Campaign Berezina 1812 Paperback

Description

A superbly illustrated narrative of how Napoleon skilfully extracted his Grande Armeefrom the clutches of the pursuing Russian armies.Much has been written about the Battle of the Berezina and the 1812 Russian campaignin general, during which the cold winter devastated the Grande Armée. Historians oftenpraise Napoleon for his actions at the Berezina and attribute his success to a brilliantstrategic mind, laying a trap that deceived the Russians and resulted in a remarkablefeat in the history of warfare.Drawing on contemporary sources (letters, diaries, memoirs), and featuring anextensive order of battle, this book recreates in hourly detail one of the great escapes inmilitary history, a story often told with embellishments that require a more criticalexamination. Although the core of Napoleon’s army escaped, tens of thousands werekilled in the battle, trampled in the rush for the bridge, drowned in the icy waters of theBerezina, or captured.Written by an acknowledged expert on the period, and using a broad range of sourcesfrom all sides, this title brings to life in stunning visual detail, using maps, battlesceneartworks and period illustrations, the events of late November 1812, as Napoleon’sretreating, desperate Grand Armée extricated itself from the clutches of the Russianarmies under Kutuzov, Wittgenstein and Chichagov in an epic feat of heroism andmasterful tactics.Sales and Marketing HighlightsProvides an indepthlook at the climax of Napoleon’s invasion of Russia,offering an almost hour-by-hour accountof the extraordinary three-day battle.Written by a distinguished historian, it narrates the events using a balancedand broad range of sources in French,Russian, Polish, Dutch, German and English, resulting in a criticalexamination of the battle.Dr Alexander Mikhaberidze is a world-renowned expert on the NapoleonicWars, and has spent years studying the Berezina battle.