1812 Through Fire and Ice with Napoleon

This reprint of an important French narrative is sure to generate a considerable amount of interest, as Napoleon’s epic 1812 Russian Campaign continues to fascinate and enthrall.

Out-of-print for 150 years, Labaume’s text presents a superb evocation of the Grande Armée in 1812. We follow this French officer of engineers as he marches with Eugene de Beauharnais’ IV Corps deeper and deeper into Russia, and experience the strange fascination this mysterious land held for Napoleon’s soldiers. Battles follow, Labaume relating his experiences at the bloody Moskwa, or Borodino, in particular detail, before the army reaches Moscow.

Soon, events take a more unfortunate turn for the French, and Labaume begins his part in the disastrous Retreat from Moscow, recounting the appalling miseries endured by the soldiers, including the crossing of the Beresina. Somehow, Labaume survives to tell the tale - making his way back over the River Niemen to safety.

· A vivid and fascinating personal account of one of the
· great campaigns in military history.
· The author kept daily notes during the Retreat from Moscow by mixing gunpowder with snow to produce ink.
· This reprint makes a very scarce work available again to a whole new readership, representing a major contribution to the library of Napoleonic literature.

Arrived at the opposite bank, like ghosts returned from the infernal regions, we fearfully looked behind us, and beheld with horror the savage countries where we had suffered so much. No person would then easily believe that we had once regarded these climates with envy...
(Labaume commenting upon his safe return from Russia)

Eugene Labaume
Hardcover 208 pages 2000

1812 Through Fire and Ice with Napoleon