Stop-Time: A Memoir

Customer Reviews:

A masterful essayist.......2006-09-24

At first, I was challenged by Conroy's use of section breaks; I was looking for congruency and thru-line. But when I went back and re-read chapters, wonderful and magical things started happening on a subconscious level. It's like having disjointed dreams that are thematically different, and when you wake up, you can't remember them, but have a particular feeling, perhaps an insight based on some common denominator. Conroy demonstrates this kind of disjointed insight throughout the book, making Stop Time a favorite read and Conroy, in my opinion, a masterful essayist.

An early confessional.......2006-07-19

When someone writes an autobiographical memoir, if it is honest, he bares his soul. Frank Conroy's soul is unlovely to say the least. He writes without remorse - indeed, boastingly - of his sedulous part in a terrible hazing incident that involved the group beating of a schoolmate to the point of unconsciousness. And then he drags us through his pathetic, sloppy early liasons with girls, as if his experiences are something transcendant and unique just because they are his. One reviewer wrote hysterically that he hates women. Not true, of course. He is simply a supreme egotist, supreme, here, meaning far beyond the norm, beyond the natural self-concerns of most people. In one lamentable episode he completely violates the trust of a loyal and heartbreakingly earnest young woman, then shows not even the slightest trace of remorse. In Frank Conroy's self-indulgent world, Frank Conroy is number one and the devil with everyone else. This is an attitude he never outgrew. It is almost, in fact, as if he is proud of his amoral stance, as though it lends a patina of masculinity, something which he seems insecure about anyway. He was known for reducing his students to tears in his renowned Iowa Writer's Workshop.
Other reviewers gush on about his writing skills. But when a writer's heart and soul are flawed, he cannot speak truth. Our writers and poets should be our moral and spiritual guides.
Upon acceptance of the Nobel Prize for literature, William Faulkner said: [Our writers must relearn] "the old universal truths, lacking which any story is ephemeral and doomed - love and honor and pity and pride and compassion and sacrifice. Until he does so, he labors under a curse. He writes not of love but of lust, of defeats in which nobody loses anything of value, of victories without hope and, worst of all, without pity or compassion. His griefs grieve on no universal bones, leaving no scars. He writes not of the heart but of the glands."
Therre is no compassion and no pity for anyone in Frank Conroy's world but himself.

A great story of a great period of growing up........2005-09-22

I picked this up around '69 when I was 14-15 and what a great book to read at that time of my life.
I still have my original copy which is falling apart. I'd love to know how many times I've read it.
Its simply a great book.

Blows Me Away.......2005-04-08

What blows me away about "Stop Time" is the ability of the author to capture moments of childhood magic in the midst of a story that makes its existence showing the hollow emptiness of young adulthood. It also is impressively devoid of any overabundance of self-pitty, yet aptly captures a feeling of isolation and loneliness. There are inherent similarities to other notable titles that capture the growing pains of coming of age: "Catcher in the Rye", "Lord of the Flies", "My Fractured Life", and "A Complicated Kindness." There is a strange salvation in the lyrical bleakness.

Classic American memoir.......2003-09-24

Conroy has been compared to Holden Caulfield, but Stop-Time, of course, is memoir - not fiction. Also, Conroy's writing is understated, haunting, and lyrical, even when he's talking about pretty brutal and gritty stuff. It's a must-read for anyone who wants to study the art of the memoir. First published in 1967, it still rings with the truth of boyhood and adolescence during a certain time in America.
The facts are not so terribly remarkable: He grew up poor, was bright but didn't do well in school, moved around a lot, his father died when he was 12, and he didn't get along with his stepfather (who, after Conroy's mother left, moved an insane girlfriend into the home). Okay, all that makes a good enough tale - but what really elevates it to high art is Conroy's skill as a writer, his ability to take a teensy memory or detail and expand it into something utterly remarkable.
Read it.

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How to Control from A to Z
A misguided and irresponsible drug book
Untrue
Anticlimatic...unenlightening
Author Takes Responsibility For Her Choice To Use

How to Stop Time: Heroin from A to Z
Ann Marlowe
Manufacturer: Anchor
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0385720165
Release Date: 2000-11-07

Amazon.com

Don't expect to probe the mind of a woman whose life was ruined by heroin, because Ann Marlowe won't take you down that road. Instead, her provocatively structured memoir, How to Stop Time: Heroin from A To Z, follows the life of an upper-class addict who makes no apologies for the pictures she fails to paint.

