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Loading... The Battle: A Novelby Patrick Rambaud
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Sign up for LibraryThing to find out whether you'll like this book. No current Talk conversations about this book. A very good historical novel, translated from the French. It is a straightforward narrative, from multiple points of view, of the battle of Esseling and Aspern, in 1809. Napolean attempted to cross the Danube to subdue the Austrians, after occupying Vienna, but was, after two very bloody days, forced to retreat to the island of Donau, in this prelude to Wagram. The story is told from the French point of view, largely following the affairs of an aide-de-camp to Marshal Berthier. The descriptions of battles are very realistic, and the story moves along very well. ( ) This one didn't do much for me. It is well written, and a good read, but it has a contrived feeling. The author obviously did his research and the book feels as if it was constructed to fit all the interesting facts and episodes in. You can see the author thinkingt: well, I've got to mention that, and I need a scene with him, and I've got to have those and those elements... Prix Goncourt notwithstanding, it left me cold. no reviews | add a review
The winner of the Prix Goncourt and Grand Prix du Roman de l'Academie Francaise, The Battle is a brilliant, compelling novelization of the battle of Essling, Napoleon's first major defeat. The battle of Essling has long been overlooked by historians and novelists, but Rambaud, relying on research notes compiled by Honore de Balzac, has re-created the confrontation with exceptional skill. Balzac had always wanted to write this novel, but he never moved past the research stage. Picking up where his predecessor left off, Rambaud renders the epic battle in all its pageantry, violence, and chaos.The Battle opens on May 16, 1809, as Napoleon's forces confront the assembled armies of the Austro-Hungarian Empire at Essling, near Vienna. Angered by the Austrians' challenge to his rule over their land, Napoleon is determined to crush the enemy troops with the quick troop maneuvers that won so many previous battles. Yet the French soon find that the wide-open Austrian plains are not conducive to theirtechniques, as the enemy's sheer manpower begins to overwhelm them. No library descriptions found. |
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Google Books — Loading... GenresMelvil Decimal System (DDC)843.914Literature French and related languages French fiction Modern Period 20th Century 1945-1999LC ClassificationRatingAverage:
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