Napoleon’s Elite Cavalry by Edward Ryan, with illustrations by Lucien Rousselot, Greenhill (1999)

This book claims to be carefully researched from primary sources – including official documents and surviving uniforms – and contains 91 full colour plates illustrating Napoleon's Guard cavalry units:- the Dragons de l'Impératrice (25 plates)- the Chasseurs à cheval (27 plates)- the Chevau-légers Polonais (25 plates)- the Grenadiers à cheval (13 plates)- plus a picture of Napoleon, wearing a Chasseur uniform The accompanying texts provide information on the Guard regiments' uniforms and battles, and an Introduction charts the origins and development of the Guard cavalry. There are appendices detailing the lives and deeds of Guard officers, such as Nansouty, Arrighi, Sebastiani, Lepic and Krasinski and listing the Imperial Guard's other cavalry regiments and units.Lucien Rousselot was an artist of military subjects and a recognised authority on the uniforms of the French Army. In 1943 he began his celebrated series of folio plates – L'Armée française – and, throughout his lifetime, contributed to numerous journals and publications. He died in 1992.Edward Ryan served as as a naval officer in World War II, and, subsequently, worked as a civil servant. He is the author of Paper Soldiers: The illustrated history of printed paper armies of the 18th, 19th and 20th centuries is considered the definitive work on the subject.Napoleon's Elite Cavalry will be released in September in the UK (priced £40.00) and in the USA (priced $85.00 until 31st December, $100 thereafter) 360 x 255mm, 208 pages. 91 colour plates. ISBN: 1-85367-371-4. For Greenhill's details, see below.