Marlowe is the antithesis of the junkie stereotype. Throughout her seven-year addiction, she never shot up, never lived on the street, and never resorted to selling drugs or her body to sustain her habit. In short, she never bottomed out. As a result, readers with the preconception that all druggies end up on the dark side may put this book down and ask, "What's interesting about her addiction?" Ironically, it is precisely this absence of severity that makes Marlowe's memoir intriguing. The fact that her own game with heroin ends in a draw gives her an unusual perspective on the friends, lovers, and dealers whose luck ran out and who lost everything.

The memoir's alphabetically arranged entries read more like loosely connected essays than actual chapters, at times giving the book a slightly disjointed feel. She doles out the details of her addiction in bits and pieces, interjecting snippets of her youth, an acute look at the drug "problem" in the United States, and the gradual progression of her habit along the way. She describes her addiction as a method of slowing down time in an effort to impose order on her chaotic life, and a way of becoming vulnerable and daring all in one moment. Declaring it an act of free will, Marlowe speaks of a life with heroin as few have envisioned: one of restraint, consciousness, self-discipline, and very little guilt. --Melissa Asher

Book Description

How to Stop Time is an important contemporary contribution to the classic accounts of the seductive attractions and dangerous distractions of drug use.

In this hypnotic and piercingly intelligent chronicle, Ann Marlowe dissects her former heroin habit, and recounts in harrowing detail the rigors and realities of life under the influence while building a successful Wall Street career and establishing a reputation as a critic in the alternative press. A one-time Harvard grad student in philosophy, Marlowe ruthlessly examines the paradoxical nature of addiction, and connects her own experience to a wider discussion of heroin in the context of our post-consumer, digital society.

Customer Reviews:

How to Control from A to Z.......2006-12-14

For the most part, I liked this book very much. Unlike many of the other reviewers, I have never even touched heroin. Therefore, I give great weight to their comments.
I was fascinated to finally read a memoir by an addict who could get up every day, go to work, do some errands, etc.
But when I read more of the book, I realized that she could do this, because the author's problem is her need to control. She even tells us that she would experiment with the heroin, as to how often she would get high, as a way to control her heroin intake. It seems that only a very controlling person could keep a job, etc., and be a junkie.
In her book she reveals the reasons she needs to control. Perhaps she learned it from her 'perfectionist' father, and/or her mother who compulsively cleaned their kitchen, even though they hired a cleaning lady do this. She touches on this, and as with many extreme behaviors, deep down she couldn't do this constantly; turning to heroin was a relief, a way to 'let go'; the heroin controlled her, and allowed her to finally relax. It also helped her cope with her uneasyness with feelings. But, I wonder, did she ever deal with her real problems? Giving up heroin was only part of her healing. Unfortunately, I don't think she realizes that she has continued some extreme behaviors. She can't have a TV in her house; the only chairs she can have must be wooden folding chairs, etc. She explains that she does this because of her Dad's behavior when he was ill. Yet did she ever grieve for him, or feel true sadness? If she still doesn't allow feelings then she has not healed.
On another note, I disagree with the reviewers who commented that that they didn't like the parts of the book which didn't deal with heroin; I feel that many of these other parts actually revealed why she turned to heroin in the first place.
I also was rattled by the style of the book, in the beginning, but as I continued to read the book, I didn't even notice it. She is a fine writer, and she also makes some incredibly enlightened statements about our society, especially about consumerism.
Overall, I would recommend this book.

A misguided and irresponsible drug book.......2005-07-31

Marlowe is what we opiate addicts refer to as a Burning Man Chipper....someone who cautiously dabbles with the drug and then wears it as a badge of honor. It appears that she ingested just enough heroin over the years to feel some of the paltry effects of first or second time withdrawal. This, apparently, has given her license to expound endlessly on paper about her self-absorbed and very uninteresting life. Reading this book is not unlike attending the first couple of Burning Man festivals a decade ago (white art for white people (I should note that I am white)). If reading idealistically naive and flawed reasoning is what interests you, then skip to the astoundingly moronic "Need" section.

Marlowe's claim to a life of junkie strife is akin to an overweight chain smoker riding a bicycle to the corner store to buy a 5'th of cheap gin and then announcing to the world that she did what Lance Armstrong did with cycling/cancer.

I was a heroin addict for 6 years and I spent an additional 2.5 years in a
methadone program getting clean.

