René Chartrand

When the French Revolution broke out in 1789, France possessed numerous colonies spread over three continents. To defend and keep the peace in these territories, a small army of colonial troops, distinct from the metropolitan line regiments or marines, had existed since the days of Louis XIV. This book examines the history and uniforms of the often-overlooked French armies in Saint-Domingue, Guadeloupe, Martinique, St Lucia, Tobago, Ile-de-France, La Réunion, Pondichéry, Guiana, Senegal and Saint-Pierre-et-Miquelon. The text is backed by numerous illustrations offering a rare glimpse into dress and equipment of Napoleon's overseas army.

A concise, illustrated study of the army of late seventeenth and early 18th century France. Louis XIV's army was in many ways the first modern army. After assuming power in 1661, Louis abolished the post of Colonel Général of Infantry so he could exercise direct control over the armed forces in his realm. The king demanded order, discipline and absolute loyalty from his army, and he introduced a military draft in 1688 - the first step towards what we know as conscription in modern armies. This book chronicles the development of Louis XIV's army during his 54-year reign, including the units, uniforms and weapons of the elite Maison du Roi. Numerous illustrations including detailed colour figure artwork portray the uniforms, colours and standards of his troops in vivid detail.