Revealing new study of Napoleon's greatest victory. Dispels many of the myths surrounding the famous battle of the three emperors. Brought to life with numerous eyewitness accounts. A Main Selection for the History Book Club. The Battle of Austerlitz is almost universally regarded as the most impressive of Napoleon's many victories. The magnitude of the French achievement against a significantly larger army was unprecedented. In this insightful new study the author analyses the planning of the opposing forces and details the course of the battle hour by hour; describing the fierce see-saw battle around Sokolnitz; the epic struggle for the Pratzen Heights; the dramatic engagement between the legendary Lannes and Bagration in the north; and the widely misunderstood clash of Napoleon's Imperial Guard and Alexander's Imperial Leib-Guard. The author has produced a detailed and balanced assessment of the battle that for the first time places familiar French accounts in their proper perspective and exposes many myths regarding the battle that have been perpetuated and even embellished in recent books. With 1805: Austerlitz; the reader is left with a new appreciation of Napoleon and his Grande Army of 1805; an army that decisively defeated not a hapless relic of the ancien regime but rather a formidable professional army that had fought the French armies on equal terms five years earlier. Robert Goetz has been studying the Russian Army of the Napoleonic Wars for the past seven years; an area of specialization that emerged from his longstanding interest in the French Revolution and Napoleonic era. He is the author of several award-winning articles concerning the Russian Army and its campaigns.
#9643148 in Books 1992-01Original language:English #File Name: 1851584463160 pages
Review
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful. A good readBy Lane C. FreibergerThis book provides good historical information on the actual facts about the freighter Polly running aground with a load of whiskey as well as the local people who appropriated some of the cargo during WWII. The book is not the easiest read but if you are interested in second world war history; with names and some background information on many of the people involved I would recommend this book.2 of 2 people found the following review helpful. Scotch on the RocksBy Allan FergusonA fulfilling read that provides a vivid description of island life before; during and after the unexpected arrival of SS Politician. It has renewed my respect for the islanders.
