Owing to the heavy casualties suffered by the Carabiniers in the 1809 campaign, the Emperor decreed that they should be armored to the same advantage as the Cuirassiers. In this way the two corps drew together in being the only troops of the Grande Armeé who were armoured, while at the same time they diverged in breaking away from their traditionally similar dress. Emir Bukhari does a splendid job of examining the uniforms and equipment of Napoleon's Cuirassiers and Carabiniers of the Napoleonic Wars (1799-1815), in a text complemented throughout by numerous illustrations and diagrams including eight full page color plates by the ever popular Angus McBride. Packed with specially commissioned artwork, maps and diagrams, the Men-at-Arms series is an unrivalled illustrated reference on the history, organisation, uniforms and equipment of the world's military forces, past and present. Emir Bukhari is a renowned expert on the French army of the Napoleonic era. He has written several books for Osprey's Men-at-Arms series. Angus McBride was one of the world's most respected historical illustrators, and contributed to over 100 Osprey titles over several decades.