The Russian Officer Corps in the Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars, 1792-1815

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Summary: The Definitive Study on the Russian Officer Corps
Review: I just received my copy of "The Russian Officer Corps." First, let me say the outside has one of the most lovely dust jackets I have ever seen anywhere. Just brilliantly done. The inside layout is handsome, well-organized, and easy to read. There was a lot of care put into this book.

After reading more than 100 entries, I have found this to be a deep and rich reference source of some 800 meticulously researched biographies of the senior Russian officers (which includes many foreign officers who also served in the Tsar's army) during the Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars. (Even some really minor officers are covered, which is quite a bonus.)

Each word portrait includes everything you could want: the subject's birth place, ancestoral history, educational background, service, promotions, awards (well covered) wounds, commands, and so on. Usually the date and place of death and burial is also given. Dr. Mikaberidze's study opens with a fascinating overview chapter that details the long and proud history and organization of the Russian army, how it was trained, how well educated these men were, etc. This chapter is almost worth the price of the book. This introduction is accompanied by 35 graphs, and supporting illustrations. I have learned more from perusing this book than I imagined I would. There is also a Foreword by Dr. Donald H. Horward of Florida State University, a long and carefully prepared annotated bibliography, and about half of the entries have a black and white portrait. If you are interested in European and Napoleonic history, or are a genealogist with a Eur-Asian interest, "The Russian Officer Corps" is for you. I got my signed copy direct from the publisher's website, which is an added bonus and worth the price (regular retail). If you don't care about getting it signed, just buy yours right now on Amazon.

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Summary: New Napoleonic-era Russian Encyclopedia
Review: The Russian Officer Corps is a sweeping encyclopedia offering more than 800 detailed biographies of senior Russian officers (and foreign officers who served in the Russian army) in the Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars. Each biography includes the subject's place of birth, family history, educational background, military service, awards, promotions, wounds, commands, and more, including date and place of death and interment. This reference study begins with a lengthy well-written chapter detailing the history and organization of the Russian army, how it was trained, the educational background of the officers, and much more. This introduction is enhanced by 36 graphs, tables, and illustrations. Foreword by Dr. Donald H. Horward, annotated bibliography (not seen in advance proof), 440 b&w illustrations. The Russian Officer Corps will be warmly welcomed by historians of European and Napoleonic history, genealogists, and hobbyists. Strongly recommended for academic libraries.

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Summary: An anthology of 600 detailed biographies
Review: The Russian Officer Corps: Of The Revolutionary And Napoleonic Wars, 1792-1815 is an anthology of 600 detailed biographies of the senior Russian officers who commanded troops in the Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars. Though its focus is on the era from 1792-1815, the individuals featured include those whose service stretched before or after this window. Years of research and fifty pages of introductory material set the stage for this ambitious reference, which includes each subject's place of bearth, family history, educational background, military service in detail, awards and promotions, wounds, transfers, commands, date and place of death and internment, and more. Where available, black-and-white portraits of the generals preface their biographies. An absolute must-have reference for academic libraries and students of Russian and Napoleonic wars.


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Summary: A superb work of scholarship
Review: With a few exceptions, Western books on the Napoleonic Wars tend to deal with the Russian officers who fought in those wars in a rather cavalier fashion (if at all). Inaccuracies abound, even in descriptions of such prominent figures as Kutuzov, Bagration and Barclay de Tolly, while the lesser-known members of the Russian officer corps are often dismissed as being of little account. There is the added factor that all too may English-speaking writers (and this includes some historians who ought to know better) are so in awe of Tolstoy that they forget that War and Peace, while based on extensive research, is a work of fiction, and take it literally as a source of information about the Russian army. While his account of events is accurate in many respects, Tolstoy frequently bent facts or omitted them altogether if they did not fit in with his view of events.

Aleko Mikaberidze's monumental work sets out to change this state of affairs. Based as far as possible on primary sources, it contains biographies of more than 800 officers, both junior and senior, who served in the Russian army during the period of the Revolutionary and Napoleonic wars. I was particularly pleased that it includes the enigmatic figure of Nadezhda Durova, who enlisted in an Uhlan regiment disguised as a man, and took part in several campaigns, reaching the rank of Staff Captain (Staff Rotmistr) in the cavalry. Wherever possible the biographies are illustrated by a portrait of the subject, making the accounts truly three-dimensional.

As well as the biographies themselves, the book includes much valuable information on the history, character and composition of the Russian officer corps. I am already familiar with Dr Mikaberidze's work through his Internet-published articles and his Ph.D. thesis on the most charismatic of the Russian generals, Petr Bagration. Like his previous writings, Dr Mikaberidze's book is meticulously researched and extremely well written, in a style that is informative yet very readable; it is handsomely produced and well laid out.

This will prove an extremely valuable source book for historians, war-gamers, historical researchers and novelists, as well as non-professionals like me who are simply fascinated by that period of history, especially as it pertains to Russia. Thoroughly recommended!