Erwin Rosen

In the Foreign Legion: The Experiences of a Journalist Who Joined the French Foreign Legion in North Africa at the Turn of the 20th Century Erwin Rosen

The desert and the kepi blanc

The young author of this book thought he knew something of military life. He had served with American forces during the Spanish-American War, but by 1904 he was out of luck and desperate for a new way of life. Like many young men before and after him the 'glamour' of life in the French Foreign Legion exerted its irresistible appeal. Also like many Legion recruits he came to understand just how far from the gruelling reality his idealistic view was. Rosen shortly found himself in North Africa and so began the training which would turn him into a fully fledged Legionnaire. This was the French Foreign Legion of the era prior to the First World War where 'March or Die' was not just a slogan but a way of life-or death! This is a riveting account of what it was to be part of the French mercenary corps in the early years of the twentieth century by one who experienced it. Recommended. Available in softcover and hardcover with dustjacket.