The German Liberation War of 1813: The Memoirs of a Russian Artilleryman

This book is the first English translation of Ilya Timofeyevich Radozhitskii's memoirs, which provide a unique insight into the life and experiences of Russian officers during the Napoleonic Wars. Volume 3, The Invasion of France 1814, will be published in 2024.

Format: Hardback
Length: 224 pages
Publication date: 04 October 2023
Publisher: Pen & Sword Books Ltd

This book, the second of three volumes, presents the first English translation of the memoirs that stand among the finest in the vast Napoleonic memoir literature. The author, Ilya Timofeyevich Radozhitskii, distinguished himself in the wars against Napoleon and penned his recollections shortly after the conflict, based on the notes he had taken while campaigning. Born in 1788, Radozhitskii attended the Imperial Orphanage, enlisted in the artillery unit in 1806, and steadily progressed through the ranks, earning a reputation as a capable officer. Napoleon's invasion of Russia in 1812 transformed his life. Serving as an artillery lieutenant, he witnessed action in nearly every major battle of that historic campaign. From 1813 to 1814, Radozhitskii participated in the War of the German Liberation and the invasion of France, serving with distinction at Bischofswerde, Bautzen, Katzbach, and Leipzig before concluding the war as a staff captain in Paris in 1814. Upon Napoleon's return in 1815, Radozhitskii was assigned to the Russian Expeditionary Corps that was dispatched to France but arrived too late to confront Napoleon. Radozhitskii provides a fresh perspective on the lives and daily experiences of Russian officers during the Napoleonic Wars. This volume follows Radozhitskii across Germany as the Russian army, buoyed by the victory over Napoleon in 1812, marched on to liberate German states. Radozhitskii's narrative contains striking descriptions of the wartime experiences of soldiers and officers, vivid accounts of the battles, and heartrending stories from the French retreat. When published in Russia, these memoirs garnered considerable public attention, and Leo Tolstoy consulted them extensively while writing his renowned "War and Peace." The first volume, entitled The Russian Campaign of 1812, was published by .

Weight: 524g
Dimension: 164 x 242 x 27 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9781399042154