The Battle of the Berezina: Napoleon's Great Escape
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Product Description
In the winter of 1812, Napoleon's army retreated from Moscow under appalling conditions, hunted by three separate Russian armies, its chances of survival apparently nil. By late November Napoleon had reached the banks of the River Berezina - the last natural obstacle between his army and the safety of the Polish frontier. But instead of finding the river frozen solid enough to march his men across, an unseasonable thaw had turned the Berezina into an icy torrent. Having already ordered the burning of his bridging equipment, Napoleon's predicament was serious enough: but with the army of Admiral Chichagov holding the opposite bank, and those of Kutusov and Wittgenstein closing fast, it was critical. Only a miracle could save him ...
In a gripping narrative Alexander Mikaberidze describes how Napoleon rose from the pit of despair to the peak of his powers in order to achieve that miracle. Drawing on contemporary sources - letters, diaries, memoirs - he recreates one of the greatest escapes in military history - a story often half-told in general histories of the Russian campaign but never before fully explored.
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
4 of 4 people found the following review helpful
Format:Hardcover
Hi
'The battle of the Berezina' covers a part of Napoleons campaign in Russia that is hard to find detailed coverage of - and the author has done a good job in digging up a host of material that no doubt was previously unavailable to English readers.
The build up to the various battles and skirmishes that took place in 'that' late November are all detailed by way of primary sources: eye witness accounts.
Taking a step back let us consider some of the difficulties that the text (by it's very nature) offers up: we are reading a narrative about a Franco/allied conflict taking place in Russia against Russian and partisan forces.
These issues are commonplace with many historical texts and the way to 'ease' a reader into a better understanding of what is taking place is to provide a clear narrative and maps that show the various stages unfolding.
The 4 included maps show (A) an overview of 'the Berezina' area 100 x 100 Km square that only shows place names and travel routes, (2) the same map with minimal (5) lines of operation arrows, (C) a reasonably detailed map of the 'action at Borisov' (D) a map of the Berezina battles (all on the same map covering 3 days of combat.
I found it increasingly difficult to 'place' events, places, names and formations in context within the unfolding scheme of things - until I reached a point whereby I simply read the book and no longer tried!
I suppose I have to redirect some of this 'breakdown' back to the author or at least the editorial team/publisher: why were there no maps included at certain points of the texts to support a clear understanding of what was taking place?
At a guess, I imagine a dozen supplementary maps would be required to help the reader fully grasp the activities of the participants - they are of course not there, so readers are left having to work very hard to visualise/understand what is taking place both on a local and broader level.
I am left somewhat disappointed.
'The battle of the Berezina' covers a part of Napoleons campaign in Russia that is hard to find detailed coverage of - and the author has done a good job in digging up a host of material that no doubt was previously unavailable to English readers.
The build up to the various battles and skirmishes that took place in 'that' late November are all detailed by way of primary sources: eye witness accounts.
Taking a step back let us consider some of the difficulties that the text (by it's very nature) offers up: we are reading a narrative about a Franco/allied conflict taking place in Russia against Russian and partisan forces.
These issues are commonplace with many historical texts and the way to 'ease' a reader into a better understanding of what is taking place is to provide a clear narrative and maps that show the various stages unfolding.
The 4 included maps show (A) an overview of 'the Berezina' area 100 x 100 Km square that only shows place names and travel routes, (2) the same map with minimal (5) lines of operation arrows, (C) a reasonably detailed map of the 'action at Borisov' (D) a map of the Berezina battles (all on the same map covering 3 days of combat.
I found it increasingly difficult to 'place' events, places, names and formations in context within the unfolding scheme of things - until I reached a point whereby I simply read the book and no longer tried!
I suppose I have to redirect some of this 'breakdown' back to the author or at least the editorial team/publisher: why were there no maps included at certain points of the texts to support a clear understanding of what was taking place?
At a guess, I imagine a dozen supplementary maps would be required to help the reader fully grasp the activities of the participants - they are of course not there, so readers are left having to work very hard to visualise/understand what is taking place both on a local and broader level.
I am left somewhat disappointed.
4 of 4 people found the following review helpful
Format:Hardcover
If you are a fan of Napoleonic campaign books this a good one. I read about the Russian campaign in general but this gives a real detailed overview of the dramatic action on the Berezina and how Napoleon got away and dealt with this major obstacle. It also gives a well founded new perspective on the role that the various armies played in the campaign. It especially indicates how badly the different Russian armies collaborated with Kutuzov basically avoiding a confrontation altogether. This book gives a very well balanced account with new source material of the Russian and allied side apart from the many French ones. The book reads very well with the drama of this campaign indicated by many personal accounts. Maps and diagrams are adequate and help understand the detailed description of troop movement and action. Strongly recommended
Format:Hardcover
This is the first book I know of in English dedicated solely to the subject of the Battle of the Berezina (1812). There are similar books in French, Russian and even Swiss German but none that looks at the campaign from the point of view of all parties - as this book tries (and I guess could only be done post 1989). The book reads well, the author has obviously done a huge amount of research and examines the campaign in excellent detail - almost every option and every clash is covered. That said, I have a few gripes. There are not enough maps to support the text and the place names in the text do not always match those on the given maps. Also, the presentation of each parties decision making and actions is not always balanced and, when it is balanced, it is often spread dysfunctionally over various chapters. The sudden jump from high level descriptions to personal transcripts can also be surprising to the point of misleading. But, all in all, a good read which I recommend to all parties. PS. The subscript of all the photographs attribute ownership to the author which, if true, is seriously impressive.
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