Product Description

This is the story of how the most powerful man on earth met his doom, and how the greatest fighting force ever assembled was wiped out.; By 1810 Napoleon was master of Europe, defied only by Britain, which he could not defeat because he had no navy. His intention was to destroy Britain through a total blockade, the Continental System. But Tsar Alexander of Russia now refused to apply the blockade, and Napoleon decided to bring him to heel.; Napoleon quickly realised that nemesis awaited him, and the events of 1812 had a colossal impact on the fate of Europe: a great patriotic surge helped turn the Russians into a nation (hence Tchaikovsky's '1812' overture) and led them to reject Western values; the Germans began their fateful 'Prussification'; the French lost their cultural dominance.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #2835467 in Books
• Published on: 2004-01
• Format: Illustrated
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Hardcover
• 644 pages

Review
'Zamoyski's book is a brilliant piece of narrative history, full of sparkling set-pieces, a wholly fascinating account of what must be reckoned one of the greatest military disasters of all time.' Sunday Telegraph 'No review can do justice to the scholarly integrity and human sensitivity of this book, or to the horror is describes ! 1812 is one of the greatest stories ever told.' Christopher Woodward, Spectator 'Adam Zamoyski's account of the 1812 campaign is so brilliant that it is impossible to put the book aside ! A master craftsman at work.' Sunday Times 'An utterly admirable book. It combines clarity of thought and prose with a strong narrative drive.' Daily Telegraph

About the Author
Adam Zamoyski was born in New York, was educated at Oxford, and lives in London. A full-time writer, he has written biographies of Chopin (Collins 1979), Paderewski, and The Last King of Poland, as well as a history of Poland and HOLY MADNESS: ROMANTICS, PATRIOTS AND REVOLUTIONARIES 1776--1871.

Customer Reviews

Brilliantly disgusting
It is a Sunday Times bestseller, so I guess you don't really need this review to be persuaded to read the book. But if you'd like to know from me, I thought it was brilliant. It's as detailed as any serious historical work should be, but written in a thriller-like quality.
And what a thrill it is. I almost wanted to just stop reading because of the horrible events described in the book. So much unimaginable hardship, so much chances of a totally different outcome, so much stupid mistakes... and so much to learn from this hefty tome.
For instance: I always learnt at school that the Russians pulled back because they thought it a very cunning plan. As a matter of fact, they just retreated because they couldn't come up with a decent strategy and were quite afraid of the invincibility of Napoleans army.
The book is very rich in detail, but also paints a much larger picture. You can already feel the resentment growing that would ultimately lead to the Russian revolution, WW1, and consequently WW2.
All in all a hell of a historical roller-coaster ride.