WOJNA 1812 ROKU (1812 Russian Campaign)

17x24, NEW, 2-vol. Set, Hb, "de-luxe" binding, gilt edges, 1016pp. Volume 1: 444pp, 79 b/w illustrations, 4 color plates, 6 maps; Volume 2: 572pp, 97 b/w illustrations, 4 color plates, 13 maps. Rare reprint (first published in Krakow in 1937). Descr. Russian 1812 campaign from the Polish perspective. Kukiel had been working on "Wojna 1812" for twenty five years; the book is based on material in the collection of Polish, French, German and Austrian archives as well as on the Russian written sources. Incl.: political preparations: escalation of the political conflict, Europe against Russia, Warsaw Grand Duchy on the eve of the war; military preparations: "Grande Armee", Napoleon' plans, concentration of French force and march towards Nemen; Russian armed forces, plans and initial positions; campaign in Lithuania: Vilna operation, operations against Bagration' army, liberation of Lithuania, Drissa and Vitebsk; Smolensk: "Grande Armee" on the lines of the Dvina and Dnieper, Russian national defense and flanking operations, Smolensk maneuver, after the capture of Smolensk; Moscow: on the eve of the battle, battle of Borodino, Napoleon in Moscow, war and piece and operations around Moscow, increasing of the Russian military effort; Katabasis of the "Grande Armee": abandoning Moscow, first defeats, battles on the flanks, Berezina, the catastrophe; afterword. Text in Polish. Set will require extra postage