James Blunt flew to Minsk on a spaceship

This term has other meanings, see Blunt.

James Hillier Blunt

(eng.
James Blunt
, real name
James Hillier Blount
[1], born February 22, 1974) is a British singer, musician and lyricist.

Biography

early years

James was born into the family of a hereditary military man, British Colonel Charles Blunt (Blount) and his wife Jane. He spent his childhood in England, Cyprus and Germany, where his father served as an officer in the Army Air Corps. The father's passion was passed on to his son, and at the age of 16, James received a pilot's license. James goes to the University of Bristol to study aeronautical engineering, sponsored by the army. After graduation, he was required to serve in the military for at least 4 years.

Military service

James trained at the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst and was a sub-lieutenant in the Life Guards of the Household Cavalry, where he rose to the rank of captain.

In 1999, during the bombing of Yugoslavia, Blunt commanded a tank unit in NATO forces on the Macedonian-Yugoslav border.

James retired from the Army on October 1, 2002.

Along with representatives of the royal family, he is an Honorary Guard.

Music career

It all started when James decided to learn to play the piano. Then he was taken to the school musical. He loved Queen and Dire Straits. At the age of 14, he picked out Nirvana melodies on the guitar, and soon began writing his own songs.

In 2002, armed with several demos of questionable quality, James left the army to devote his time to music. He put together a demo of his best songs and within a few months was able to sign a contract to manage and record the album. James was lucky enough to meet Linda Perry, a songwriter and producer for many musicians, including Pink and Christina Aguilera.

Soon he signed a contract with her recording studio Custard Records.

Finally, in 2003, James Blunt went to California to record his first album. At night he disappeared into nightclubs, and during the day he devoted all his time to working on the record with Tom Rothrock, Elton John's producer.

If you put the story of musician James Blunt into songs, there would be enough material for several albums and still left for a couple of film scripts. After the resounding success of the ballad “You're Beautiful,” critics began to compare James Blunt with Elton John himself.

In 2007, the composition “Same mistake” was used in the finale of the film “PS I Love You”. James Blunt set a new world record for the highest altitude a concert has ever been held at. According to The Sun, on June 29, 2010, the singer played an acoustic concert aboard a Boeing 767 at an altitude of 42,000 feet, or almost 13 kilometers.

In May 2013, James finished recording his 4th studio album, produced by Tom Rothrock, who worked with him on his first two records - Back To Bedlam and All The Lost Souls. The 4th album, entitled “Moon Landing”, was released in October 2013. Links to official sources: www.jamesblunt.com/ twitter.com/DirtyLilBlunt

Music

In the same 2002, James collected all his demo recordings, put them on a CD and sent them to Tom Rothrock, Elton John’s music manager and producer. Rothrock appreciated Blunt's musical and vocal abilities. He brought the aspiring musician to the record label of Linda Perry (ghostwriter for Gwen Stefani and Christina Aguilera) - Custard Records, the most successful label in England. James continues to collaborate with Custard Records to this day.

Singer James Blunt

In 2003, Blunt and Rothrock traveled to America, where James performed in local clubs, while simultaneously recording songs for the first album. The debut album itself will be released next year, on October 4th. The compositions from Back to Bedlam immediately took leading positions in the charts, and the musician gained fans (because of which the landlady of his rented apartment once even kicked him out).

In 2007, Blunt's second album, All the Lost Souls, was released. In addition, James' song is used as the soundtrack to the film adaptation of Cecelia Ahern's novel “PS I Love You.” The film was directed by Richard LaGravenese (“The Fisher King”, “The Bridges of Madison County”, “Erin Brockovich”), and the main roles were played by Gerard Butler (“Dracula 2000”, “Phantom of the Opera”, “Law Abiding Citizen”, “300”) and Hilary Swank (“Insomnia,” “Million Dollar Baby,” “Logan Lucky”).

Also starring in the film are Kathy Bates (“Misery,” “American Horror Story”), Lisa Kudrow (“Friends,” “Neighbors: The Warpath”) and Jeffrey Dean Morgan (“Supernatural,” “The Walking Dead”).

