Sir Frederick Charles Lascelles Wraxall (1828–1865) was a historian, novelist and translator (from French and German) who spent most of his short adult life in mainland Europe. Amongst his many publications was the 1862 authorised translation of Victor Hugo's Les Miserables. He served as assistant commissary at Kerch in the Crimea in 1856 and afterwards maintained a strong interest in military matters, on which he published several books. This volume, first published in 1856, outlines the military capability of thirteen European nations at the end of the Crimean War. Wraxall uses German military intelligence documents to describe the organisation and strength of the armies and navies of countries including Britain, France, Russia, Turkey, Prussia, Austria and Belgium. Containing detailed descriptions of the numbers of infantry, cavalry, engineers, artillery, ships and crew for each country, the book remains a valuable resource for military historians interested in mid-nineteenth-century Europe.
