French Poilu 1914-18

During World War One the French Army was in a state of disarray, plagued by indiscipline, mutinies and desertion. The ordinary French citizens that were called upon to defend their motherland - the Poilu - were disrespected and demoralized, and the infamous mutinies of 1917 by the Poilu were not protests against the war itself, but against how the war was conducted. Ian Sumner expertly charts the history of the Poilu, from the conscription of hundreds of thousands of men, through their training, to the horrors of the trenches and the fear of no man''s land. Accompanied by new artwork and diagrams, this book provides a fascinating insight into the experiences of ordinary Frenchman called upon to defend their motherland.>

About the author

Ian Sumner was born in 1953 in Eccles, near Manchester, UK. He originally trained as a librarian in Newcastle-upon-Tyne but now devotes himself to full-time writing. He has written numerous titles for Osprey, and also several books on the history of the East Riding of Yorkshire, where he now lives with his wife.Giuseppe Rava was born in Faenza in 1963, and took an interest in all things military from an early age. Entirely self-taught, Giuseppe has established himself as a leading military history artist, and is inspired by the works of the great military artists, such as Detaille, Meissonier, Röchling, Lady Butler, Ottenfeld and Angus McBride. He lives and works in Italy.

Product details

• Authors: Ian Sumner, Sumner Ian
• Assisted by: Giuseppe Rava (Illustration), Giuseppe (Illustrator) Rava (Illustration), Rava Giuseppe (Illustration)
• Publisher: Osprey Publishers
• Languages: English
• Product format: Paperback / Softback
• Released: 10.02.2009
• EAN: 9781846033322
• ISBN: 978-1-84603-332-2
• No. of pages: 64
• Dimensions: 186 mm x 248 mm x 8 mm
• Series: Warrior; Warrior
• Subjects: Humanities, art, music > History > General, dictionaries; Non-fiction book > History > Miscellaneous; France, European History, First World War, HISTORY / Europe / France, 20th century history: c 1900 to c 2000, c 1914 to c 1918 (including WW1), c 1914 to c 1918 (World War One period), HISTORY / Wars & Conflicts / World War I