This is the contemporary account of Jakob Walter, a Westphalian conscript in Napoleon s Grande Armee. Walter took part in the Emperor s campaigns against Prussia, Austria and finally, the disastrous Russian campaign of 1812. This is what it really meant to march with the Emperor . This volume is illustrated throughout with the watercolors produced by Albrecht Adam, another German who served in the ranks of Napoleon s armies, who witnessed many of the same scenes as Jakob Walter. Together the text and illustrations provide a powerful primary insight in to the events of 1812 as witnessed by the men who were there. This book is part of the Military History From Primary Sources series, a new military history range compiled and edited by Emmy Award winning author and historian Bob Carruthers. The series draws on primary sources and contemporary documents to provide a new insight into the true nature of warfare.The series consultant is David Mcwhinnie, creator of the award winning PBS series Battlefield ."