Alexander Mikaberidze – författare

A full-life portrait of the man Tolstoy immortalized, Stalin lionized, and Russian history has manipulated and mythologized beyond recognition.Every Russian knows him purely by his patronym. He was the general who triumphed over Napoleons Grande Armée during the Patriotic War of 1812, not merely restoring national pride but securing national identity. Many Russians consider Field Marshal Mikhail Illarionovich Golenischev-Kutuzov the greatest figure of the 19th century, ahead of Pushkin, Tchaikovsky, even Tolstoy himself. Immediately after his death in 1813, Kutuzovs remains were hurried into the pantheon of heroes. Statues of him rose up across the Russian empire and later the Soviet Union. Over the course of decades and centuries he hardened into legend.As award-winning author Alexander Mikaberidze shows in this fascinating, often startling, and wholly humanizing new biography, Kutuzovs story is far more compelling and complex than the myths that have encased him. An unabashed imperialist who rose in the ranks through his victories over the Turks and the Poles, Kutuzov was also a realist and a skeptic about military power. When the Russians and their allies were routed by the French at Austerlitz he was openly appalled by the incompetence of leadership and the sheer waste of life. Over his long careermarked equally by victory and defeat, embrace and ostracism—he grew to despise those whose concept of war had devolved to mindless attack.Here, at last, is Kutuzov as he really was—a master and survivor of intrigue, moving in and out of royal favor, committed to the welfare of those under his command, and an innovative strategist. When, reluctantly and at the 11th hour, Czar Alexander I called upon him to lead the fight against Napoleons invading army, Kutuzov accomplished what needed to be done not by a heroic charge but by a strategic retreat. Across the generations, portraits of Kutuzov have ranged from hagiography to dismissal, with Tolstoys portrait of him in War and Peace perhaps the most indelible of all. This immersive biography returns a touchstone figure in Russian history to human scale.

A true pivotal moment in American history, the Louisiana Purchase redefined the boundaries of the United States and recharted the course of its history. The story behind it transcends borders The United States bought the Louisiana Territory from Napoleonic France in 1803, paying--so the story goes--a mere 15 million dollars, or "four cents an acre." The young nation more than doubled its size, absorbing the greater part of an entire continent in a single real estate transaction. This overlooks a critical feature of the purchase, however: the agreement signed by Thomas Jefferson did not grant the American republic the land; it merely allowed it to assume the authority to negotiate the acquisition of the land, which was still owned by Native Americans. The Louisiana Purchase was a founding event of what ultimately became the U.S.-Indian Treaty System, one that produced over two hundred Native American cessions between 1804 and 1970 and cost the United States billions of dollars.Alexander Mikaberidze's provocative and engrossing book examines what lay behind what eventually became one of the costliest undertakings in American history--not only in dollars but in lives displaced and cultures erased. To do that, he looks beyond the period's diplomatic wranglings and delves into a broader story of European colonialism to illuminate why Louisiana was passed around--from France to Spain, then back to France--before the U.S. purchase. How did it go from being a burden to a prize? Understanding the full significance of the Louisiana Purchase means expanding the narrative. The country's destiny was determined by men who had never walked the streets of New Orleans or gazed upon the majestic panoramas of the Rockies but who instead managed the finances of the world's empires. Territorial ambition remains a persistent feature in American politics. This book compels us to appreciate the larger story of the purchase and its place in both national and global history.

Winner of the Gilder Lehrman Military History Prize, the first global history of the world's first world war.Austerlitz, Wagram, Borodino, Trafalgar, Leipzig, Waterloo: these are the places most closely associated with the era of the Napoleonic Wars. But how did this period of nearly continuous conflict affect the world beyond Europe? The immensity of the fighting waged by France against England, Prussia, Austria, and Russia, and the immediate consequences of the tremors that spread throughout the world.In this ambitious and far-ranging work, Alexander Mikaberidze argues that the Napoleonic Wars can only be fully understood in an international perspective. France struggled for dominance not only on the plains of Europe but also in the Americas, West and South Africa, Ottoman Empire, Iran, India, Indonesia, the Philippines, Mediterranean Sea, and the Atlantic and Indian Oceans. Taking specific regions in turn, Mikaberidze discusses major political-military events around the world and situates geopolitical decision-making within its long- and short-term contexts. From the British expeditions to Argentina and South Africa to the Franco-Russian maneuvering in the Ottoman Empire, the effects of the French Revolution and Napoleonic Wars would shape international affairs well into the next century. In Egypt, the wars led to the rise of Mehmed Ali and the emergence of a powerful state; in North America, the period transformed and enlarged the newly established United States; and in South America, the Spanish colonial empire witnessed the start of national-liberation movements that ultimately ended imperial control.Skillfully narrated and deeply researched, here at last is the global history of the period, one that expands our view of the Napoleonic Wars and their role in laying the foundations of the modern world.

