The Notebooks of Captain Coignet: Soldier of the Empire, 1799-1815

by Jean-Roch Coignet

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Genres: History, Biography, Military Fiction

292 pages, Paperback

First published March 1, 1998

About the author

Jean-Roch Coignet was a French soldier who served in the military campaigns of the Consulate and First French Empire, up through the Battle of Waterloo. He later wrote his memoirs detailing his military service, 'The Notebooks of Captain Coignet,' which are still being reprinted.

Reviews

[London SE4 · Rating 4 out of 5]

An interesting reading. In his memoires, Jean-Roch Coignet tells about the life of a man who started as an illiterate grognard in the Armée during the Italian Campaign, gaining the légion d'honneur for his courage and distinction, and then, after learning to read in the army, made a career in the Imperial Guard, reaching the grade of officer (and eventually captain). Having followed the Emperor throughout Europe (Marengo, Austerlitz, Jena, Friedland, Wagram, etc.), Coignet is the archetype of the men who worshiped Napoleon, who made and defeated empires under his orders. In a simple and direct language, the captain recalls a great number of anecdotes. Faithful to Napoleon until the very end, after having participated in forty-eight battles without receiving a single injury, in 1815 Coignet returned to Auxerre, where he died, in his bed, in 1865.

[Kata · Rating 4 out of 5]

“Paris revolted; she always gives the start to revolutions. Paris would like to change government as often as we change our shirts.”

I found this book to be a light but enjoyable read. It is an autobiographical account of the Napoleonic wars from the perspective of a servant-turned-soldier, Captain Coignet. Coignet recounts his life story, beginning with his childhood when he was just a poor boy working as a servant after running away (or more accurately, being chased away by his stepmother) from an abusive household. Despite the immense hardships he endured, Coignet looks back on his childhood with a sense of wonder and gratitude, offering an insightful representation of the daily life of the less fortunate in the late 18th century.

This excitement slows down a bit in the middle of the book, when Coignet enters the army and the European campaigns begin. His kindness and quick wit save not only himself but also his comrades, earning him the admiration and friendship of many. I found some stories charming, such as Coignet stacking paper into his boots to appear taller so he could join the elite grenadiers, or how Napoleon, upon spotting a tall soldier’s feet hanging off the bed, ordered the beds to be extended in length. However, I found some parts a tiny bit boring and unengaging (I cannot provide a legit reason I just stopped reading for a while). The description of the Russian campaign and the subsequent 6th/7th Coallition campaign is superb. The pace picks up again, and the flow and level of detail become more polished—presumably because these events were fresher in Coignet’s mind. His retelling of the Russian campaign paints a very real and demoralizing picture of the depravity and suffering that occurred during the French retreat. Waterloo and the aftermath of the lost war are captivating; the reader can almost feel the overwhelming sense of defeat and chaos that engulfed the French army. The book ends with a few pages detailing his life after the wars, where the old Coignet marries a good-hearted woman, and together they open a business and care for their little garden while Coignet endures years of government surveillance.

Coignet's book highlights Napoleon as a thoughtful and strong leader first and foremost, rather than as a great tactician, as many know him. This is likely because Coignet was never privy to Napoleon's military plans and saw him simply as the ideal Frenchman - patriotic, dutiful and honorable. The relationship between Napoleon and Coignet is not of great significance, but through their brief encounters over the decades, you can feel Coignet’s utter respect, admiration, and fear of the man, even going so far as to offer to accompany him to Elba. Likewise, Napoleon recognized Coignet as his “old grumbler,” though it’s unlikely he ever remembered his name. It is worth noting that Napoleon was said to have an exceptional memory and always remembered the faces and actions of people, whether outstanding or not.

Coignet’s simple-minded but strong dedication to Napoleon, to France, and to his faith in humanity shines through many of his adventures as the “soldier of the empire.” He took every task very seriously (even learning to read and write as an adult to fulfill his officer duties). His hard work was reflected not only in being the first soldier to be decorated with the Legion of Honor in 1804 but also in achieving the ranks of captain, quartermaster, and baggage-master, even owning a servant at one point. He remained humble and grateful all the way, never disobeying an order, never uttering a word of disrespect against his fellow men, but also staying true to his values and displaying exemplary bravery, not only on the battlefield but also in the face of circumstantial adversity. Although he never lingered on philosophical musings or questioned the purpose of the war, he was never a “do-as-you’re-told” pushover, refusing to let himself be disrespected. He sometimes struggled to describe certain events, although it is unclear whether this was due to a desire to spare the audience the unspeakable horrors or simply a lack of literary skill. He always condemned looting, mindless (and in his eyes, unjustified) killing and pillaging, and tried to live an honorable life, always remembering those who helped him or his comrades and honoring their deeds. He unintentionally made me laugh sometimes, such as when he subtly called Napoleon’s brother awfully inept as a leader, shouted “Long live the Emperor” so hard he almost ruptured his spleen, or any time he used the phrase “blow his brain out.”

I found it very interesting that Coignet recalled so many events and names (despite never keeping a diary), but even more impressively, he remembered costs and his salary down to the franc. I reckon this has something to do with his growing up poor (“I am sure that including the carriage I spent twenty francs in two days for my bridal expenses. One could not have been more economical.”).

A significant disadvantage of the book is that it doesn’t provide much explanation of historical events or offer any “non-soldier” insight, especially regarding politics. Therefore, if the reader is not familiar with the Napoleonic wars in great detail, there might be some confusion (e.g., battle names are not well highlighted, skirmishes are hardly named, and without a map, it’s hard to follow the progression of the campaigns). He mentions things in passing without further explanation, such as the “Marshall Ney affair” or the Grouchy blunder. I recommend reading this book alongside Napoleon the Great by Andrew Roberts, which is a fantastic history book. He doesn’t shy away from making comments about non-French people, but the extent to which he goes on about the Polish peasants was a bit strange, almost uncalled for. At another time, he called out the poor manners of the Russian soldiers who drank and ate so much at the Tilsit peace treaty that they vomited and passed out under the tables. To be honest, Coignet was right about that one.