The only way we will beat addiction is through education and accurate information.
Marlowe's book is irresponsible and damaging.

Untrue.......2004-08-19

It may seem incredible, but this book actually gave me the encouragement needed to experiment with the drug. Heck, I didn't know you can sniff it. And, according to the author, it's not very dangerous. Quitting entails little more than the equivalent of a really bad case of the flu.

I tried it. It's not as she describes. Not at all. It's been a while since I read it, and I must admit, I remember very little about it. Which speaks more to its content than to my memory. Very little humanity, heart, all the good stuff we're looking for in books, art, and life. I actually do feel sorry for the author. In any event, readers she be aware that her portrayal of heroine use is quite inaccurate and misleading. I speak from experience.

Anticlimatic...unenlightening.......2004-03-09

Ann Marlowe is a cleaver writer who has *constructed*, rather than written a not so cleaver book on addiction. Or has she even done that? We see her addiction to the cool, more-hip-than-thou scene of the East Village, certainly a taste for the drug and descriptions of those whose lives were truly ruled by it, but little of her own heart. It may have been more fulfilling if she could have demonstrated how she lost it due to her own disconection, isolation and selfishness of her use, but I suspect she didn't have it in her to begin with.
Users can - and do! - recover. One doesn't even need to subscribe to the NA model of addiction to see that. She hints at the end that her realization that life was going on without her, and that desire to be a part of it lead her to stop heroin. While her take on personal responsibility for her use is admirable, her denial of any grip on her life past her use is questionable.

Author Takes Responsibility For Her Choice To Use.......2004-02-07

Not enough books have been written by financially successful, but not necessarily famous people that use or have used a "bad boy" drug like heroin or crystal methamphetimine. If you're looking for a "how drugs ruined my life and how I was saved by the 'just say no' crusade" or some such mumbo jumbo, do not read this book because you will be very disappointed. The author documents various periods from her life before, during, and after heroin, but not necessarily in that order. As a professional woman with a similar background as the author and an IV meth user myself, it was very refreshing to not encounter what I refer to as a "victum" mentality style of writing. What I mean is the author does not make excuses like "I had a bad childhood" or "I couldn't help myself, I was an addict," which is the bandwaagon trend in American society's portrayal of any illicit drug user these days. Instead, Marlowe describes her relationship with heroin as a choice, with no appologies, at different stages of her life, and throughout various circumstances. She includes her relationship with heroin and herself, heroin, her friends and herself, heroin, her lovers, and herself, as well as the heroin, career, and family triangles. Marlowe portrays a much more realistic view of the ups and downs of a middle class, daily user and entertains in the process, which is something Hollywood and mainstream American media rarely, if ever accomplish. Good read.

Stop-time: the Classic Memoir of Adolescence

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Stop-time: the Classic Memoir of Adolescence
Frank Conroy
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000QPVU30

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Stop-Time : A Memoir
Frank Conroy
Manufacturer: Penguin (Non-Classics)
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000OITDVU

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Stop-time: a Memoir
Frank Conroy
Manufacturer: Penguin Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000N702FI

Book Description

Three-Volume Boxed Set

Download Description

Tolstoy's classic, complete and unabridged.

Customer Reviews:

Magnificent Achievement.......2007-10-11

"Well, Prince, so Genoa and Lucca are now just family estates of the
Buonapartes. But I warn you, if you don't tell me that this means war,
if you still try to defend the infamies and horrors perpetrated by
that Antichrist--I really believe he is Antichrist--I will have
nothing more to do with you and you are no longer my friend, no longer
my 'faithful slave,' as you call yourself! But how do you do? I see
I have frightened you--sit down and tell me all the news."

- Anna Pavlovna in War and Peace by Leo Tolstoy

It was 1805 and the novel opens up at a reception given by Anna. With these words she greeted Prince Vasili Kuragin who we learn in the novel is a personage of stature and importance among the St. Petersburg elite.

Anna is referring to Napoleon as the antichrist, she feels that he is routing Europe; and that the king of Russia, Alexander I, must save them all against this terrible and dreadful man.

And so begins one of the most famous masterpieces of all time.

WAR AND PEACE has a simple plot which encompasses the valiant attempts by the Russian people to hold off a military invasion by Napoleon Bonaparte and the French. Some of the segments of the novel deal with war strategy which could have benefited leaders if they simply perhaps had read Tolstoy.

