This compelling book delves into the profound significance of naval and maritime power in shaping the destinies of ancient empires, with a particular focus on the Empire of the Romans in the East. This ’Byzantine Empire’, thrived remarkably for centuries—its longevity attributed to its formidable sea power. The imperial fleet played crucial roles in the Empire’s reconquest of the West by Justinian I, its struggles against the Muslim Arabs, (which turned the Mediterranean into a naval war zone,) as well as its resurgence in the tenth and eleventh centuries. The Age of Crusade was also about the changing balance of power at sea at the expense of the Byzantine Empire, which signalled the rise of the Latin West.

The main narrative vividly explores the empire’s pivotal history from its zenith in the sixth century, a time when the remnants of the Roman Empire aspired to restore its former glory, to its demise at the hands of the Westerners in the early thirteenth century. The Byzantine navy not only provided critical logistical support to its armies but also facilitated the reclamation of lost territories and the triumph over formidable adversaries.　

Augustine H. Kobayashi studied history at Leeds and London, obtaining an M.Phil. in International Studies (focusing on naval relations between the US and Britain in the interwar years) and an M.A. in Late Antique and Byzantine Studies. He has published three books on naval history which have been translated into Greek.

Among the many fascinating characters with whom Triumph’s tale is intertwined are the Greek smuggler Harry Grammatikakis and Lieutenant John Atkinson MC*, who was captured in Crete, escaped to Alexandria and returned to Greece as a key agent of SOE and MI9. His last return to Greece aboard Triumph ended in his dramatic recapture, trial and death by firing squad along with the key members of the Greek resistance. Tragically Triumph’s story culminates in her disappearance in January 1942, while on one last mission before a promised rest and refit. The discovery of her wreck in 2023 has allowed her final patrol and tragic loss with all hands to be reconstructed here in unprecedented detail.　

Sadly, his naval superiors showed no interest in learning the amphibious lessons of the War preferring to focus on supporting the Army in a potential conflict with the Soviet Union in Europe. Michael Clapp’s career has illustrated many of the corrosive effects of inter-service rivalry and the author asks if the military establishment has now lost interest in amphibious operations in their purest form.

This highly readable and controversial work covers Clapp’s distinguished wider career which included active service in Korea, the Cyprus Emergency and the Indonesia-Malayan Confrontation where he gained a reputation for decisive action. He was an observer and squadron commander in the Fleet Air Arm; took command of several warships and served in staff posts, playing a crucial role in the introduction of the famous Sea Harrier V/STOL strike aircraft before his appointment as Commodore Amphibious Warfare.　

Following a career in the British civil service, Anthony J. Cumming earned his PhD at the University of Plymouth and won the University of London’s Julian Corbett Prize for Research in Modern Naval History. He is the author of two books on naval and air force history including Battle for Britain and Inter-service Rivalry between the Royal Air Force and Royal Navy, 1909-40. He lives in Devon with his wife and pet greyhound.

Orphaned young and drawn to the sea aged just 13, Lightoller’s early adventures took him across the globe, from deserted islands to gold rush expeditions in the Canadian wilderness. Then, in 1912, as the most senior surviving officer of the Titanic, he saved countless lives and narrowly escaped death himself, three times in one night. When the First World War began, he continued his daring feats, sinking a German U-boat. During the Second World War, he took his motor yacht, Sundowner, and set out for Dunkirk to rescue members of the British Expeditionary Force. Though the Sundowner was only constructed to hold around 20 people, Lightoller’s yacht dodged enemy bombs and gunfire to save 127 soldiers from France.

A thrilling tale of courage, survival, and an unbreakable spirit, with details that have never been published before, Unsinkable Lights is the definitive biography of a man who truly earned his place in history.　

Dustin Hyland is an author, historian, and a twenty-three-year veteran of the United States Navy. Most of his career was spent aboard numerous warships, fostering in him a passion for the sea. He holds a BA in Business Administration from Columbia College, as well as three graduate degrees from Liberty University, an MBA, an MA in Professional Writing, and an MFA in Creative Writing. Unsinkable Lights is his debut book, and he looks forward to sharing the incredible and harrowing story of Charles H. Lightoller with readers.

And yet on 24 May, HMS Hood, the epitome of British naval power, with an armament which included eight 15-inch guns, was blown up a mere eight minutes after engaging the German battleship KMS Bismarck and her consort, the heavy cruiser KMS Prinz Eugen.