The release of the next album - Some kind of trouble - was associated with a performance in the form of an acoustic concert, which took place on July 29, 2013 on board a flying Boeing 767 aircraft. James Blunt's last album to date was released on October 18, 2013 and was called Moon Landing. James’ music and videos (especially the song “Goodbye, my lover”) were highly praised by Elton John, calling him his creative and ideological successor.

Additional Information

James is an excellent athlete; in the army he was captain of the alpine skiing team. Like all Englishmen, he is not indifferent to football. His favorite club is Chelsea. James has a house near Chelsea's home stadium, Stamford Bridge.

More than once he took part as a guest in the TV program Top Gear.[2][3]

On June 12, 1999, a tank unit of the British Army, which was part of the NATO Rapid Reaction Force, under the command of Captain James Blunt, received orders to attack a combined battalion of Russian paratroopers blocking the strategically important Slatina airfield. According to numerous testimonies from Blunt himself and other participants in those hostilities, James’ order came from Wesley Clark’s headquarters. Despite the full jurisdiction of the American side, Blunt asked to confirm the order from his immediate superiors - the headquarters of the commander of the British contingent, Michael Jackson. Only a few minutes later the British side canceled the order to attack. Blunt, recalling this incident, repeatedly stated that he understood with full responsibility the possible consequences of military operations with Russian paratroopers, and that is why he demanded confirmation of the order. [4]

James Blunt now

The musician is currently busy recording his fifth studio album, which he promised to release on March 27, 2017, but postponed the release to the fall - “so as not to break the established tradition” (all previous albums were released in the fall). The new record will be called The Afterlove.

James Blunt and Robin Schultz

Blunt also collaborates with other performers; a video was recently released for the song “Ok” performed by James and Robin Schultz.

The musician spends his free time as actively as possible - going to ski resorts or kicking a ball with friends. Like many Englishmen, he supports Chelsea.

Discography

Studio albums

Compilations and concerts

Songs and albums of James Blunt

After serving for several years, Blunt left the army in 2002.
Father, naturally, was very unhappy. The young man decided to concentrate on his music studies. Having collected several demo recordings of his best songs, a few months later he signed a contract for album recording and management. James met Linda Perry, a producer and songwriter. Perry heard Blunt sing at one of the music conferences, and since then she has not let the talented singer out of her sight. She herself offered to conclude a contract with him. In addition, Linda owned the recording studio Custard Records, with which Blunt signed a contract. James Blunt - You're Beautiful (Video)

In 2003, in California, he recorded his first album with Tom Rothrock. At one time, Tom was Elton John's producer. Elton himself noted that many of Blunt’s songs seemed to him to be a continuation of his “Your Song”. The work continued for more than a year. Simultaneously with the recording of the album, which took place during the day, the singer performed in nightclubs in the evenings. In California, listeners liked his British accent. James' tunes were simple but pleasant, with neat arrangements. His pleasant tenor voice brought sensual intensity and emotional nuance to all his compositions.

Sketches for some songs were brought to California with him, and Blunt wrote some of the songs in America. He rented rooms from his landlady, who placed a piano in the bathroom. Several compositions were “born” there. James noted that the change of environment helped his creativity increase. So, in the bathroom, sitting at the piano, the singer composed the touching ballad “Goodbye My Lover.”

The debut album was called “Back to Bedlam”. Its release took place in early October 2004 and immediately appeared at the top of the British charts, staying there for about five weeks. The record could not go unnoticed by music lovers and earned a lot of praise. Rothrock believed that almost the entire album was a challenge to Elton John's first hits.

The second album was released in the fall of 2007, its title is “All The Lost Souls”. And three years later, the singer and musician released his third music album, “Some Kind of Trouble.”

