An immediate sensation when it was first published in 1824 under the title History of the Expedition to Russia; Undertaken by the Emperor Napoleon in the Year 1812; this remarkable chronicle offers an at once extraordinarily heroic and profoundly tragic narrative of the campaign that in a space of six months claimed 1;000;000 lives and set in motion the chain of events that culminated in the fall of France’s First Empire. In the scores of decades since French General Philippe de Segur’s firsthand account appeared in Paris; it has provided historians of the Napoleonic era with an unparalleled primary source for graphically detailed and dramatically related material; as it contains some of the most striking and poignant descriptions of war ever written. A member of the imperial staff during the Russian expedition; Segur also renders an intimate portrait of the charismatic and brilliant but hubristic and disastrously fallible Napoleon himself; his imperial eye always on glory as he trudged through gore.
#3419921 in Books 2013-12-17Original language:EnglishPDF # 1 8.90 x .90 x 5.90l; .90 #File Name: 0786476907304 pages
Review
0 of 0 people found the following review helpful. Excellent new scholarly research provides insights to day-to-day travails of Civil War CavalrymenBy Frank EberlingThis carefully researched book provides the Civil War reader an accessible portrait of what it was like to be a Cavalryman during this troubling period in our nation's history. It is difficult to comprehend the incredible effort expended on fighting the Civil War; e.g. the call to duty; the daily life of the soldiers; the tremendous logistical efforts; the heartbreaking decisions; the sheer arrogance and hopelessness of it all. Burns' meticulously researched book helps us to understand it all in a way that stands up to both scholarly scrutiny and accessibility to the lay reader who is trying to grasp it all. I highly recommend this book to Civil War afficianados; serious scholars; and those curious and looking for a good yarn about this darkest chapter in our nation's history. Congratulations to Burns on his triumphant addition to the Civil War canon. Well done.0 of 0 people found the following review helpful. a must read for civil war buffsBy L. JohnsonI don't normally read specialized Civil War books; but I'm glad a friend mentioned this to me. I just finished The Fifth New York Cavalry in the Civil War by Vincent L. Burns. Mr. Burns tells the stories of individual soldiers wherever possible and in their own words. Some of the letters home from the soldiers are especially poignant; as you learn about their individual stories. The book has its heroes; but the story of the John Hammond; the man who rose to lead the regiments; deserves telling if nothing else. On a personal note; I grew up in New Jersey and lived in the Hudson Valley for a few years; so this story really came alive for me. Well done; Mr. Burns.0 of 0 people found the following review helpful. Vincent Burns has done an excellent job of researching and recording information about the Fifth ...By W. A. BillinghamVincent Burns has done an excellent job of researching and recording information about the Fifth NY Cavalry from several sources and arranging it chronologically. I am enjoying his very thorough account even after reading Louis Boudry's volumes.. My great-grandfather; Andrew Bridgeman; was in the Fifth NY - Company M.
