This first biography in English of Davout, the most successful of Napoleon's commanders, made Marshal of the Empire, places the man in historical perspective.
Louis N. d'Avout (later Davout) was born in 1770. He died in 1823, having lived a life encompassing the span of French history from the Revolution to the restoration of Louis XVIII. He was born into an old and distinguished military Burgundian family and served France as a soldier all his life.
Gallaher pays particular attention to Davout's career as a Napoleonic commander and military administrator. Hence, the new point of view Gallaher brings to his work and his original research into the documents provide an historical perspective on the complex Napoleonic wars and other military history of the period.