I am sure Coignet wasn’t 100% accurate in everything he wrote—not due to dishonesty, but because of his sometimes limited understanding of what transpired before him, especially when it came to higher-ups and their politics. However, in some ways, I am glad he didn’t waste pages describing his personal opinion on every single matter or trying to dissect past events beyond what was necessary. In the end, I felt I understood what went through the mind of an honest, patriotic but simple Frenchman during Napoleon’s era. In a way, Coignet wasn’t a typical military genius, an adrenaline junkie, a brilliant tactician, or even a great leader. But he was always honest, and people—especially Napoleon—could rely on him to go above and beyond to achieve whatever was asked of him. His strength lay in his humanity, which never faltered even amidst the horrors he witnessed. He didn’t write this book to teach a lesson or make history—he was just a lonely old man who, after losing his wife of 30 years, wanted to reflect on his eventful life. All in all, Coignet manages to write a very honest string of personal experiences and makes the reader feel genuine respect and admiration for his conduct and character without sounding proud or conceited.

I recommend this book to readers who are enthusiastic about the Napoleonic wars or the French army - or to anyone who wants to read about some crazy shit that was considered normal 200 years ago.

PS. I would like to note that I am convinced that the word “wine” appeared more times than any military-related terminology. Altogether. I think I will just ignore that Coignet started drinking at age of 6?

[KOMET · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book offered an honest and sober account of a man, who rose from very humble origins, overcame illiteracy, and distinguished himself so much as a soldier of long service in Napoleon's Grande Armee that by the time he was retired from the military in 1816, he had risen to the rank of Captain.

[Aurora Dimitre · Rating 3 out of 5]

Read for French Revolution and Napoleon.

[Clement · Rating 4 out of 5]

Romanesque et passionnant lorsqu'il est question des campagnes et de l empire

[Gauthier · Rating 5 out of 5]

Maintes fois citées dans tant d'ouvrages sur Napoléon, il fallait bien un jour que je découvre par moi même les célèbres cahiers du Capitaine Coignet. Il s'agit là des mémoires écrits par un ancien officier de la Garde Impériale alors qu'il avait 72 ans. Son style simple rend la lecture agréable même si on est guère surpris d'apprendre que le Capitaine Coignet n'a apprit à écrite et à lire qu'à 35 ans. C'est d'ailleurs une des leçons principales de cet ouvrage: l'importante de l'éducation par l'apprentissage de la lecture et de l'écriture. Le fait qu'il ne savait ni l'une ni l'autre pendant longtemps lui a empêché de nombreux avancements, ce qu'il reconnaît lui même à la fin de son ouvrage et il donne pour conseil à tout père de s'assurer que ses enfants soient éduqués.
En ce sens, les Cahiers du Capitaine Coignet demeurent tout à fait contemporain.

Ils demeurent également unique par le fait que Coignet a souvent interagi avec Napoléon et est donc un témoignage unique pour nous en apprendre plus sur la personnalité de l'Empereur des français. Il nous donne avec une simplicité et une honnêteté tranchantes son regard sur l'homme ainsi que sur son expérience personnelle en tant que combattant dans la Grande Armée. On ne peut pas rester de marbre devant le courage que ces soldats et officiers avaient. Il y avait un courage et une défiance de la mort, voire même une indifférence par rapport à celle-ci, qui nous paraissent bien étranges aujourd'hui. La manière dont Coignet raconte les difficiles expériences qu'il a vécu sont cependant parfois difficiles à interpréter car nous ne savons pas si son choix de vocabulaire vient de la simplicité de son expression ou de la mentalité de l'époque qui ne s'étalait pas tant sur les horreurs de l'époque. Il est aussi difficile de se décider si oui ou non Napoléon respectait la vie de ses soldats ou pas. Si on en croit l'historien Patrice Gueniffey, Napoléon était peu sensible à la vie de ses hommes. Pourtant Coignet nous explique que Napoléon se préoccupait de leur sort et faisait ramasser les blessés sur le champ de bataille. Alors, Napoléon sensible ou insensible? La question demeure. Pourtant on pourrait pencher sur le 2e adjectif si on prend l'épisode ou Coignet fut envoyé par Napoléon avec des fausses dépêches durant la retraite de Russie en vue d'être capturé et de tromper l'ennemi par les renseignements que ces dépêches contenaient.

Toujours est il qu'on reste d'ailleurs surpris du fait que Coignet ne mentionne ni la mort de Napoléon dans ses écrits, ni le retour de ses cendres. Ces 2 omissions semblent étranges étant donné l'admiration, voire même la vénération, que les soldats de la Garde Impériale éprouvaient pour leur empereur.

En dehors de ces observations personnelles, je terminerai par dire que les Cahiers du Capitaine Coignet méritent leur réputation et que, à l'instar d'une époque où tous les petits garçons lisaient ces mémoires, leur lecture demeure aujourd'hui une riche expérience nous plongeant dans l'épopée napoléonienne.

[Dean Burke · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was my first foray into the Napoleonic wars and was written by a Captain in the French Imperial Guard and covers the period 1793 to 1820. The book provides a fascinating first hand account of the European wars and the huge impact that Napoleon had upon events. I would recommend further reading of this period to provide more in depth detail of the key figures and events.

[maciej · Rating 5 out of 5]

Awesome book!

Wow Great story of great soldier. One day I will read it again!!! It is worth to spend your time.

[Benoît · Rating 4 out of 5]

Passionnant