Notes

1. The surname Blount is also translated into Russian as Blunt, see Rybakin, A.I.
   Dictionary of English surnames: approx. 22,700 names / reviewer: Dr. Philol. Sciences A.V. Superanskaya. — 2nd ed., erased. - M.: Astrel: AST, 2000. - P. 77-78. — ISBN 5-271-00590-9 (Astrel). — ISBN 5-17-000090-1 (AST).
2. BBCKnowledge.
   [www.youtube.com/watch?v=jnxE3hZixNc Top Gear seria 21, odc. 3 w BBC Knowledge - James Blunt] (26 February 2014). Retrieved May 13, 2016.
3. Vitalafef.
   [www.youtube.com/watch?v=45Fm6GkVHd8 James Blunt on Top Gear] (April 24, 2009). Retrieved May 13, 2020.
4. TVCenter.
   [www.youtube.com/watch?v=24wIXLZPt1M&feature=youtu.be&t=1190 Pristina throw. Special report] (February 24, 2014). Retrieved May 13, 2020.
5. [www.bpi.co.uk/platinum/platinumright.asp?rq=search_plat&r_id=32865 Back to Bedlam
   British Sales Certificate]. British Phonographic Industry. February 2, 2007. Retrieved August 18, 2007.
6. ↑ 12
   [www.riaa.com/goldandplatinumdata.php?table=SEARCH RIAA Searchable Database]. Recording Industry Association of America. Retrieved February 10, 2008.
7. [www.bpi.co.uk/platinum/platinumright.asp?rq=search_plat&r_id=33018 All the Lost Souls
   British Sales Certificate]. British Phonographic Industry. September 21, 2007. Retrieved October 15, 2007.
8. [www.pro-music.org/musiconline/news060412.htm “UK record companies reap digital reward”]. Pro-Music.org. Retrieved August 18, 2007.

Biography of James Blunt

Childhood - James Blunt -

The future musician was born in England, and happened in a military hospital. Then he lived for some time in Germany and Cyprus. The boy’s father was a military pilot, which influenced his choice of profession. Even during his school years, he began to get involved in music. At first I took lessons in playing the forte piano, and later I began to pick up melodies on the guitar. Father, don’t support your hobby. He considered any music to be useless noise. From the age of seven, James studied at a boarding school. At the age of fourteen, the teenager began writing his own songs. From that time on, music came first for him. Studying seemed like something unimportant, but he was always good at exact science. He lived in a school dormitory, and music was always flowing from his room. Getting an education James Blunt — Goodbye My Lover At the age of sixteen, the young man already had a license to fly an airplane. After school, he decided to study at university, choosing to become an aerospace engineer. He was not interested in studying. Blunt remembers that more often than not he was the only one who usually slept, sitting on the back desk. They wanted to expel him. At the time, his father insisted that James go into the active army.

James Blunt in the army

Blunt trained at the Military Academy, and for some time he was at the training base in Canada. In 1999, he was already the commander of a tank subunit, which represented NATO. During the bombing in Yugoslavia, his unit stood on the border between Yugoslavia and Macedonia.

James Blunt managed to serve in the army before recording his first songs. Even while in the tank, James had a guitar. Since it was contrary to the regulations, the guitar had to be attached to the tank of the rifle. Blunt wrote songs all the time, even while serving in the army. The composition “No Bravery” dates back to that period of his life; the singer wrote it at a moment of calm. What James saw in Kosovo, felt the consequences of the civil war, made a strong impression on him. At that time, he wrote a few fatalistic songs, which were later included in his first album.

Songs and albums of James Blunt-

After serving for a few years, Blunt left the army in 2002. Father, naturally, was extremely dissatisfied. The young man decided to concentrate on his music studies. After collecting a few demo recordings of his best songs, after a few months, he concluded a contract for recording the album and management. James met Linda Perry, a producer and songwriter. Perry heard Blunt sing at one of the music conferences, and from then on she never let the talented singer out of her sight. She herself offered to conclude a contract with him. In addition, Linda owned the recording studio Custard Records, with which Blunt signed a contract. James Blunt - You're Beautiful (Video) In 2003, in California, he recorded his first album with Tom Rothrock. At one time, Tom was a producer. Elton himself noted that many of Blunt’s songs seemed to him to be a continuation of his “Your Song”. The work lasted more than a year. Simultaneously with the recording of the album, which was going on during the day, the singer performed in nightclubs in the evening. In California, listeners liked his British accent. James' melodies were simple but pleasant, with neat arrangements. His pleasant tenor gave sensual tension and emotional nuances to all his compositions. Sketches for some songs were brought to California with him, and Blunt wrote some of the songs in America. He rented rooms from the landlady, who installed a forte piano in the bathroom. A few compositions were “born” there. James noted that a change of environment helped his creative abilities increase. So, in the bathroom, sitting at the piano, the singer composed the touching ballad “Goodbye My Lover.”

