The Alain Lausard Adventures

6 primary works

Bonaparte's Sons

by Richard Howard

Published 3 July 1997

A fallen aristocrat must prove himself in the furnace of Napoleon’s army...

1795: Confusion and fear reign in the French Republic. With her troops facing starvation and annihilation on three fronts, France is killing her patriots.

Alain Lausard, an aristocrat whose family were massacred in The Terror, rots in prison. But in a desperate move to save the Italian campaign, now commanded by a young Napoleon Bonaparte, the Directory enlists condemned criminals. For Lausard, the promise of death on the battlefield is all he wants.

Trained as a soldier, Lausard commands respect for turning his ragged miscreants into ruthless cavalry. Yet tensions remain. As the unit falls under the command of the despotic Cezar, a hazardous mission behind enemy lines threatens everything…

Bonaparte’s Sons, the first of the Alain Lausard adventures, is perfect for fans of Bernard Cornwell’s Sharpe, Paul Fraser Collard and Iain Gale.

Praise for Richard Howard

‘Lovers of historical fiction won’t be able to wait to get their teeth into this one’ Newcastle Upon Tyne Evening Chronicle

‘A realistic look at the brutality of Napoleonic warfare. An enjoyable read’ Historical Novel Review

‘Howard writes with authority about life in the French army under Napoleon’ Cork Examiner

Bonaparte's Invaders

by Richard Howard

Published 1 January 1998

Napoleon’s mighty army face the inferno of the Egyptian desert in this thrilling historical adventureSeventeen thousand French troops leave Toulon harbour in May 1798 unaware of their ultimate destination. Barely three months after taking Rome, Napoleon Bonaparte has rewarded his finest regiments with a place among the Army of the Orient, bound for Egypt.

Alain Lausard, along with his cavalry unit are on board the frigate L’Esperance. Their first battle is merely to survive the degradation that is life at sea. By the time they stagger, starved and exhausted, upon the shores of Egypt, Lausard’s dragoons have more than glory to fight for.
As his beleaguered soldiers march into the desert, Bonaparte watches his tactical gamble collapse. Even when the Mameluke army is defeated beneath the pyramids, Nelson’s destruction of the French fleet and Bonaparte’s obsessive war-mongering convince Lausard that he will never see Paris again…
The second blood-soaked instalment of the Alain Lausard Adventures is perfect for fans of Simon Scarrow, Julian Stockwin and Adrian Goldsworthy.
‘Lovers of historical fiction won’t be able to wait to get their teeth into this one’ Newcastle Upon Tyne Evening Chronicle
‘A realistic look at the brutality of Napoleonic warfare. An enjoyable read’ Historical Novel Review
‘Howard writes with authority about life in the French army under Napoleon’ Cork Examiner

Bonaparte's Conquerors

by Richard Howard

Published 1 July 1999

Flushing out rebels in the Paris streets, Lausard yearns for all consuming war.

1799: Napoleon Bonaparte returns from Egypt determined to restore order. As corruption spreads through the ruling Directory and rebels terrorise the countryside, the ideals of the Revolution seem far away.

Recalled to Paris to buttress their commander’s political ambitions, Alain Lausard and his heroic cavalry unit look on as Bonaparte stages a coup d’état. With Bonaparte under pressure to make peace with France’s enemies, Lausard’s dragoons are reduced to flushing out conspirators from the Paris gutter.

When Bonaparte assembles his massive field army and prepares to reclaim lost territory in Italy, Lausard is relieved. He owes his freedom to Bonaparte – and only through war can he contain the guilt he still feels for fleeing his family during The Terror. As the French cavalry crosses the Alps, Lausard’s men will face their most daunting challenge yet...

The third book in the powerful Alain Lausard Adventures is perfect for fans of Conn Iggulden, C.S. Forester and Bernard Cornwell.

Praise for Richard Horwood

‘Lovers of historical fiction won’t be able to wait to get their teeth into this one’ Newcastle Upon Tyne Evening Chronicle

‘A realistic look at the brutality of Napoleonic warfare. An enjoyable read’ Historical Novel Review

‘Howard writes with authority about life in the French army under Napoleon’ Cork Examiner

Bonaparte's Warriors

by Richard Howard

Published 3 August 2000

During four years of uneasy peace, France has seen many chances. Alain Lausard and his companions have become part of Bonaparte's Grand Armee, but there are those who still oppose Bonaparte and his regime. When the leading conspirator flees, Lausard is despatched to bring him back for trial.

Bonaparte's Avengers

by Richard Howard

Published 1 August 2001

With the forces of Austria and Russia destroyed a year earlier, Napoleon Bonaparte begins a campaign against Prussia and her armies. But, for Bonaparte, this is not merely a war of conquest, it is one of revenge. Alain Lausard and his men againfind themselves at the forefront of the campaign."

Bonaparte's Horsemen

by Richard Howard

Published 1 August 2002

Ever since Napoleon Bonaparte became their commander, the French armies had become more powerful. The cavalry in particular, Alain Lausard and his regiment of dragoons among them, are the most feared in Europe. Their full capabilities are to be tested as 1807 brings fresh conflict with Russia. Anxious to cement his growing power in Europe, Napoleon Bonaparte leads his victorious army against the forces of Tsar Alexander in Poland. The horrific Battle of Eylau is fought in blinding snow and temperatures of minus thirty degrees and the French are only saved by the greatest cavalry charge in military history as Lausard and ten thousand French horsemen turn the tide of the conflict. But for the first time ever, the Grande Armee faces defeat. While Bonaparte courts Marie Walewska and pursues a political settlement, Lausard and his men face death from all manner of enemies - from Russian troops, partisans, starvation and cold. As summer approaches, they gather themselves for the next phase of the campaign which has already claimed so many lives. At a place called Friedland they face a battle that could decide their fate forever.