De Rocca's account was first published in English in 1815. This book is the unabridged presentation of that work with a new introduction by Philip Haythornthwaite and additional maps. De Rocca was not involved in any of the major battles in the Peninsula and that is the most valuable part of this book. It is a rich insight into all the other tasks performed by light cavalry in support of an army of occupation. Garrison duties, scouting, escorting and dispatch carrying all feature in the day to day tasks which De Rocca carried out. The underlying theme running through all his duties was finding enough to eat for himself and his horses. For the general reader I would recommend this book as a jolly good read maintaining interest from beginning to the end. For the military buff I can recommend this unique insight into the effects of the Spanish Guerrillas on the front-line fighting ability of the French as seen through the eyes of one who was there.

Clash of Steel

First published in French in Paris 1814, in English 1990 this book presents an account of the Peninsular War from a somewhat different perspective. The writer was a junior officer in Napoleon’s 2nd Regiment of Hussars, and he presents early events in the conflict, such as the march and then Napoleon’s entry into Madrid, as well as subsequent actions, including the pursuit to Corunna. For De Rocca Spain was a totally hostile country, where he was constantly under threat from both the Spanish troops and civilian population. He describes the fighting in fairly uncompromising detail, providing the reader with a vivid account of the Peninsular War. Noted historian Philip Haythornthwaite has provided an interesting introduction to the text and there are four maps.

Stuart Asquith, Author