Austerlitz, Wagram, Borodino, Trafalgar, Leipzig, Waterloo: these are the places most closely associated with the Napoleonic Wars. But how did this period of nearly continuous warfare affect the world beyond Europe? The immensity of the fighting waged by France against England, Prussia, Austria, and Russia, and the immediate consequences of the tremors that spread from France as a result, overshadow the profound repercussions that the Napoleonic Wars had throughout the world. In this far-ranging work, Alexander Mikaberidze argues that the Napoleonic Wars can only be fully understood with an international context in mind. France struggled for dominance not only on the plains of Europe but also in the Americas, West and South Africa, Ottoman Empire, Iran, India, Indonesia, the Philippines, Mediterranean Sea, and the Atlantic and Indian Oceans. Taking specific regions in turn, Mikaberidze discusses major political-military events around the world and situates geopolitical decision-making within its long- and short-term contexts. From the British expeditions to Argentina and South Africa to the Franco-Russian maneuvering in the Ottoman Empire, the effects of the French Revolution and Napoleonic Wars would shape international affairs well into the next century. In Egypt, the Wars led to the rise of Mehmed Ali and the emergence of a powerful Egyptian state; in North America, the period transformed and enlarged the newly established United States; and in South America, the Spanish colonial empire witnessed the start of national-liberation movements that ultimately ended imperial control.Skillfully narrated and deeply researched, here at last is the complete global story of the period, one that expands our contemporary view of the Napoleonic Wars and their role in laying the foundations of the modern world.

The Cambridge History of the Napoleonic Wars is a definitive history of the Napoleonic Wars drawing on a wealth of modern scholarship and leading expertise in the field. It offers a comprehensive account of the Wars from their origins in eighteenth-century diplomacy to the memory and political legacy they left behind. The three volumes cover the grand strategies of the combatants, the campaigns they fought, and the composition of the forces at their disposal; they analyse their conflicting ideologies, alliances and diplomacy, and the varieties of resistance and occupation; and they assess their legacy for future generations. They challenge conventional assumptions about the nature of war in the period and apply methodologies derived from social and cultural history as well as from the new military history of recent years. These volumes take full account of the latest research and present a history of the Napoleonic Wars for the twenty-first century.

The Napoleonic Wars saw almost two decades of brutal fighting. Fighting took place on an unprecedented scale, from the frozen wastelands of Russia to the rugged mountains of the Peninsula; from Egypt's Lower Nile to the bloody battlefield of New Orleans. Volume II of The Cambridge History of the Napoleonic Wars provides a comprehensive guide to the Napoleonic Wars and weaves together the four strands - military, naval, economic, and diplomatic - that intertwined to make up one of the greatest conflicts in history. Written by a team of the leading Napoleonic scholars, this volume provides an authoritative and comprehensive analysis of why the nations went to war, the challenges they faced and how the wars were funded and sustained. It sheds new light not only on the key battles and campaigns but also on questions of leadership, strategy, tactics, guerrilla warfare, recruitment, supply, and weaponry.

The second of three volumes, this book represents the first English translation of the memoirs that rank among the best in the vast Napoleonic memoir literature. The author, Ilya Timofeyevich Radozhitskii, served with distinction during the wars against Napoleon and wrote down his reminisces shortly after the war based on the notes that he kept while campaigning. Born in 1788, Radozhitskii studied at the Imperial Orphanage, enlisted in the artillery unit in 1806, and steadily rose through the ranks, earning a reputation of a capable officer.Napoleon’s invasion of Russia in 1812 changed his life. Serving as an artillery lieutenant, he saw action in virtually every major battle of that historic campaign. In 1813-1814, Radozhitskii took part in the War of the German Liberation and the invasion of France, serving with distinction at Bischofswerde, Bautzen, Katzbach, and Leipzig before finishing 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 offers fresh insight into the life 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 famous “War and Peace”.The first volume, entitled The Russian Campaign of 1812, was published by Pen & Sword in 2023. Volume 3, The Invasion of France 1814, will follow in 2024.

The third of three volumes, this book offers to English readers, for the first time, the memoirs of Ilya Timofeyevich Radozhitskii, which rank among the best in the vast Napoleonic memoir literature. Radozhitskii, a distinguished Russian artillery officer, chronicled his experiences shortly after the wars against Napoleon, drawing from notes kept during his campaigns.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.