As the story begins we find that the Russians have formed an unlikely alliance with the Austrians. Because of this alliance, we find the small and inadequate Russian army having to march from Moscow to Austria. That in of itself is daunting.

This alliance falters at best and as a consequence the Russian army loses almost all of its army resulting oddly enough in several years of peace. The Russian aristocracy does not have to make any sacrifices at first and their lives continue just as before. Thus the meaning of the title, WAR AND PEACE.

However, after 1810, another five years later, we find Napoleon becoming more successful in Europe and worries arise that he will plan next to invade the Russian homeland. In June of 1812, he does precisely that which the Russian people and the army feared most: he crossed the frontiers into Russia and the real war began.

As Tolstoy described, "an event took place that was contrary to all human reason and human nature."

We meet the Bolkonski's (the elder Prince, the younger Prince Andrei, his sister Princess Marya, Andrei's pregnant wife Lize), the Rostov's (the Count and Countess, Vera, Nicholai, Natasha, Sonya and Petya), the Bezukhov's (the dying Count, his illegitimate son Pierre and various relations to the dying man), the Kuragin's (Prince Vasili and his wife, the beautiful Helene, Anatole, and Hippolyte), Denisov, Dolohov, Boris, Kutuzov (the general) and about 600 characters in the book. The primary ones are the ones that I have named.

Prince Andrei and Count Pierre Bezukhov (very important Tolstoy characters) are opposites in every way; yet are friends and their friendship, separate lives and families play a critical role in Tolstoy's novel. The Bolkonski's and the Rostov's lives weave and bind together as one goes further into the novel and these threads of their lives become a strong and durable fabric which will support these families as they progress through their respective years together. Though each of us, as do these characters, exercises free will; the decisions that we make (even years before certain life's events) depict the relationships that all of our decisions have upon each other and the impact they have on our future happiness or prosperity. Tolstoy even takes a detour at the end of the novel and digresses "much more than he should" about this and that...and how power is bestowed and basically how we reap what we sow (a familiar Tolstoy theme not always related to agriculture).

The novel is quite long, and that is the reason I found that I picked up this book in the past and then put it down (not completely grasping the naming structures and not having time I felt to give it my full attention). However, after having finally taken the time to read this great manuscript, it really is a simple story about life, love (true or not), loyalty, friendship, responsibility (real accountability or feigned) and leadership. It is also once again a story of families and their love for each other and how they are able to show their love for one another or how the love is still present; but remains emotionally hidden or ineffectual. And it is a story of how one must understand the true meaning of life and must be content in one's own skin; before love can truly blossom and be realized.

Truthfully, the plot does revolve around the aspects of war and peace as it relates to Napoleon invading Russia; but it also shows a country growing and changing as the characters do in the novel. Each one of the families goes through its own reflective period of war and peace in their own lives as well. The story line is superb...if you like historical fiction; and the characterizations and their development are unparalleled.

Some Helpful Suggestions:

1. Take the time to read and/or listen to an unabridged version of this masterpiece (like the one done by Neville Jason). Just start out slowly and read a few chapters every day if you are limited in time. It is one of those novels that can be reread and not only do you enjoy the story line each time; you also come away from it learning a lot about life itself and you can profit from this reflection while embarking on your own personal path. Some of the events may ring true with your own life or with your own family. Even though the country and/or time period may be different; life, heart felt emotion remain quite the same.
2. Secure a translation that you like and/or a reader you can stay with. Go to your local bookstore and/or sample a chapter on line to see if you like the language used; do you like a more traditional translation much like Tolstoy's own language or would you prefer more modern jargon and interpretations. I prefer the traditional; but that is not always what works for everyone. If you want to listen to the book, make sure to listen to samples of the reader's voice to make sure that their voice is palatable to your tastes. Everyone's taste in sound is different.
3. Join a book club or an on line discussion group to keep you going and/or read or listen to the book with a friend or family member. These discussions will add to the enjoyment of reading this masterpiece. It really is meant (I feel) to be shared.
4. Get used to the Russian naming conventions and their use of nicknames. Write them down as you come across them and then you will know which characters to associate with which nicknames the next time. Nicknames are common with us today as well. If a girl's name is Jennifer, some may call her Jennifer, Jen, Jenny or if her middle name is Patricia (JP for short) and different members of the family could call her different pet names. This Russian novel is no different than real life.
5. I gave the following assistance when I reviewed Tolstoy's Anna Karenina and the characters and names in War and Peace follow the same rules regarding patronymics and names with three parts. Here is a reprint of the suggestion: "Sometimes the names of the characters themselves can be confusing: so a hint to the reader might be to think of each Russian character's name as having THREE PARTS: the FIRST part is the first name (examples here are for Levin and Kitty) like Konstantin or Ekaterina, the SECOND part is a patronymic which is the father's first name accompanied by a suffix which means son of or daughter of like Dmitrich (son of Dmitri) or Alexandrovna (daughter of Alexander) and then the THIRD part which is the surname like Levin or Shcherbatskaya. Thus the explanations of the three part names for Ekaterina Alexandrovna Shcherbatskaya (nicknamed Kitty) and for Konstantin Dmitrich Levin (Levin).

