Servitude and Grandeur of Arms consists of reflections, arguments and autobiographical anecdotes surrounding three longer narratives. These include an episode on the high seas with Admiral Collingwood, a glimpse into Marie-Antoinette's court, scenes from the campaign of 1814 against the Russians and the Paris revolution of 1830, and an overheard conversation between Napoleon and the Pope - part of what is probably the most telling and dramatic portrait of the emperor in literature. Yet these are essentially the stories of gruff and grizzled veterans, bound by a stern code of duty and honour, who reveal unexpected depths of humanity. De Vigny vividly conveys the savagery of war, the dreariness, deprivation and discipline of military service, but also its comradeship, stoicism and fundamental uprightness. The result is a strange and subtle masterpiece.