A Swedish Soldier in the Napoleonic Wars: The Memoirs of Carl Magnus Hultin, 1807-1814

Author:   Erik Faithfull
Publisher:   Helion & Company
Volume:   128
ISBN:  

9781804514344


Pages:   202
Publication Date:   29 January 2024
Format:   Paperback
Availability:   In Print   Availability explained
This item will be ordered in for you from one of our suppliers. Upon receipt, we will promptly dispatch it out to you. For in store availability, please contact us.

Our Price $62.99 Quantity:  
Add to Cart

Share |

A Swedish Soldier in the Napoleonic Wars: The Memoirs of Carl Magnus Hultin, 1807-1814


Add your own review!

Overview

A Swedish Soldier in the Napoleonic Wars is an important and rare memoir by a low-ranking officer. It contains lively anecdotes and stories of soldiers, commanders, and life on campaign from 1808 to 1814 in Sweden, Denmark, Norway and North Germany. Available for the first time in English, it provides a new perspective of little-known actions, small by the standards of continental Europe but vital to our understanding of Sweden's part in the war. In 1807, at the age of 18 and while a student at Linköping High School, Carl Magnus Hultin enlisted as a junior officer in the militia, answering the call-to-arms in the nation's efforts to stem the Russian tide before Finland was lost. He then transferred to the regular army as an ensign in the Jönköping Regiment. He took part in the ill-fated Västerbotten expedition against the Russians on Swedish soil in 1809 and witnessed the 1809 coup d'etat to remove the unpopular King Gustav IV Adolf. Following the 'phoney' war with Britain 1811-1812, he served in Mecklenberg, Holstein and Belgium against France and Denmark in the 1813-1814 campaign under Napoleon's former Marshal Bernadotte, who had been elected as Sweden's Crown Prince. Finally, he participated in the 1814 Norwegian campaign that saw the Union of Norway and Sweden, which lasted until 1905. He remained in the army after the war, retiring as a captain in 1842. Very late in life, he was persuaded to set down his memoirs, which were published in 1872. Two separate editions of the book were reprinted in Sweden in 1954 and 1955 with minimal editing after the expiry of the copyright 70 years after the author's death. The editor's preface to the 1954 edition noted, 'The present volume is ... unique to the extent that it may constitute the only document of literary value from our history of war', while the 1955 editor noted 'the account ... was greatly acclaimed' and that Hultin's friends were 'much entertained by his lively, sometimes rather burlesque tales about military life both on and off campaign.' This translation, by a descendent of Captain Hultin, is the first time this important and rare memoir has been available in the English language and includes extensive explanatory notes together with maps and illustrations to support the narrative. AUTHOR: Erik Faithfull has had a life-long interest in military history, most recently that of his Scandinavian ancestry. He is a descendant of both Carl Magnus Hultin and Carl Gustav Armfelt: the latter was the subject of his first translated work for Helion, Carl Gustav Armfelt and the Struggle for Finland during the Great Northern War. 74 b/w photos & illustrations, 5 b/w maps

Full Product Details

Author:   Erik Faithfull
Publisher:   Helion & Company
Imprint:   Helion & Company
Volume:   128
ISBN:  

9781804514344


ISBN 10:   1804514349
Pages:   202
Publication Date:   29 January 2024
Audience:   General/trade ,  General
Format:   Paperback
Publisher's Status:   Active
Availability:   In Print   Availability explained
This item will be ordered in for you from one of our suppliers. Upon receipt, we will promptly dispatch it out to you. For in store availability, please contact us.

Table of Contents

Reviews

Author Information

Erik Faithfull has had a life-long interest in military history, most recently that of his Scandinavian ancestry. He is a descendant of both Carl Magnus Hultin and Carl Gustav Armfelt: the latter was the subject of his first translated work for Helion, Carl Gustav Armfelt and the Struggle for Finland during the Great Northern War.

Tab Content 6

Author Website:  

Customer Reviews

Recent Reviews

No review item found!

Add your own review!

Countries Available

All regions
Latest Reading Guide

lgn

al

Shopping Cart
Your cart is empty
Shopping cart
Mailing List