Napoleon's Marshals led the troops of France in battles across Europe from 1804 to 1815. A mixed group of twenty-six men, some of the Marshals came from aristocratic backgrounds, some had originally pursued tradesmen careers as drapers and bakers, and others rose from total poverty to hold the highest positions in the empire below the emperor himself. Delderfield's exciting chronicle of these men and their battles tells of their origins, their elevation under the rule of Napoleon, the kingships achieved by some and the betrayals of others, and the Marshals' changing relationship with their leader as the fortunes of the empire rose and fell. The glory days of France come glitteringly to life. ― Chicago Tribune A long-needed work…. It is no small accomplishment to relate the details, campaigns and fates of so varied a group of men. ― Los Angeles Times R. F. Delderfield (1912-1972) wrote Imperial Sunset: The Fall of Napoleon, 1813-1814 , and the novels God Is an Englishman and Theirs Was the Kingdom .