As HMS Hood sank into the icy depths of the Atlantic Ocean on 24 May 1941, she took with her the lives of 1,415 brave men – there were only 3 survivors - and a secret that has haunted the maritime world ever since. How could this possibly have happened? HMS Hood had seemed invincible, and the hopes of the British Navy in wartime had rested upon her great reputation. Her tragic demise was greeted with disbelief by the nation, and the shock waves reverberated all around the world.

Various theories have been put forward to account for her sinking, none of them entirely satisfactory. Here, these theories are reappraised in the light of the discovery of the wreckage of HMS Hood in 2001. Furthermore, a new and intriguing theory is proposed.　

Andrew Norman was born in Newbury, Berkshire, UK in 1943. Having been educated at Thornhill High School, Gwelo, Southern Rhodesia (now Zimbabwe), Midsomer Norton Grammar School, and St Edmund Hall, Oxford, he qualified in medicine at the Radcliffe Infirmary. He has two children Bridget and Thomas, by his first wife.

From 1972-83, Andrew worked as a general practitioner in Poole, Dorset, before a spinal injury cut short his medical career. He is now an established writer whose published works include biographies of Charles Darwin, Winston Churchill, Thomas Hardy, T. E. Lawrence, Adolf Hitler, Agatha Christie, Enid Blyton, Beatrix Potter, Marilyn Monroe, and Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. Andrew married his second wife Rachel, in 2005.

The four Protagonist families all made an important cultural and industrial contribution to France. The Bader/Heilbronn/Meyer family were founders of the French department store, Galeries Lafayette. Their entire art collections were looted by the German ERR and processed in Paris in copybook fashion; both Heilbronn and Meyer were significant members of the French wartime Resistance. Pierre Wertheimer founded Parfums Chanel, and he too had to flee from the occupier; a ‘friend’ offered to help save his paintings from plunder but betrayed him. Pierre and Denise Lévy of Troyes were founders of one of the largest Textile businesses in France, and post-war they donated their art collection to the French nation. They managed to seek refuge in the unoccupied south and were fortunate to hide their art from the German occupier. Georges Lévy (Lurcy), an aviation industrialist and banker, made his fortune in France and also invested heavily in art. He sought refuge in the US during the Occupation, successfully smuggling the bulk of his art out of France to the US via Portugal. After his death Lurcy’s art collection was sold as part of what was termed the ‘Greatest Auction’; to this day the proceeds fund continuing educational exchange between France and US . Each story of imagination, resilience and determination, shows a different facet of the Jewish French art collector experience during the Dark Years of Occupation.　

Peter Elliott studied law at Cambridge University in the early 1970s. He pursued a career as a lawyer, mostly in England, but at an early stage became immersed in Francophone culture. He now lives with his wife in the Languedoc region of France. His lifelong interest in history has drawn him to biography. Since 2012 he has published five biographical books, two of which are art books (as well as biographies), and combine his love of history and art. His interests and his life in France have led directly to the writing of this book, essentially a French history.

Over 2,500 “British” (including Irish and Commonwealth) men and women fought in the International Brigades or served in the medical services of the Spanish Republic. Over 500 volunteers were to die in Spain.

Other “British” volunteers served as mercenary pilots and in the revolutionary militias (including George Orwell); some even served on the side of the rebel forces.

At home, thousands participated in ‘Spanish Aid’ activities, raising funds for food ships and medical supplies for Republican Spain. During the Civil War, 4000 Basque refugee children were supported by public donations. Picasso’s Guernica painting toured England to raise funds.

This is the story of ordinary men and women, told in their own words and reflecting the whole gamut of emotions from ecstasy to despair.

Many volunteers would go on to fight in the Second World War and some became leading figures in post-War Britain. But for many volunteers, the Spanish Civil War was the “Passionate Cause” and the outstanding episode of their lives. This is their story.　

Chris Hall is a librarian and an expert on military history and the Spanish Civil War, who has studied at the Universities of Newcastle, Northumbria and Manchester Metropolitan. His previous published works include Orwell and his fellow British and Irish volunteers and interviews with men who fought in the International Brigades in Spain’s civil war.

Igor Gouzenko revealed that a British nuclear physicist, Alan Nunn May, who had worked on the Tube Alloys/Manhattan Project, was part of that spy network and had passed on secrets about the atomic bomb to the Russians. It would cause a rift in US-British relations and lead to the so-called ‘McMahon Act’ whereby Britain, and therefore Canada, were excluded from further collaboration in developing atomic research. It also led to a Canadian Royal Commission to investigate the extent to which spies had penetrated the Canadian government and what information they had passed on.

