The French Foreign Legion

There is no more famous fighting force than the French Foreign Legion. Since its foundation by royal decree of Louis Philippe in 1831, the Legion, with its unique aura of mystery and heroism, has fascinated the outside world. Today's Legionnaire is the direct heir to a long line of great adventurers - men whose military achievements in Europe, in Mexico, in Africa, in Southeast Asia have indelibly associated them with danger, endurance and incomparable camaraderie. At last, the curtain of secrecy has been pulled aside to reveal the Legion's inner workings to the sensitive camera lens of John Robert Young. From southern France and Corsica to South America and Africa, through fifty thousand miles of travel and three hundred rolls of film, John Robert Young shared the Legionnaires' life as unobtrusive participant and keen observer, imbuing his photography with the honesty of true experience.