The Iron Marshal: A Biography of Louis N. Davout
John G. Gallaher
Frontline Books
Reviewed by Bruce Mulmat
The Iron Marshal was first published in 1976 and is by far the most comprehensive book that I have ever read on one of Napoleon’s Marshals. Mr. Gallaher complied a massive amount of correspondences on Marshal Davout, and how his choices impacted Napoleon’s view of him, as well as how other generals viewed him as well.
Since this book covers Davout’s life from his childhood up until the end of his life, any wargamer can find multitudes of campaigns or battles to use as inspiration. Especially considering how Davout was a commander in the revolution, you could easily create a Napoleonic scenario in any scale that could be inspired from the exploits of Marshal Davout.
This book is perfect for any historian who wishes to have the most in depth biography of Davout, but also written in a manner where anyone could easily read without feeling that each chapter was too dry.
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