The first of three volumes, this book represents the first English translation of the memoirs that rank among the best in the vast Napoleonic memoir literature. The author, Ilya Timofeyevich Radozhitskii, served with distinction during the wars against Napoleon and wrote down his reminisces shortly after the war based on the notes that he kept while campaigning. Born in 1788, Radozhitskii studied at the Imperial Orphanage, enlisted in the artillery unit in 1806, and steadily rose through the ranks, earning a reputation of a capable officer. Napoleon's invasion of Russia in 1812 changed his life. Serving as an artillery lieutenant, he saw action in virtuall every major battle of that historic campaign. Wounded at the battle of Ostrovno, he remained in ranks and later fought at Smolensk, Lubino (Valutina Gora) and Borodino, lamented the surrender of Moscow, and celebrated Russian victories at Vyazma and Krasnyi. He watched in bewilderment the catastrophe that engulfed Napoleon's forces that winter, an event he vividly describes in his memoirs.Radozhitskii offers fresh insight into the life and daily experiences of Russian officers during the Napoleonic Wars. Starting in the summer of 1812 and following the travails of his unit over the next six months, 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 famous War and Peace .The second and third volumes, entitled The German Liberation 1813 and The Invasion of France 1814, will be published by Pen & Sword Books later this year.

An indispensable reference on concentration camps, death camps, prisoner-of-war camps, and military prisons offering broad historical coverage as well as detailed analysis of the nature of captivity in modern conflict.This comprehensive reference work examines internment, forced labor, and extermination during times of war and genocide, with a focus on the 20th and 21st centuries and particular attention paid to World War II and recent conflicts in the Middle East. It explores internment as it has been used as a weapon and led to crimes against humanity and is ideal for students of global studies, history, and political science as well as politically and socially aware general readers.In addition to entries on such notorious camps as Abu Ghraib, Andersonville, Auschwitz, and the Hanoi Hilton, the encyclopedia includes profiles of key perpetrators of camp and prison atrocities and more than a dozen curated and contextualized primary source documents that further illuminate the subject. Primary sources include United Nations documents outlining the treatment of prisoners of war, government reports of infamous camp and prison atrocities, and oral histories from survivors of these notorious facilities.

Situated in the breathtaking Caucasus Mountains between the Black and the Caspian Seas, the country of Georgia sits at the crossroads between Europe and Asia; it has gone through more turbulence and change in the last twenty five years—the casting off of the Soviet regime, a civil war, two ethno-territorial conflicts, economic collapse, corruption, government inefficiency, and massive emigration—than most countries go through in 250 years. This small nation's strategic location at the crossroads of different civilizations has been a curse as well as a blessing. Once a battlefield between the ancient empires and the Christian and Islamic worlds, today it is caught between its NATO aspirations and its location in Russia’s backyard. Yet, despite all challenges and hardships, this resilient and ancient country, with thousands of years of winemaking, three-thousand years of statehood, and almost two millennia of Christianity, continues to survive and thrive. Historical Dictionary of Georgia, Second Edition through its chronology, glossary, introduction, appendixes, maps, bibliography, and over 900 hundreds of cross-referenced dictionary entries on important persons, places, events, and institutions and significant political, economic, social, and cultural aspects, traces Georgia's history and provides a compass for the direction the country is heading. This book is an excellent access point for students, researchers, and anyone wanting to know more about Georgia.

A superbly illustrated narrative of how Napoleon skilfully extracted his Grande Armee from the clutches of the pursuing Russian armies.Much has been written about the Battle of the Berezina and the 1812 Russian campaign in general, during which the cold winter devastated the Grande Armée. Historians often praise Napoleon for his actions at the Berezina and attribute his success to a brilliant strategic mind, laying a trap that deceived the Russians and resulted in a remarkable feat in the history of warfare. Drawing on contemporary sources (letters, diaries, memoirs), and featuring an extensive order of battle, this book recreates in hourly detail one of the great escapes in military history, a story often told with embellishments that require a more critical examination. Although the core of Napoleon’s army escaped, tens of thousands were killed in the battle, trampled in the rush for the bridge, drowned in the icy waters of the Berezina, or captured. Written by an acknowledged expert on the period, and using a broad range of sources from all sides, this title brings to life in stunning visual detail, using maps, battlescene artworks and period illustrations, the events of late November 1812, as Napoleon’s retreating, desperate Grand Armée extricated itself from the clutches of the Russian armies under Kutuzov, Wittgenstein and Chichagov in an epic feat of heroism and masterful tactics.