Gouzenko and his family lived under witness protection in fear of assassination from the KGB, while Alan Nunn May, on his return to the UK, was tried and convicted of espionage. When he was released from prison in 1952, he had problems finding employment. When he died, he still firmly believed that what he had done had been justified.

This book examines the ‘Gouzenko Affair’ and corrects some of the myths surrounding his story. It also considers the case against Nunn May, his associates, and his life as a convicted but unapologetic spy.　

David Tremain was born in the UK and studied art at Medway College of Design, Rochester, Kent and paper conservation at Camberwell School of Arts & Crafts. This was followed by work at a London art gallery and in Reading. He later emigrated to Ottawa, Canada, and retired from public service in 2010. He has written book reviews for the Canadian Association for Security & Intelligence Studies (CASIS) and is an expert on Second World War spy cases. He has published five books on the subject: Rough Justice (2016), Double Agent Victoire (2018), The Beautiful Spy (2019), Agent Provocateur for Hitler or Churchill? (2021) and Double Agent Balloon (2023).

As cities and towns are bombed, lives lost and homes destroyed, men are called to serve the country, children are evacuated and women are expected to ‘do their bit’ on the ‘Home Front’, maintaining the house as a place of welcome, boosting morale and stretching meagre food allowances to keep everyone fed and fit. This is no easy life yet people find lighter moments and ‘carry on carrying on’. Whatever the disaster, somebody will find a way to make tea. The English ‘cuppa’ is the answer to almost every problem. You have to admire their spirit.

Enjoy the experience as this book helps you to survive the hazards and live life to the full in Ration-Book Britain.　

Toni Mount researches, teaches and writes about history. She is the author of several popular historical non-fiction books and writes regularly for various history magazines. As well as her weekly classes, Toni has created online courses for www.MedievalCourses.com and is the author of the popular Sebastian Foxley series of medieval murder mysteries. She’s a member of the Richard III Society’s Research Committee, a costumed interpreter and speaks often to groups and societies on a range of historical subjects. Toni has a Masters Degree in Medieval Medicine, Diplomas in Literature, Creative Writing, European Humanities and a PGCE. She lives in Kent, England with her husband.

Garibaldi and his volunteers faced enemies ultimately more powerful than the Prussian-led German Confederation. The French imperial interests that had started the war remained an ultimately dominant force in the republic and their hostility to “red republicanism” was evident even before their bloody repression of the Paris Commune. They shaped the histories of the war, the international volunteers and the French who fought alongside them.

This study explores the politics of constructing historical memory to challenge that narrative and offers a different assessment of contemporary before its translations into the new language of anarchism and socialism.　

Mark A. Lause is a retired professor of history from the University of Cincinnati who remains an active researcher and scholar. A boomer from a mid-twentieth century factory town, he became a historian of the economic, social, and political aspirations of nineteenth century laboring people. His nearly twenty books explore the class dimensions of antislavery and egalitarian movements and currents, including: land reform, women’s rights, and insurgent politics, as well the cultural challenges of bohemianism, spiritualism, and secret societies. Such interests infuse his work on aspects of the American Civil War and Reconstruction, and the Franco-Prussian Wars.

Warrior, ‘the luckiest horse on the Western Front’ became an equine hero, Rin Tin Tin, a German Shepherd dog, was born in the trenches and went on to star in over 30 films, Percy the cat served in one of the first tanks and Cher Ami, a messenger pigeon, rescued a United States battalion from certain death.

A menagerie of other animals served included a baboon, bear, camels, donkeys, elephants, maggots, pigs, ponies, slugs and even whales. In contrast to serving, mosquitoes, lice, and rats spread disease; more men dying in Salonika from malaria than from enemy fire. At home, many families kept chickens, rabbits or pigs while elephants replaced horses in the streets and fields, pulling carts and ploughs.

This book commemorates and celebrates the role of animals throughout the conflict and tells the story of how all creatures great and small helped to win the Great War.　

Nicholas Milton is an ornithologist, historian and a journalist. He has worked for The BBC Natural History Unit, The Royal Society for the Protection of Birds, The Wildlife Trusts and Greenpeace and has also written extensively about the Second World War for The Daily Telegraph, The Guardian, The Daily Mail and The Independent. His first book, Neville Chamberlain’s Legacy, was published by Pen and Sword in 2019.