James Blunt, as part of a world tour, concert in Moscow. The debut album was called “Back to Bedlam”. Its release took place in early October 2004 and immediately appeared at the top of the British charts, staying there for about five weeks. The record could not remain without the attention of music lovers and earned a lot of laudatory reviews. Rothrock believed that almost the entire album was a challenge to Elton John's first hit. The second album was released in the fall of 2007, its title is “All The Lost Souls”. And 3 years later, the singer and musician released his third music album - “Some Kind of Trouble”.

James Blunt currently

James's fourth studio album was released in the fall of 2013. The producer again became Tom Rothrock, who also produced Blunt's first 2 albums. The fourth album was called "Moon Landing". James Blunt - Bonfire Heart In April 2014, James performed a concert as part of a world tour.

Personal life of James Blunt-

It is known that for more than a thousand years all male members of the Blunt family were associated with the army. Refined materials and music have always been something distant for them. The singer's father rose to the rank of colonel. James, like any Englishman, is not indifferent to football. He is a Chelsea fan. One of the singer’s houses is located next to the home stadium of his favorite team. Blunt is a great athlete. During his military service, he led the alpine skiing team. It is known that the composition “No Bravery” was written by James, who once spent the night in a sleeping bag next to his tank during his military service.

James Hillier was the first of three children of Air Force Colonel Charles Blount and his wife Jane Ann, née Amos. According to the chronicles, their family dates back to the ancient Danish kings, and the Blounts' ancestors arrived in England back in the 10th century.

James was born on February 22, 1974. This happened in a military hospital in the city of Tidworth (Hampshire), but James spent his entire childhood moving from city to city, from country to country. His mother began teaching him to play the violin at the age of five, although his father did not approve of this, as it seemed to him, useless activity. But soon James was sent to study at a boarding school in Berkshire, and football and rugby took first place among his hobbies. However, the boy continued to study music, learned to play the piano and even performed in a school musical.

At the age of 14, he learned to play the electric guitar and began composing songs, which he now recalls with a great deal of irony. Upon graduating from the prestigious Harrow High School, James had top marks in physics, chemistry and economics. In addition, at the age of 16, he learned to fly an airplane and famously rode a motorcycle. Despite the family's high status, their funds were small, and James's education was paid for through a loan taken from the War Department.

At the University of Bristol he studied aerospace engineering and sociology. As Blunt himself admits, fun parties and bars interested him much more than lectures, and he often fell asleep right on the floor of the classroom. However, James passed his bachelor's exams with flying colors, and the topic of his dissertation in sociology was dedicated to pop music idols and was highly praised by the commission.

After graduating from the university, Blount, according to the terms of the loan, was required to serve in the army for at least 6 years. He studied at the Royal Military Academy, then served in the Life Guards Intelligence Regiment, and underwent additional training in Canada. In 1999, James Blunt joined the Royal Blues and Royals squadron, which served on the border with Macedonia, opposing Serbian military forces. On June 12, 1999, the detachment he commanded was at the head of a NATO strike force, and moved towards the airfield in Pristina. However, a combined battalion of Russian airborne forces captured the airport earlier, and Blunt became a direct participant in the conflict between NATO commander Wesley and British General Mike Jackson. Blunt was in no hurry to carry out Wesley’s order to storm the airport and waited until his immediate leadership canceled it.

All this time he was engaged in music, writing, in particular, the song “Without Courage.” The guitar did not fit into the tank, and James tied it outside, from time to time performing songs to its accompaniment for colleagues and local residents. In 2000, after returning from Kosovo, he was sent to London, to the Queen's Guard, where he stood guard of honor during the funeral of the Queen Mother. In addition, James was involved in alpine skiing and even became the champion of the Royal Armored Corps.

In 2002, Blunt decided to say goodbye to his military career and pursue music. His songs were already quite famous, moreover, Todd Ingerland, Elton John's manager, contacted him with a request for a meeting. Soon, James signed a contract with aspiring producer Linda Perry, the owner of a recording studio, and adopted the pseudonym “Blunt.”