War and Peace is not a novel to be missed; very much like Anna Karenina (both by Leo Tolstoy). With both, but especially with War and Peace, you must envision that you will finish the book and keep at it. It really is not hard; you will get to know the characters in the book as if they were family members or best friends with all of their strengths and their frailties - the spectrum that makes these characters real in their humanness.

Rating: 5 stars - A+ (Very highly recommended)

Bentley/October 2007

War & Peace (Konemann Classics)

Some Advice For Prospective Readers.......2007-09-29

Truth be told, I am nowhere near finishing this gargantuan tome, and if I ever do get through it I might end up giving it a five star rating. But for now, I thought I would go ahead and post a few suggestions for the person considering tackling this novel. These are drawn from my impressions based upon what I have read thus far, and I hope they help prepare you. Here's my list of tips:

- I suggest making notes (I'm not kidding). I realize you might not
feel like taking the trouble, but I'm telling you that the myriad of
Russian names & characters is staggering, and a few notes jotted down
as things unfold (especially a list of characters) can help you keep
track far better.

- Make a firm but manageable plan as to when you're going to find time
to read this work. If this is not done, it's definitely the kind of
book that will very likely end up unread. Random snatches here and
there won't cut it.

- Become a patient reader, letting Tolstoy tell his grand story at his
own pace. This is no Agatha Christie! If you give it time, though, I
think you'll eventually find the author's overall sweep magnificent.

- Finally, realize this: It has been said that with Russian authors,
the more you get to know them the less you know them. In other words,
there is something a bit strange about them - almost indefinable -
which you might come to like or may not. If not, my advice would
simply be not to let this aspect of their literature keep
you from seeing its considerable merits.

For example, one virtue of this novel that I have not seen mentioned is how effectively and poignantly it brings out the element of confusion in war. Real war is not just a matter of sharp strategies, brutal conflict, etc. In the midst of matters of life and death, there is plenty of madcap absurdity mixed in, purely unintentionally. Was it not a dash of genius on Tolstoy's part to notice, think of, and include this often-overlooked, seemingly incongruous aspect of mortal combat? You get that kind of thing with Leo.

The Best thing next to a time machine.......2007-09-16

This novel presents you an image of what the life of European upper classes was like in the 19th century, their never ending parties and balls, their courtships, the perennial presence of war. It's interesting to observe how the persons were full-fledged adults by their late teens. And it was accepted as a normal thing that your children could die at any moment, be it in combat, for the sons, or during child labour if they were daughters.

This novel has as a background the Napoleonic Wars and several historical characters have intermittent cameos like Emperors Napoleon and Alexander, their generals, etc.

There is also an interesting mention to Freemasonry and its rites. It's thick as a brick, do not despair, continue reading, even if it is some pages every day, at the end you'll enjoy it.

Cat Club Review: www.freewebs.com/hlgstrider.......2007-07-13

I do not actually own War and Peace, but I thought I'd point out that I have read it. This is me saying, "I have read it!" It took me about six months and I am still not really sure what the point is, but I have read it. It was a matter of pride.
I am not a slow reader usually. I read Crime and Punishment in two days. However, I couldn't read Tolstoy's master work in long sessions, only in small, bite sized portions, one every other day or so. This is why I somewhat un-affectionately refer to this book as War in Pieces. Now, I have been told that this is a book that you don't really get when you are young but later on when you have lived life if you come back to it and read it all over again it makes a lot more sense and is a lot more interesting. . .so maybe I should wait and pick it up again in fifteen years, but still. . .what was the plot? Why was Pierre the main character when everyone else was so much more interesting? Why didn't they kill Pierre and let Andrei live? I liked Andrei. Why didn't they spend more time doing things rather than talking about doing them? Why did it take me six months to chop through that thing. . .why why why why why. . .
So, I only give it a two, but who knows. In fifteen years I might change my mind, so stay posted.

