The senior regiment of the Imperial Guard was the Grenadiers à Cheval, nicknamed the Gods, and hence the title of this book. The silhouette of a Grenadier à Cheval is one of the most symbolic and most easily recognised images from the Napoleonic era, second only to the silhouette of the Emperor with his hat and grey riding cloak.

As heavy cavalry of the Guard, they took part in the charge of the cavalry of the Guard at Austerlitz. They especially took a share of glory with their charge at Eylau on 8 February 1807. They served in Spain, Austria and Russia. No other cavalry regiment in the French army compared to its service in 1813 and 1814, the campaigns of the Guard par excellence. They were present at Dresden, Leipzig and especially Hanau where they charged the Austrian and Bavarian cavalry, and took part in the famous charges of the Imperial Guard at Waterloo.

Now, for the first time, the story of this regiment is told in detail. This book provides a brief introduction to Napoleon’s Imperial Guard and the regiment’s place in it, as well as brief early history of the regiment, and a hoof to tack description of the Grenadiers à Cheval from the fateful Russian campaign of 1812 to its disbandment in 1815 following the disaster of Waterloo. It describes the horses, uniforms and equipment of the regiment, as well as regimental organisation, and provides short biographies of the officers and some of the men, giving a vivid picture of how the men of the regiment lived, and in some cases, how they died.

Illustrated in color and black-and-white, this book provides a wealth of valuable reference material for historians (both amateur and professional), wargamers, re-enactors seeking authenticity, and to aficionados of the Napoleonic era alike.