The Eagle of the Empire

A battered regimental eagle hangs in an old château, with a broken staff and damaged wings marking its service in Napoleon's armies. Cyrus Townsend Brady's historical novel follows the devotion inspired by this standard through the campaigns of 1814 and the events leading to Waterloo. The soldier Marteau, Countess Laure and veteran comrades appear in a story that joins personal affection with the changing fortunes of the Emperor.

The recovered eagle becomes the focus of a tense exchange between Marteau and Major Lestoype. Royal orders demand the destruction of the regiments' standards, yet former imperial soldiers still hope for Napoleon's return. Protecting the emblem raises questions about loyalty, military duty and the oaths men have taken to a new king. Alongside the romance and battlefield adventure, Brady's preface draws attention to hunger, cold, weariness and suffering. That concern gives readers a way to consider the human cost behind the soldiers' attachment to their leader.