In the Service of the Tsar Against Napoleon
By Denis Davidov
This is the only Russian account of the Napoleonic Wars available in English; a first-hand account from the victors’ perspective.
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 first time in English, are his captivating memoirs which, with dash and élan, 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 1806–7, including the horrific battle of Eylau; the Russian invasion of Finland in 1808 and defeat of the Swedes; the devastating French invasion of Russia in 1812; and the War of Liberation in Germany in 1813–14.
Davidov describes Napoleon’s invasion of Russia in 1812 in great detail, as it was during this campaign that he made his legendary reputation. As the French troops pushed far into the Russian interior, Davidov became a partisan and launched a series of successful raids on the French lines of communication.
By the autumn the French had occupied, then abandoned, Moscow and begun their famous retreat. Davidov’s partisans 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.
This translation by Gregory Troubetzkoy (an expert on Russian aspects of the Napoleonic Wars) makes this fascinating and important work accessible to English-language readers for the first time. It is an ideal choice for anyone interested in the Napoleonic Wars and Russian or military history.
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