself.

[Ataraxie]

Is there anything in particular that stands out as unbelievable, I'll see if I can help ?

It's worth keeping an open mind of course - this is one of the great eras of "adventure" in the sense of people like de Marbot or Thomas Cochrane; truth is often just outlandish enough to be questionable.

[Hilarion]

Is there anything in particular that stands out as unbelievable, I'll see if I can help ?

It's worth keeping an open mind of course - this is one of the great eras of "adventure" in the sense of people like de Marbot or Thomas Cochrane; truth is often just outlandish enough to be questionable.

Specifically, Marbot's experiences at the Battle of Eylau and the storming of Ratisbon. Of course, I may be just too accustomed to thinking of such miraculous feats as solely belonging to fictional characters like Sharpe or Brigadier Gerard.