The British Soldier: Training for War focuses on those who became infantry soldiers, commandos and paratroopers and the training they received in the British Isles to fight ’at the sharp end’ of combat all over the world during the years 1939 to 1945.

Drawing on contemporary training manuals, battalion histories, magazines and newspaper articles, personal memoirs, regimental museum archives, declassified military files and interviews with those who experienced wartime military training first-hand, a vivid and authentic account is presented of training from ’square bashing’ and skill at arms to the evolution of battle schools, assault courses, battle drill and significant training exercises.

All infantrymen were trained hard but it gave them the skills, fighting spirit, endurance and confidence they needed in themselves, their comrades and their unit when in battle. By the end of the Second World War, nearly three million men had served in the British Army. Every one of them had to be trained to become soldiers. This is their story.　

NEIL R STOREY is an award-winning historian and author who specialises in the impact of war on British society in the first half of the 20th Century. A graduate of the University of East Anglia, he lectures across the UK and has assembled a fine collection of original First and Second World War images to illustrate his works. Neil has published over forty books, has written for national magazines and journals and appears on television documentaries and factual programmes as a guest historian including Who Do You Think You Are? and The Buildings That Fought Hitler. Neil’s other books published by Pen and Sword Books Ltd include: The King’s Men: The Sandringham Company and Norfolk Regiment Territorial Battalions 1914 – 1918, Beating the Nazi Invader and Britain’s Coast at War.

Here, you will find descriptions of the experiences of young women in the specifically built munition factories in their own words as they speak to us from history. It looks at working practices and the place of women in society, all of which are utterly alien in today’s world. The book focuses on the many hardships, sacrifices, injuries and the kind of working conditions these women endured against a background of prejudice and suspicion in this truly male-dominated world. It illustrates that even without encouragement and very little support from society in general, the women gave of themselves for their country.

The book also shows how women workers gained respect for themselves for a brief period after the First World War; however short-lived this period was, it was the beginning of change for all women.　

Sandra Gold-Wood studied psychology, sociology and group dynamics during the late 1980s. In the 1990s, she was instrumental in setting up a women’s crisis line. Part of this work involved working with the police to change attitudes toward women reporting serious assault. Working in youth and community services, she was involved in policy writing for women in the service in Hertfordshire. A charity events organiser and a trained counsellor, she also worked for a number of years as a journalist, writing a popular reportage column in a local paper and feature articles in a variety of magazines. At present, she is leading a campaign to create a national memorial for the munitions workers in the National Memorial Arboretum.

The world of eleventh-century Europe was neither self-contained nor compartmentalized, benefiting as it did from long-established routes of commerce and communication. Hardrada’s journeys and his interactions with the many overlapping cultures and political entities that he encountered further illuminate this essential interconnectivity. The eleventh century was a particularly formative one in the history of Europe that saw the emergence of a crop of pugnacious new kingdoms and setting of the foundations upon which the Europe to come would be built atop. As eleventh-century Europe roiled and struggled to find a new equilibrium in response to the cultural, political and demographic changes being wrought upon it, incredible opportunities were open to those adventurers bold enough to take advantage of this era of uncertainty.

Returning to Norway after his long exile Harald’s ambitions stretched far beyond the Norwegian throne to encompass the recreation of the North Sea Empire of Cnut the Great, his family’s greatest foe. Harald has often been called, with no small amount of admiration or respect, the Last Viking. Yet this title underestimates the depths of Harald’s achievements and the profound effect he had on the form and internal coherency of the Kingdom of Norway. Part biography, part medieval travelogue, this book extends its critical and incisive examination of Harald’s career to the many European and Mediterranean polities he travelled and fought through during his long exile. By placing Harald within his proper historical context, he is firmly detached from his role as a mere runner up in 1066’s struggle for the Kingdom of England and revealed to be one of the great rulers and state builders of the age.　

