Books by Rene (Author) Chartrand

France's colonial wars in sub-Saharan Africa and South-East Asia were very largely fought by an organization completely separate from both the home-defence Metropolitan Army and the Armée d'Afrique in Algeria. The Naval Troops (Troupes de la Marine) were volunteers, and earned a reputation for greater toughness and hardiness than the conscripted Metropolitan Army. Spread throughout the French Empire, Naval Troops in this period were characterized by very large infantry and artillery regiments based in France, mixed race regiments (Régiments Mixtes), and entire native regiments raised in West Africa, Madagascar and Indochina. The latter, the so-called 'Tirailleurs' were organized and led by officers and cadres from the Naval Troops, and wore very varied and colourful uniforms based on formalized versions of traditional local costumes.French Naval & Colonial Troops 1872-1914 uses rich and detailed full colour plates as well as thorough analysis to detail the story of these tough colonial units which bore the brunt of French colonial campaigns in Africa and Vietnam.

This book provides an in-depth study of the construction and location of these fortifications, and examines what it was like to live and fight inside them, with the forts themselves illustrated by beautifully detailed artwork.

The French Revolution was resisted by many of the aristocracy in an attempt to restore the King. The forces raised by these exiled officers fought alongside the British Army on battlefields from Holland to the West Indies and are covered in detail in this volume, including weapons and uniforms.