Publications by
Jacques-Louis David In exile after the
Battle of Waterloo, Marbot returned to France in 1819 and wrote two books: •
Critical remarks on the work of Lieutenant-Général Rogniat, entitled: Considerations on the art of war (1820). •
On the necessity of increasing the military forces of France; means of achieving this in the most cost-efficient way possible (1825). The first publication was a reply to General Joseph Rogniat's treatise on war, in which Marbot effectively contrasted the human factor in war with Rogniat's pure theory. The second presented his recommendations for the future development of the
French Armed Forces.
Napoleon read the first publication while in exile on the island of
Saint Helena. His
aide-de-camp, General
Henri Gatien Bertrand recorded in his diary on 14 March 1821: In the evening, the Emperor handed me Marbot's book, [...] and said: "That is the best book I have read for four years. It is the one that has given me the greatest amount of pleasure. [...] He has expressed some things better than I did, he was more familiar with them because, on the whole, he was more of a Corps commander than I. [...] Throughout the book he never refers to '
the Emperor'. He wanted the King of France [] to give him an appointment with the rank of Colonel; that is quite obvious. He uses 'Emperor' once, so as not to look as though he were afraid to do so, or to appear cowardly, and another time he uses '
Napoleon'. He mentions
Masséna and
Augereau frequently, and he has described the
Battle of Essling better than I could have done it myself [...]. I should have liked to show Marbot my appreciation by sending him a ring. If I ever return to active life, I will have him attached to me as an
aide-de-camp [...]. This publication earned Marbot the distinction of being remembered in
Napoleon's will: To Colonel Marbot, one hundred thousand francs. I recommend him to continue to write in defence of the glory of the
French armies, and to confound their calumniators and apostates.
Memoirs His fame rests chiefly on the
Memoirs of his life and campaigns, the
Memoirs of General Baron de Marbot, which were written for his children and published posthumously in Paris, in 1891. An English translation by
Arthur John Butler was published in London, in 1892. Marbot's Memoirs were widely acclaimed, and
Arthur Conan Doyle wrote of them: The first of all soldier books in the world. [...] There are few books which I could not spare from my shelves better than the Memoirs of the gallant Marbot.
Literary references Several authors and personalities have cited Marbot and his Memoirs in their works: •
Andrew Lang's collections of stories written by various authors feature selected excerpts from Marbot's Memoirs. Three appear in
The Red True Story Book collection (1895): ''"Marbot's March"
, "Eylau. The Mare Lisette"
and "How Marbot crossed the Danube"
. Another two appear in The All Sorts of Stories Book collection (1911): "How the Russian Soldier was Saved"
and "Marbot and the Young Cossack"''. • In
Arthur Conan Doyle's novel
Through the Magic Door (1907), the author shares his admiration for Marbot's Memoirs with his readers. • In
Theodore Roosevelt's writings and public statements, Marbot is cited on two occasions. He is mentioned in Roosevelt's address
Biological Analogies in History (1910), delivered at the
University of Oxford, and in his publication ''A Book Lover's Holiday in the Open'' (1916). • In
Virginia Woolf's novel
Mrs Dalloway (1925), there are several mentions of the protagonist Clarissa Dalloway reading Marbot's Memoirs. • As with a number of other historical figures, Marbot appears prominently in the
Riverworld cycle of science-fiction novels (1967–1983) by
Philip José Farmer. Marbot is first featured as the commander of Marines on
Sam Clemens' riverboat, the
Not for Hire. After the destruction of that boat and the death of its captain, Marbot joins the group led by famed English explorer Sir
Richard Francis Burton and accompanies him on the journey to the head of the River. Accompanied by his lover, the English author
Aphra Behn, Marbot reaches the Tower at the head of the River, only to die in combat when androids based on characters from
Alice Through the Looking-Glass attack the guests during a
Lewis Carroll-themed party. • In
Marc Bloch's book ''
The Historian's Craft (1949), he uses the story of Marbot crossing the Danube, along with various documentary evidence, as an example of historical criticism unearthing erroneous history-writing, citing sources as wide-ranging as the Commentaries
of Julius Caesar and the Protocols of the Elders of Zion''. • In
Ronald Frederick Delderfield's novel
To Serve Them All My Days (1972), the protagonist David Powlett-Jones gets comfort from Marbot's Memoirs during his time in the trenches, and again on the death of his wife and daughter in a road accident. == Eponyms ==