11世紀的歐洲並非封閉或孤立，而是受益於長期建立的商業和通訊路線。哈拉爾的旅程以及他與沿途遇到的眾多相互交織的文化和政治實體的互動，進一步闡明了這種至關重要的相互聯繫。十一世紀是歐洲歷史上一個具有特殊塑造意義的時期，見證了一群好戰的新王國的崛起，並奠定了未來歐洲發展的基礎。在十一世紀的歐洲動盪不安，努力尋求新的平衡以應對文化、政治和人口的巨變之際，對於那些敢於利用這一不確定時代的冒險家來說，千載難逢的機會也隨之而來。

在經歷了漫長的流亡之後，哈拉爾回到挪威，他的野心遠不止於挪威王位，而是要重建克努特大帝——他家族最大的敵人——的北海帝國。哈拉爾經常被人們尊稱為「最後的維京人」，這其中飽含著人們的欽佩和敬意。然而，這個頭銜低估了哈拉爾德的成就及其對挪威王國形態和內部凝聚力的深遠影響。本書兼具傳記和中世紀遊記的特色，不僅對哈拉爾德的生平進行了批判性的深入剖析，更將其足跡延伸至他在漫長流亡期間遊歷和徵戰的眾多歐洲和地中海政體。透過將哈拉爾德置於恰當的歷史背景之中，他不再僅僅是1066年英格蘭王國爭奪戰中的亞軍，而是被揭示為那個時代最偉大的統治者和國家締造者之一。(Zoe)

詹姆斯·特納博士畢業於格拉斯哥大學，後來在杜倫大學攻讀博士學位。他極為懼怕數位與古文字學，主要研究方向是中世紀貴族文化與認同，以及全球化與相互連結的中世紀概念。他現居南艾爾郡海灘附近，並在此工作，同時也是 Medivalist.net 的定期撰稿人。

About Dr James Turner

Dr James Turner attended the University of Glasgow before undertaking his doctoral studies at Durham University. Deeply afraid of numbers and palaeography, his main research interests surround medieval aristocratic culture and identity as well as the idea of a global and interconnected Middle Ages. He lives and works near a beach in South Ayrshire and is a regular contributor to Medivalist.net.

The author traces the convoluted course of this large-scale conflict, which involved not only England and Wales but also several other countries of Europe. Scotland and Ireland were directly affected by them, as well as the Kingdom of France (which played a prominent role in the final victory of Henry Tudor) and the Duchy of Burgundy (which supported the House of York). He describes and analyses in detail the organization and equipment of the various military contingents that took part in these wars, from the heavily-armoured men-at-arms to the celebrated longbowmen and not forgetting the various foreign mercenaries and allied contingents. As usual for the Armies of the Past series, there are dozens of full colour photographs of replica weapons, armour and costumes in use to illustrate the various types of troops.　

Gabriele Esposito is an Italian researcher and a long-time student of military history, whose interests and expertise range widely over various periods. Most of his recent studies have been dedicated to the reconstruction of the organization, functioning and tactics of the armies across history; in each of his publications there is always some relevant space dedicated to the ’material culture’of the various armies taken into account and - more in particular - to the empirical science known as ’uniformology’. Gabriele is the author of numerous books on armies and uniforms and is a regular contributor to many specialized magazines in Italy, France, Netherlands and UK. His many previous works include Armies of Early Colonial North America 1607-1713; Armies of the Late Roman Empire 284-476; Armies of the Hellenistic States 323 BC to AD30; Armies of Celtic Europe 700 BC-AD 106; Armies of Ancient Greece, circa 500 BC to 338 BC; and The Macedonian Army of Philip II and Alexander the Great 359-323 BC, all published by Pen & Sword since 2018. He lives in southern Italy, near the ancient battlefield of Beneventum.

Peter Duckers is one of the leading authorities on British medals, decorations and orders writing today. He is currently curator of the Shropshire Regimental Museum in Shrewsbury Castle. As well as producing over 120 articles for a wide range of publications, he is a prolific author of books on medals and military history.

Despite being surrounded by enemies, the Byzantines defended their remaining domains for a further half a millenium, their territories expanding and contracting with fluctuating fortunes. This tenacious survival was largely due to the ability of their military to adapt (as Roman armies always had) to emerging threats from a wide variety of enemies. The Byzantine Empire collapsed only in 1204, when attacked by forces of the Fourth Crusade, its ostensible allies. In addition to presenting an overview and analysis of the various campaigns of the period, Gabriele Esposito provides a complete review of Byzantine military organization, weapons, tactics and equipment. The clear text is lavishly illustrated with dozen of colour photographs of replica arms, armour and costume in use.　