In 2003, having agreed with Tom Rothrock, Elton John's producer, he went to California to record his first album. Some of the songs were written earlier, among them was the famous composition “You are Beautiful,” which James dedicated to his student love. The singer still hides the girl’s name, but says that she died tragically in a car accident. The aspiring singer composed new compositions already in California. As he himself says, he was inspired to do this by a piano, which the not entirely adequate owner of a rented apartment placed in the bathroom. It was there that the song “Goodbye My Lover” was composed, for which the famous video was subsequently shot with Mischa Barton and Matt Dallas.

Best of the day

The debut album was released in England in October 2004, and initially did not attract much attention, and the single that preceded it, “High,” received low ratings. To remedy the situation, Blunt made several appearances at concerts of other musicians, and his next single, “Wisemen,” reached number 44 on the charts. However, the real triumph was the performance of “You’re beautiful.” Starting at number 12 in the charts, the song rose to number one within six weeks, pushing the entire album to number one and earning Blunt's team an Ivor Novello Award. “You're Beautiful” became a European hit and entered the top three in the United States in the summer of 2005, and in 2006 topped the American charts, which only Elton John had previously managed to do with “Candle in the Wind.”

The singer performed 90 concerts, received five nominations for the British Award and an MTV Award, and the total sales of “Back to Bedlam” currently reach 11 million. Good fees allowed James Blunt to purchase real estate in Ibiza. Correspondents claimed that he led a noisy and chaotic lifestyle, and that after leaving the army he constantly used drugs. However, in 2007, Blunt's second album, Lost Souls, was released, which went gold 4 days later. His title track "1973", dedicated to the Ibiza club of the same name, reached number one on the charts. After re-releasing “Lost Souls” and making the documentary “Return to Kosovo,” Blunt released another album, “Some Problems,” in 2010, which became the fourth highest-rated album and sold a million copies, receiving significant critical reviews. But the next collection, entitled “Moon Landing,” released in 2013, again topped the charts. Perhaps this was facilitated by changes in the singer’s personal life.

In 2012, at a private party, James met Alexandria Sophia Wellesley, granddaughter of the 8th Duke of Wellington. In September 2014, after official registration in London, a wedding celebration took place in Mallorca, where only relatives and close friends were present. In June 2020, the couple had a son.

James Blunt began working on his fifth album, “After Love,” in the fall of 2020. To date, the single “Love Me Better” has been released, and the collection itself has been released on CD and posted on music streaming services. However, despite his creative success, the singer still lives in the memory of his military past. He is a trustee of the Help the Heroes charity, which provides assistance to wounded military personnel, and holds charity concerts for Doctors Without Borders.

Creativity and military affairs - how far these concepts are from each other. However, there are people who have managed to achieve success in both fields. Among them is the Englishman James Hiller Blunt. The future musician was born on February 22, 1974. This happened in a military hospital located in the English city of Tidworth (Wiltshire County).

James was born into the family of a hereditary military man, Charles Blunt and his wife Jane. Charles was an Army Air Corps officer, so his family moved frequently. Thus, James visited Germany and Cyprus (military bases of Dekiliya and Akrotiri).

From an early age, James showed a craving for music, which his father did not like. Jane Blunt managed to persuade her husband to hire a piano teacher for her son in order to distract the child from depression associated with regular moving. However, Charles later changed his mind and sent his son to the Harrow boarding school so that his son would not be distracted by music because of his studies.

But everything turned out differently - it was in Harrow that James learned to play the guitar and began writing his first songs, inspired by his idols and. In 1990, James went to study at one of the “red brick” (prestigious) universities in the country - the University of Bristol. In it he studies aerospace engineering and sociology.

Blunt rarely appeared in class, and only to sleep in the last row after another party. The guy wasn't kicked out only because of his father (the aerospace engineering department was sponsored by the army). After graduating from university, James was forced to serve 4 years (according to other sources - 6 years), so he was immediately sent to the Royal Military Academy located in Sandhurst.

In 1999, Blunt had already taken part in armed conflicts in which British army troops were deployed. For example, James ended up in Yugoslavia, where an incident almost occurred with Russian troops, which could have led to the outbreak of a military conflict between Great Britain and Russia.

During the forced march to Pristina, Blunt's detachment received instructions from NATO General Wesley Cann Clark to attack a detachment of Russian paratroopers. James refused to carry out the order until he heard it from his (English) superior, Chief of the General Staff Sir Michael David Jackson. General Jackson canceled Clark's order. In 2002, Blunt left the army, which did not make his father particularly happy.

