hooge1 Posted 7 December , 2011 Share Posted 7 December , 2011 Hi Forum, Anyone read Chasseur of 1914 by Marcel Dupont, I,m quite interested in the French experience in the early months wondered if anyone could give some feedback on this particular book. Regards Nick Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jean-Claude Delhez Posted 7 December , 2011 Share Posted 7 December , 2011 Hello Nick, I don't know this particular book of Marcel Dupont, but I read another one, "Sabre au poing". It seems to me that Dupont is somewhat chauvinist (at least sometimes), loving romantic charges of cavalry. When you read, on the same events, German books, you find contradictions. The reality of the war, even in the beginning, is less enthousiastic than ancient authors use to tell in the 20's and 30's. Jean-Claude Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SteveMarsdin Posted 7 December , 2011 Share Posted 7 December , 2011 I,m quite interested in the French experience in the early months Hi Nick, Jean-Claude's a bit too modest to suggest his new book, which covers the opening encounters of The Battle of the Frontiers: http://1914-1918.invisionzone.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=171405&st=0&p=1665852&fromsearch=1entry1665852 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hooge1 Posted 8 December , 2011 Author Share Posted 8 December , 2011 Hi Steve and Jean-Claude, Thanks for your replies, Jean-Claude your book sounds well worth a read, unfortunately like many Brits I can't read/speak French However I do find the French perspective of the war incredibly interesting especially the early weeks and months that seem forgotten to history, so I wish you luck with your book. Regards Nick Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jean-Claude Delhez Posted 8 December , 2011 Share Posted 8 December , 2011 Hello everyone, Thank you Nick. About Marcel Dupont : his real name is Marcel Ernest Béchu. He was lieutenant at the 7th Chasseurs (light cavalry) from 1914 to 1917, and then captain at the 20th Dragoons, not far frome the BEF (Flanders, Somme, Aisne, Champagne and Verdun). He published many books during and after the war, among wich his souvenirs : "En campagne" (1915) and "L'attente" (1918). Regards. Jean-Claude Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hooge1 Posted 8 December , 2011 Author Share Posted 8 December , 2011 Hi Jean-Claude Why do you think he had such a romantic view of the war when he obviously had experience of the reality? Regards Nick Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Robert Dunlop Posted 9 December , 2011 Share Posted 9 December , 2011 Nick, the book is very interesting. The translation flows well. The book provides some good perspectives, bearing in mind that these are from the one person (Mr. Béchu as Jean-Claude kindly mentioned) and cannot be generalised to the French cavalry as a whole. He talks about the early war of manoeuvre and then the earliest months of the static positional war that followed. Robert Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jean-Claude Delhez Posted 9 December , 2011 Share Posted 9 December , 2011 Hello Nick, Dupont published many books about cavalry. I just read "Sabre au poing". Recently, when I was working on the battle of Frontiers, I studied one particular combat, using French archives and German regimental historicals. It was a successful German charge against French cavalry. Dupont described exactly the opposite. Concerning Marcel Dupont, there are 3 pages in Jean-Norton Cru's"Témoins" (p 299-301), the biggest french study about souvenirs, memories in WW1. Jean-Claude Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hooge1 Posted 9 December , 2011 Author Share Posted 9 December , 2011 Hi Everyone, I under stand at some point Marcel Ernest Béchu was also employed as war correspondent probably from 1917 onwards. Interestingly enough I had never heard of Jean-Norton Cru and an internet search has been quite informative. I have managed to order "War Books a study in Historical Criticism" which seems to be a later English translation of Jean-Norton Cru's"Témoins" which will no doubt make good reading. Chasseur of 1914 is on the Christmas list so who knows what Santa will bring Regards Nick Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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