IN THE
SERVICE OF THE TSAR AGAINST NAPOLEON |
| Denis Davidov was an officer of hussars, a partisan, a
Russian hero and the inspiration for the character Denisov in Tolstoy's epic War and Peace. Here, for the very first time in English, are his captivating memoirs which, with dash and �lan, recount his adventures in the Napoleonic Wars and convey the Russian perspective on this cataclysmic conflict. Davidov's memoirs cover the confrontation between the French and Russians in Prussia in 18067, including the horrific battle of Eylau; the Russian invasion of Finland in 1808; the devastating French invasion of Russia in 1812; and the War of Liberation in Germany in 181314. The memoirs cover the 1812 campaign in particular in great detail as it was here that Davidov made his legendary reputation. In the summer of 1812, as the French troops pushed far into the Russian interior, Davidov became a partisan and launched a series of successful raids recounted in detail in the memoirs on the French lines of communication. By the autumn the French had occupied, then abandoned, Moscow and begun their famous retreat. Davidov's partisans then turned to harrying the invaders and were some of the first Russians to enter Poland, hard on the heels of Napoleon's broken army. His account of this triumphant and tragic campaign is one of the finest to have survived and ably presents the Russian point of view of a struggle which swung from initial despair to ultimate victory. KEY POINTS: The very first translation of these valuable memoirs A detailed account of the retreat from Moscow from the victors, perspective One of the very few available Russian memoirs of the Napoleonic Wars AUTHOR NOTES: Gregory Troubetzkoy is an expert on Russian aspects of the Napoleonic Wars and is the author of a number of articles. He currently resides in Florida. REVIEWS: This translation/edition of the memoirs of a Russian officer during the Napoleonic Wars is significant on three counts. It offers a counterpoint to the French perspective that continues to dominate accounts of operations between Moscow and the Pyrenees. The book is also a grass-roots narrative of the guerrilla campaign that contributed so much to the Grande Arm�e/s annihilation of 1812. And, not least, it offers a significant insight into the development of the archetypal Russian/ persona. Dennis Showalter reviewing In the Service of the Tsar Against Napoleon: The Memoirs of Denis Davidov, 1806-1814, translated by Gregory Troubetzkoy, in the Bulletin of the History Book Club. Invaluable ... Davidov served as a partisan during the War of 1812, and his memoirs are characterized by a chilling intensity that fully conveys the savagery of the fighting ... they display a deep understanding of the irony and even futility of war. This is a deeply stirring account of one man's experiences during one of the most important epochs in European history. Jay Freeman in Booklist (USA) reviewing In the Service of the Tsar against Napoleon: The Memoirs of Denis Davidov, 1806-1814, translated by Gregory Troubetzkoy. A very groundbreaker - this exciting new book is the first Napoleonic memoir by a Russian officer to have ever been produced in English ... dashing recollections ... the memoirs cover Napoleon/s invasion of Russia in 1812 in great detail, as it was during this campaign that Davidov made his legendary reputation. The Age of Napoleon reviewing In the Service of the Tsar against Napoleon: The Memoirs of Denis Davidov, 1806-1814, translated by Gregory Troubetzkoy.
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