Artillery - France: Books - History, Types and Construction

Napoleon's Guns 1792-1815 (1) - Field Artillery (Osprey)

As a young gunner, Napoleon Bonaparte was trained in one of Europe's finest artillery arms. Both the technological sophistication of their weaponry and the skill of their gunners was largely the result of the adoption of the system devised by one man, Jean-Baptiste Vaquette de Gribeauval.
Gribeauval's standardised system of parts and calibres allowed a degree of uniformity and sophistication in the French artillery that was unmatched throughout Europe, and allowed Napoleon to inherit and develop an arm that could dominate the battlefield.
This volume covers the field artillery pieces of the system: the 4-, 8- and 12-pdr guns; light 1-pdr guns and mountain guns; and later innovations such as the 6-pdr gun.

Contents: Introduction - Design and Development - Operational History - The Variants - Colour Plate Commentary.

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Napoleon's Guns 1792-1815 (2) - Heavy and Siege Artillery (Osprey)

This volume is the second half of the story of the French artillery during the Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars. It covers the howitzers, mortars and large siege (16- and 24-pdrs) and garrison (8- and 12-pdrs) guns, placing a special emphasis on their role, technical significance and operational use.
The introduction of the Gribeauval system put in place a collection of mortars and large guns that were lighter and more manageable than those previously used, while offering first class hitting power.

Contents: Introduction - Design and Development - Operational History - The Variants - Colour plate commentary - Index.

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The French 75 - The 75mm M1897 field gun that revolutionized modern artillery

The 'Soixante quinze', France's legendary 75mm Modele 1897, was the first modern field gun, pioneering several critical innovations in field artillery designs, including a fast action breech and a soft recoil system. Although some of these features had been incorporated into earlier guns, the 75mm M1897 integrated them into a superior, lightweight field gun. The 75mm M1897 earned its reputation in the Great War, forming the backbone of French field artillery.
It was widely distributed to Allied armies, including the American Expeditionary Forces and was also widely exported after World War I around the globe. It was manufactured under licence in numerous countries, including the United States, which used the gun in its initial Pacific campaigns.

Due to its modernity and sound design, the 75mm remained in service well into World War II. It was used by the French, Polish and other armies in the Blitzkrieg campaigns of 1939-1940 and thousands were captured by the German Army in 1940 and used for coastal defence. Surprisingly, many were also converted into a very effective anti-tank gun, the PaK 97/38. These weapons lingered in service after World War II, though by this time, they were largely obsolete.

This fascinating book explores the history of the 75mm Modele 1897 in detail, from its design and development to its deployment around the world. The text is supported by stunning, specially commissioned artwork including three-dimensional views of the gun and its variants.

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L'artillerie lourde sur Voie Ferrée française des origines à 1945

A synthesis of research on the French ALVF, accompanied by unpublished documents and more than 450 photographs illustrating all French railway artillery equipment, although the variety of types is very great.

General Guy François, born in 1946, has been researching the history of French artillery for over forty years, particularly with regard to Heavy Railway Artillery. Author of numerous articles in specialist journals, he has also written reference works on German railway artillery and the 75 model 1897 cannon.

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