Death to the French

Death to the French is a novel by CS Forester, the author of the Horatio Hornblower novels. This novel is set in the same time period as the Hornblower novels. But the hero of this novel is not an officer, and not a seamen. He is a rifleman in the 95th rifles.

Related Topics:
CS Forester - Horatio Hornblower - 95th rifles

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The novel takes place in Portugal early in the Peninsular War. The British had sent a small force, of about 10,000 men, to the aid of her ally Portugal. The overwhelming size of the opposing French forces required the British to withdraw. Our hero is cut off, lives off the land, harasses the French forces from behind their lines.

Related Topics:
Portugal - Peninsular War - British - French

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As in his novel Brown on Resolution the hero causes the enemy remarkable problems acting on instinct, and training, rather than intellectual planning. When our hero finally makes it back to his unit, six months later, his commanding officer asks him what he was up to, all that time. And our hero is completely unable to begin to describe his remarkable accomplishments. He doesn't even try. He doesn't realize they are remarkable. And they remain completely unrecognized and unrewarded. The heroism of Brown on Resolution also goes completely unrecognized and unrewarded.

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CS Forester wrote two novels set during the Peninsular Wars. The other, The Gun concerned a large caliber brass cannon that passes through the hands of various groups of Spanish partisans.

Related Topics:
The Gun - Spanish - Partisans

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