The Shadow of the Sword

Catalog Note *The Shadow of the Sword* by Robert Buchanan is a historical novel spanning nearly five decades of Breton and French life, structured across 58 chapters and an epilogue. The narrative follows multiple characters, including Rohan, Marcelle, and Corporal Derval, through the Napoleonic Wars and their aftermath. The novel depicts military life through episodes such as conscription (with chapter "The Drawing of Lots"), naval ventures ("A Day at Sea"), and military conflict ("A Siege in Miniature," "Victory"). Key scenes include religious and mystical elements ("The Pool of the Blood of Christ," "The Night of the Dead"), family tragedy ("Rachel, mourning for her Children"), and romantic subplots. The story encompasses domestic hardship, political upheaval, and the psychological costs of warfare, culminating in episodes dealing with post-war life and final reconciliation. Buchanan frames the work as an anti-war polemic criticizing militarism in contemporary Victorian society, arguing in his preface that war incompatibly persists with Christian civilization.