Etienne Gerard, Hussar in the French Army during the Napoleonic Wars, is vain - he is utterly convinced he is the bravest soldier, the greatest swordsman, the most accomplished horseman, and the most gallant lover in all France. He is not entirely wrong, but his self-satisfaction and obsession with honour and glory undercut his brave acts again and again, providing a delightful satire of the stereotypical English view of the French, along with Gerard's baffled view of English manners and attitudes.