Excerpt characterizing Blunt, James

“God willing, God willing,” said Anna Pavlovna. L'homme de beaucoup de merite, still a newcomer to court society, wanting to flatter Anna Pavlovna, shielding her previous opinion from this judgment, said. - They say that the sovereign reluctantly transferred this power to Kutuzov. On dit qu'il rougit comme une demoiselle a laquelle on lirait Joconde, en lui disant: "Le souverain et la patrie vous decernent cet honneur." [They say that he blushed like a young lady to whom the La Gioconde would be read, while he said to him: “The sovereign and the fatherland reward you with this honor.”] - Peut etre que la c?ur n'etait pas de la partie, [ Maybe the heart was not fully involved,” said Anna Pavlovna. “Oh no, no,” Prince Vasily interceded warmly. Now he could no longer give up Kutuzov to anyone. According to Prince Vasily, not only was Kutuzov himself good, but everyone adored him. “No, this cannot be, because the sovereign knew how to value him so much before,” he said. “God only grant that Prince Kutuzov,” said Anpa Pavlovna, “takes real power and does not allow anyone to put a spoke in his wheels - des batons dans les roues.” Prince Vasily immediately realized who this nobody was. He said in a whisper: “I know for sure that Kutuzov, as an indispensable condition, ordered that the heir to the crown prince not be with the army: Vous savez ce qu'il a dit a l'Empereur?” [Do you know what he said to the sovereign?] - And Prince Vasily repeated the words that Kutuzov allegedly said to the sovereign: “I cannot punish him if he does something bad, and reward him if he does something good.” ABOUT! this is the smartest man, Prince Kutuzov, et quel caractere. Oh je le connais de longue date. [and what a character. Oh, I’ve known him for a long time.] “They even say,” said l’homme de beaucoup de merite, who did not yet have court tact, “that His Serene Highness made it an indispensable condition that the sovereign himself should not come to the army.” As soon as he said this, in an instant Prince Vasily and Anna Pavlovna turned away from him and sadly, with a sigh about his naivety, looked at each other. While this was happening in St. Petersburg, the French had already passed Smolensk and were moving closer and closer to Moscow. The historian of Napoleon Thiers, just like other historians of Napoleon, says, trying to justify his hero, that Napoleon was drawn to the walls of Moscow involuntarily. He is right, as are all historians who seek an explanation of historical events in the will of one person; he is just as right as Russian historians who claim that Napoleon was attracted to Moscow by the art of Russian commanders. Here, in addition to the law of retrospectivity (recurrence), which represents everything that has passed as preparation for an accomplished fact, there is also reciprocity, which confuses the whole matter. A good player who has lost at chess is sincerely convinced that his loss was due to his mistake, and he looks for this mistake at the beginning of his game, but forgets that in every step of his, throughout the entire game, there were the same mistakes that none his move was not perfect. The error to which he draws attention is noticeable to him only because the enemy took advantage of it. How much more complex than this is the game of war, taking place in certain conditions of time, and where it is not one will that guides lifeless machines, but where everything stems from countless collisions of various arbitrarinesses? After Smolensk, Napoleon sought battles beyond Dorogobuzh at Vyazma, then at Tsarev Zaymishche; but it turned out that due to countless conflicts of circumstances, the Russians could not accept the battle before Borodino, one hundred and twenty versts from Moscow. Napoleon ordered from Vyazma to move directly to Moscow. Moscou, la capitale asiatique de ce grand empire, la ville sacree des peuples d'Alexandre, Moscou avec ses innombrables eglises en forme de pagodes chinoises! [Moscow, the Asian capital of this great empire, the sacred city of the peoples of Alexander, Moscow with its countless churches, in the form of Chinese pagodas!] This Moscou haunted the imagination of Napoleon. On the transition from Vyazma to Tsarev Zaimishche, Napoleon rode on his nightingale anglicized pacer, accompanied by guards, guards, pages and adjutants. The chief of staff, Berthier, fell behind in order to interrogate a Russian prisoner taken by the cavalry. He galloped, accompanied by the translator Lelorgne d'Ideville, caught up with Napoleon and stopped his horse with a cheerful face. - Eh bien? [Well?] - said Napoleon. - Un cosaque de Platow [Platov Cossack] says that Platov’s corps is uniting with a large army, that Kutuzov