Napolean's Expedition to Russia - Softcover

De Segur, Philippe; Summerville, Chris

Softcover

ISBN 10: 1841194549 ISBN 13: 9781841194547

Publisher: Constable & Robinson, 2003

Synopsis

Napoleon's invasion of Russia in 1812 remains one of the greatest military and humanitarian disasters of all time. Within six months a million lives were lost, the largest army ever assembled was destroyed, and the Emperor himself transformed from the master of a continent to a fugitive. General Count de Segur's first-hand account remains our chief source of information about this most dramatic of military debacles. From the Grand Army's first steps on Russian soil, to its miraculous escape at the River Berezina, this must rank as one of the greatest war stories ever written. First published in 1824, it caused a sensation. The author, who had served on the Emperor's staff, dared to present him as a flawed genius, resulting in a duel with Napoleon's former aide-de-camp, General Gourgaud. The public blood-letting (de Segur was wounded) only heightened demand and it was translated into every major European language.

About this title

About the Author

Christopher Summerville is the editor of the critically acclaimed Robinson edition of The Exploits of Baron de Marbot.

From Publishers Weekly

Summerville, an English bookseller and Napoleon buff, has donea thoroughly fine job of editing one of the classic Napoleonic memoirsinto a volume accessible to modern English-speaking readers. De Segur,a general in Napoleon's army, was an expressive eyewitness to thepartial triumphs and total tragedies. Many of these events are wellknown, so Summerville condenses the political and diplomaticbackground, as well as many of the battle reports, with editorialskill. He demonstrates, too, descriptive (sometimes irreverent) flair:Napoleon in 1812 was like "some ageing rock star embarking on afarewell tour"; General Mikhail Kutusov was "an overweight bon viveur;a one-eyed womanizer." Summerville also offers a chronology, aglossary and extensive annotation. Even the accounts of the highpoints give us new dimensions to a story often rather brusquelysummarized in general histories. We see Napoleon's belief in his"star," and his position in the eyes of his men weakening as hisphysical and mental health decline. We learn that Smolensk had stoutmedieval walls, that the Emperor narrowly escaped being blown up bystored gunpowder in the Kremlin during the burning of Moscow, and thatstarving soldiers sliced flesh out of living horses, who wereapparently too numb with cold to notice, on the last stage of theretreat. And the crossing of the Berezina-on improvised bridges withdiscipline breaking down and the Cossacks hovering around-is somethingno horror novelist would have dared to invent.
Copyright 2003 Reed Business Information, Inc.

About this edition

• Publisher: Constable & Robinson
• Publication date: 2003
• ISBN 10: 1841194549
• ISBN 13: 9781841194547
• Binding: Paperback
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 322