The Russian Patriotic War of 1812 Volume 2

The Russian Patriotic War of 1812 is the only publicly available translation into English of Bogdanovich’s official history of the Russian forces’ involvement in the fight against Napoleon and his allies in Russia in 1812. This translation also includes extracts from Ivan Liprandi’s critique of Bogdanovich’s work.

Volume 2 of The Russian Patriotic War of 1812 covers Kutuzov’s appointment as Field Marshal, details of the opolchenie (militia) and donations made in 1812, the meeting in Abo between Tsar Alexander I and the Crown Prince of Sweden (Jean- Baptiste Jules Bernadotte), and the situation in enemy occupied territory. Highly detailed descriptions of operations are included, from before the Battle of Borodino to the camp at Tarutino, as well as operations on the flanks by Wittgenstein and Admiral Chichagov. Outstanding feats were performed not only by prominent personalities but also by others who participated in this war. The composition of the forces are shown as clearly as possible, as are force numbers, casualties on each side, and so on. The maps attached to this work were drafted in such a way that they might serve to explain entire phases of the war. The battle plans show the locations of dominant terrain according to detailed state surveys, while villages, forests and roads have been copied from previously published plans. 

"This was an enjoyable book to read and one difficult to put down. As I’ve said earlier The translation is seamless, which makes it so, so much easier to follow. I felt drawn in as I would a good novel. I have learnt a fair bit from this book, in terms of detail rather than generic ‘stuff’. For Napoleonic fans this is a must buy book, and if you’ve not bought volume 1 buy that as well. Roll on Volume 3 is all I can say." carryingsonupthedale blog