Featured battle : Laon

Part of The French Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars

Date : 09 March 1814 - 10 March 1814

In spite of being beaten at Craonne Napoleon pursued the Allied force which was withdrawing in good order towards a concentration point at Laon. Once at Laon Blücher stood, choosing his ground on a high steep ridge. Napoleon launched a series of probing attacks but had had no success when darkness fell. Marmont's force [VI Corps and I Cavalry Corps] had been approaching during the day and when darkness came halted some distance from the main force. Blücher attacked Marmont overnight and drove him away. Timidity in the face of Napoleon prevented the Allies from totally crushing the French. After a day of light engagements the French fell back owards Soissons.

The Irish Guards in the Great War

Rudyard Kipling
Not a lot of military history books could be better than the war diaries and personal correspondence of the First battalion of the Irish Guards written up by Rudyard Kipling with style. Although narrowly focused on this relatively small group of men it is essentially about every soldiers war. This is because it gets down to the minutiae of single men, section and platoon actions. The sweep of strategy and the grand plans are for other places. The text is well supported with illustrations and maps.
I thoroughly recommend this book to anyone seeking a full understanding of the Great war.
Spellmount Ltd., 1997