Gabriele Esposito is an Italian researcher and a long-time student of military history, whose interests and expertise range widely over various periods. Most of his recent studies have been dedicated to the reconstruction of the organization, functioning and tactics of the armies across history; in each of his publications there is always some relevant space dedicated to the ’material culture’of the various armies taken into account and - more in particular - to the empirical science known as ’uniformology’. Gabriele is the author of numerous books on armies and uniforms and is a regular contributor to many specialized magazines in Italy, France, Netherlands and UK. His many previous works include Armies of Early Colonial North America 1607-1713; Armies of the Late Roman Empire 284-476; Armies of the Hellenistic States 323 BC to AD30; Armies of Celtic Europe 700 BC-AD 106; Armies of Ancient Greece, circa 500 BC to 338 BC; and The Macedonian Army of Philip II and Alexander the Great 359-323 BC, all published by Pen & Sword since 2018. He lives in southern Italy, near the ancient battlefield of Beneventum.

The author also describes the only civil war taking place during the Early Empire, i.e. that of AD 69 (‘The Year of the Four Emperors’) before providing a detailed description of the organization and equipment of the varied military forces that took part in the Roman civil wars during this crucial period, outlining crucial developments across the period. As usual for the Armies of the Past series, there are dozens of colour photos depicting replica arms, armour and dress in use.　

Gabriele Esposito is an Italian researcher and a long-time student of military history, whose interests and expertise range widely over various periods. Most of his recent studies have been dedicated to the reconstruction of the organization, functioning and tactics of the armies across history; in each of his publications there is always some relevant space dedicated to the ’material culture’of the various armies taken into account and - more in particular - to the empirical science known as ’uniformology’. Gabriele is the author of numerous books on armies and uniforms and is a regular contributor to many specialized magazines in Italy, France, Netherlands and UK. His many previous works include Armies of Early Colonial North America 1607-1713; Armies of the Late Roman Empire 284-476; Armies of the Hellenistic States 323 BC to AD30; Armies of Celtic Europe 700 BC-AD 106; Armies of Ancient Greece, circa 500 BC to 338 BC; and The Macedonian Army of Philip II and Alexander the Great 359-323 BC, all published by Pen & Sword since 2018. He lives in southern Italy, near the ancient battlefield of Beneventum.

The author sets the political context to the battles, showing how the Caesarian Republic collapsed without its late leader and how the Senate seized the opportunity to reassert its independence. He then analyses the strengths and weakness of the various armies and their commanders before giving as detailed an account as possible of the battles themselves. He explains the strategies, manoeuvres and tactics that culminated in a series of bloody stalemates, a Pyrrhic victory for the senatorial forces (both the consuls subsequently dying) and an opportunity for Octavian. Finally, he discusses the important aftermath of the battles which saw Antony recover and first form an alliance with his rival Lepidus and then form the Second Triumvirate with his former opponent Octavian and finally restore Caesarian control over the Republic.　

After a career in corporate finance, Gareth C Sampson returned to the study of ancient Rome and gained his PhD from the University of Manchester, where he taught for a number of years. He now lives in Plymouth with his wife and children.

Born in 1788, the author was educated at the Imperial Orphanage and entered military service in 1806 as part of an artillery unit. Through skill and determination, he rose steadily through the ranks, earning a reputation as a capable and dedicated officer. Napoleon’s invasion of Russia in 1812 changed his life. Serving as an artillery lieutenant, Radozhitskii saw action in virtually every major battle of that historic campaign. In 1813-1814, he took part in the War of the German Liberation and the invasion of France, serving with distinction in several battles before finishing the war as a staff captain in Paris in 1814.

Radozhitskii’s memoirs provide vivid, unvarnished insight into the daily lives of Russian officers during the Napoleonic Wars. This volume follows him through the invasion of France and its aftermath, offering striking descriptions of soldiers’ trials and triumphs, gripping accounts of battles, and poignant tales of human suffering. When first published in Russia, these memoirs captured the public imagination and were widely acclaimed. Leo Tolstoy drew upon them while crafting his epic War and Peace. Now, these evocative pages allow readers to step into the chaos, courage, and calamity of the Napoleonic era through the eyes of one who lived it.　

Alexander Mikaberidze is Professor of History and the Ruth Herring Noel Endowed Chair at Louisiana State University-Shreveport. He is an internationally acclaimed historian of the Napoleonic Wars, and the author and editor of two dozen books, including The Napoleonic Wars: A Global History (Oxford, 2020) and a trilogy on Napoleon’s invasion of Russia.

About Peter G A Philips

Peter G A Philips is a recently retired veteran of the British Defence Establishment and now spends his time translating Russian Napoleonic histories and memoirs.