has been appointed commander-in-chief. Tres intelligent et bavard! [Very smart and talkative!] Napoleon smiled, ordered to give this Cossack a horse and bring him to him. He himself wanted to talk to him. Several adjutants galloped off, and an hour later Denisov’s serf, whom he had given over to Rostov, Lavrushka, in a batman’s jacket on a French cavalry saddle, with a roguish and drunken, cheerful face, rode up to Napoleon. Napoleon ordered him to ride next to him and began to ask: “Are you a Cossack?” - Cossack s, your honor. "Le cosaque ignorant la compagnie dans laquelle il se trouvait, car la simplicite de Napoleon n'avait rien qui put reveler a une imagination orientale la presence d'un souverain, s'entretint avec la plus extreme familiarite des affaires de la guerre actuelle" , [The Cossack, not knowing the society in which he was, because the simplicity of Napoleon had nothing that could open the presence of the sovereign to the Eastern imagination, spoke with extreme familiarity about the circumstances of the present war.] - says Thiers, recounting this episode . Indeed, Lavrushka, who got drunk and left the master without dinner, was flogged the day before and sent to the village to get chickens, where he became interested in looting and was captured by the French. Lavrushka was one of those rude, insolent lackeys who have seen all sorts of things, who consider it their duty to do everything with meanness and cunning, who are ready to do any service to their master and who cunningly guess the master’s bad thoughts, especially vanity and pettiness. Once in the company of Napoleon, whose personality he recognized very well and easily. Lavrushka was not at all embarrassed and only tried with all his heart to serve the new masters. He knew very well that it was Napoleon himself, and the presence of Napoleon could not confuse him more than the presence of Rostov or the sergeant with rods, because he had nothing that neither the sergeant nor Napoleon could deprive him of. He lied about everything that was said between the orderlies. Much of this was true. But when Napoleon asked him how the Russians thought, whether they would defeat Bonaparte or not, Lavrushka squinted and thought. He saw subtle cunning here, as people like Lavrushka always see cunning in everything, he frowned and was silent. “It means: if there is a battle,” he said thoughtfully, “and in speed, then it’s so accurate.” Well, if three days pass after that very date, then it means that this very battle will be delayed. It was translated to Napoleon as follows: “Si la bataille est donnee avant trois jours, les Francais la gagneraient, mais que si elle serait donnee plus tard, Dieu seul sait ce qui en arrivrait” [“If the battle takes place before three days, the French will win him, but if after three days, then God knows what will happen.”] – Lelorgne d’Ideville conveyed with a smile. Napoleon did not smile, although he was apparently in the most cheerful mood, and ordered these words to be repeated to himself. Lavrushka noticed this and, to cheer him up, said, pretending that he did not know who he was. “We know, you have Bonaparte, he beat everyone in the world, well, that’s another story about us...” he said, not knowing how and why in the end a boastful patriotism slipped into his words. The translator conveyed these words to Napoleon without ending, and Bonaparte smiled. “Le jeune Cosaque fit sourire son puissant interlocuteur,” [The young Cossack made his powerful interlocutor smile.] says Thiers. Having walked a few steps in silence, Napoleon turned to Berthier and said that he wanted to experience the effect that would have sur cet enfant du Don [on this child of the Don] the news that the person with whom this enfant du Don was speaking was the Emperor himself , the same emperor who wrote the immortally victorious name on the pyramids.

James Blunt in the army

Blunt trained at the Military Academy, and for some time he was at a training base in Canada. In 1999, he was already the commander of a tank unit that represented NATO. During the bombing in Yugoslavia, his unit was stationed on the border of Yugoslavia and Macedonia.

James Blunt served in the army before recording his first songs

Even while in the tank, James had a guitar. Since this was against the regulations, the guitar had to be attached to the outside of the tank. Blunt wrote songs all the time, even while serving in the army. The composition “No Bravery” dates back to that period of his life; the singer wrote it at a moment of calm.

What James saw in Kosovo and felt the consequences of the civil war made a strong impression on him. At that time, he wrote several fatalistic songs, which were later included in his first album.