Napoleon and Russia [Hardcover]

Napoleon and Russia tells, for the first time, the full story of Napoleon and his crucial relationship with Russia, from the 1790s and Bonaparte's rise to power, through the period of Austerlitz, Tilsit and the Russian invasion, to the Emperor's fall and its aftermath. In doing so, it not only puts the critical events of 1812 in their proper context as part of an even greater tale - of peace as well as war, friendship as well as enmity - but also provides fresh insight into the Napoleonic period as a whole, questioning many of the assumptions about the era prevalent in the English-speaking world.

The tale boasts a cast of fascinating characters to rival any novel: the rulers, Napoleon himself, Catherine the Great, 'Mad' Tsar Paul and the enigmatic Alexander I; generals such as Ney, Murat, Davout, Suvorov, Kutuzov and Barclay de Tolly; statesmen like Talleyrand, Caulaincourt, Czartoryski and Rumiantsev; and, of course, the ordinary soldiers who fought some of the most intriguing, bloody and important campaigns in history.

This is an enthralling story of fundamental importance in the history of Europe and, indeed, the world.

Illustrations
Preface
Acknowledgements
1 Introduction: 1812 and All That
2 Revolution and War 3 Unintended Consequences
4 The World Turned Upside Down
5 Alexander and Amiens
6 Russia's Road to War
7 Austerlitz
8 Prussia's Gambit
9 The Bloodbath in the Snow
10 Friedland
11 Tilsit
12 At the Crossroads
13 Death of an Alliance
14 War or Peace?
15 The Greatest Enterprise
16 Invasion
17 Moskva
18 Retreat
19 The Russians March West
20 Disaster in Germany
21 On to Paris!
22 A New, Old Europe23 Final Thoughts
Bibliography
Index