"In the winter of 1812, Napoleon's army retreated from Moscow under appalling conditions, hunted by three separate Russian armies ... By late November Napoleon had reached the banks of the River Berezina -- the last natural obstacle between his army and the safety of the Polish frontier. But instead of finding the river frozen solid enough to march his men across, an unseasonable thaw had turned the Berezina into an icy torrent. Having already ordered the burning of his bridging equipment, Napoleon's predicament was serious ... In a gripping narrative Alexander Mikaberidze describes how Napoleon rose from the pit of despair to the peak of his powers ... Drawing on contemporary sources -- letters, diaries, memoirs -- he recreates one of the greatest escapes in military history -- a story often half-told in general histories of the Russian campaign but never before fully explored"--Jacket.

Includes maps of: Berezina Region; Lines of Operation; Action at Borisov, 22 NOV 1812; Berezina Battles, 26-28 NOV 1812.

From the Nieman to Moscow -- Departure from Moscow -- Turning point: the Battle of Maloyaroslavets -- From Maloyaroslavets to Smolensk -- The Battle of Vyazma -- Smolensk -- The Battle of Krasnyi -- Ensnaring the eagle: the St. Petersburg Plan -- Russian leadership -- 11 October-17 November: Minsk -- 18-22 November: struggle of Borisov -- 23 November: combat at Loshnitsa -- 23 November: the second Battle of Borisov -- 24-26 November: Chichagov and Oudinot's Feint -- Northern front: campaign summary -- Combat at Smolyany -- The watching game -- From Chereya to Loshnitsa -- Central front: from Krasnyi to Orsha -- From Orsha to Bobr -- But where is Kutuzov? -- 26 November: the crossing, day 1 -- The Battle of Brili -- Wittgenstein's misjudgment -- 27 November: the Crossing, Day 2 -- The Battle of Stary Borisov: Wittgenstein arrives and Partouneaux surrenders -- 28 November: the crossing, day 3 -- Russian plans for attack -- Operations on the Western Bank: Battle of Stakhov-Brili -- Operations on the Eastern Bank: the Battle of Studyanka -- Burning the bridges. -- Aftermath: The end of the campaign: 30 November-31 December 1812.