The first guide book exclusively for bivouac campers on the iconic hiking trail, the Tour du Mont Blanc. Beginning with a rhyming description of the route and its places of interest, this is no ordinary hiker’s guide. The main trail description is supplemented with more independent variants, variations and escape routes, and more bivouac and camping options than ever compiled before in one publication. Walker Places Of Interest, Navigation, Transport & Shopping are brought to life with colour photos, simplified maps, a Bare Essential Stage Planner, Checklists, and lightweight guide Chorkie Walker. Intended for use in conjunction with a 1:50,000 scale map (and/or GPS tracking on a smartphone), hikers have all they need to plan and execute a bespoke route, to be inspired to go wild and go freely with a tent, and even to find some solitude on one of the world's busiest and most beautiful hiking trails. Also available from Google Play in an Enhanced e-book edition, with hyperlinks. Previously published as The Bare Essential Camper's Tour du Mont Blanc, this is a revised second edition, published July 2024.

Australian Cadet Under-Officer, eighteen-year-old Barbara Brassington, is with her unit on bivouac near the tiny North Queensland town of Millaroo. But this is no ordinary bivouac. Not only must she deal with the usual challenges of poor leadership, misbehaviour, and cadet fraternisation, she must deal with the scandalous Chloe Cummings and her propensity for nudity and outrageous behaviour. But Barbara’s unit is drawn into a terrifying and deadly drama that will test her survival skills, leadership and courage to the limits.

Many memoirs of the Napoleonic period are recounting, more or less interesting dependant on the author, of the events of their service interspersed by anecdotes of interesting events, Elzéar Blaze eschewed that style of reminiscence and left a singular view of his time in the Grande Armée. His memoirs are highly stylised, divided into the ‘themes’ of military life, and eruditely written by an educated man of the era, who combined wit with a eye for an anecdote. He covers the different aspects of his military career with amusing stories and vivid recollections of the men with which he served, a number of the generals who commanded them, and the enemies that they were fought and were billeted on if they were in occupation; he covers the school of the Vélites, his military training, the marches, camp-life, bivouacs, active campaigning, and the battles fought under Napoleon. Referring to the bravery of some troops in battle he said; “There are men, however, who, endued with extraordinary strength of mind, can coolly face the greatest dangers. Murat, the bravest of the brave, always charged at the head of his cavalry, and never returned without having his sabre stained with blood. This one may easily comprehend; but an extraordinary thing, which I have seen done by General Dorsenne, and by him alone, is to stand immovable, turning his back to the enemy, facing his regiment, riddled with balls, crying, "Close your ranks!" without once looking behind him. In other circumstances I have tried to imitate him, and turned my back too; but I could not remain in that position: curiosity always obliged me to look the way from which the balls proceeded.” Blaze, like his brother sought out a military life under the eagles of Napoleon, he enlisting in the Vélites of the Imperial Guard, his brother into the medical services of the army. The Vélites were founded as part of Napoleon’s further, ultimately unsuccessful, attempts to sway the aristocracy to fall in line and support his rule. The military tutelage in the Vélites was to be supported by private means, which translated into their ranks being filled with the scions of the nobility and wealthy bourgeoisie. Blaze fought as part of Napoleon’s invincibles from 1807 until the end of the empire, but continued his service under the returned Bourbons and retired as captain in 1828. An interesting and different view of the Grande Armée. Author – Elzéar Blaze– (1786-1848) Translator and Editor – Lieutenant-General Sir Charles J. Napier, G.C.B. – (1782-1853)

Reprint of the original, first published in 1867.