Daunting, but splendid!.......2007-06-26

"so well bound that it will lie open at any page" haha not quite, unless you've read it a few times.

I enjoyed the introduction to the book, to Tolstoy, the translation, characters etc... and the quick references in both back and front, which made it simple to look something up during those times when my head was swimming in a sea of names and places.

Since I do not know French I would often read near a computer with the Babel Fish translation web site up for quick decoding. I imagine a French-English dictionary would have sufficed. If you do not know French (like a few of us out there) then a reference is a must because most of the first half of this book you will be confronted by many French terms and phrases and if you have no idea what they're saying then the impact of the story kinda gets lost momentarily. Having to translate with this book made it that much more fun and interesting, I hadn't realized how enjoyable it could be to get that envolved into a story.

This took me aprox. 3 weeks of on and off reading, and the sheer size of it can be intimidating, but it is a superb read, with detailed historical accounts accompanied by Tolstoy's educated opinions (not your average novel). The depth of the characters is wonderful, although I find the aristocratic life to be a little odd and facetious at times.

1812: Napoleon Invasion Russia-Softbound

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A Classic Soldier's Account of the Russian Campaign
A "best of" first person account of the war
First Person Accounts of the 1812 Campaign

1812: Napoleon Invasion Russia-Softbound
Paul Britten Austin
Manufacturer: Greenhill Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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Moscow 1812: Napoleon's Fatal March

ASIN: 185367415X

Book Description

This unique paperback brings together in one volume Paul Britten Austin's acclaimed and atmospheric trilogy on Napoleon's Russian campaign, allowing the reader to trace the course of Napoleon's doomed soldiers from the crossing of the Niemen in June 1812 to the catastrophic finale in the depths of a Russian winter. Drawing on hundreds of eyewitness accounts by French and allied soldiers of Napoleon's army, this brilliant study recreates a landmark military campaign in all its death and glory.

Customer Reviews:

A Classic Soldier's Account of the Russian Campaign.......2001-04-25

1812 is a compilation of Austin's three earlier books on Napoleon's invasion of Russia. Austin's work is deservedly a classic, but due to its complexity is not for novices to Napoleonic history. Nor should this work be read by the faint-hearted, given some of the rather gory and explicit details of a rather savage chapter in the history of warfare. This book is not a comprehensive history of the campaign, since the main focus is on those units that marched to and then retreated from Moscow. Austin uses 100+ eyewitness accounts as the basic material to stitch together a portrait of the campaign as seen by the participants. Readers who seek discussions of grand strategy, the causes of the war or detailed orders of battle will be disappointed by this approach (they should instead turn to Chandler's and Riehn's excellent accounts), but those who want to gain a birds-eye view of the campaign will be very pleased.

Although the account starts with the invasion in June 1812 and covers the battles of Smolensk and Borodino, the most gripping part of Austin's work is the last 400 pages on the retreat from Moscow. The reader will find this account both agonizing and spellbinding, due to the appalling suffering and courage in adversity. This book is about real soldiering, when the chips are down, you are starving and the temperature is sub-zero. Although destroyed by the retreat, the bravery and ability of the soldiers of the Grande Armée shine in these pages. On the other hand, the battle accounts, such as Borodino, are good but a bit confusing and not particularly unique. Better maps with annotations where the major characters were located on the battlefield would have been very helpful.

Unfortunately, this very well researched and written book tends to fall apart a bit in the last few chapters (perhaps due to writer fatigue, after 1100 pages). Austin's account of the campaign ends once Marshal Ney leads the French rearguard across the Niemen River on 12 December. However, the retreat lasted two more weeks across a Prussia that was about to declare war on France. Austin provides no accounts of the final tally of survivors at Konigsberg. After following many of these characters for 1100 pages, Austin only informs the reader of the final fate of a few eye-witnesses, and then only in footnotes. A solid epilogue with notes on each character is missing.

These eyewitness accounts are the heart and soul of Austin's monumental work. However, certain facts should be made clear. First, they are not representative accounts; staff officers and inner-circle types make up 50% of the accounts, with only a handful of enlisted soldiers, NCOs or junior officers included. This is for the obvious reason that very few of the later made it back to publish accounts, but the staff officers had a better chance for survival. The second fact relates to the subjectivity of some accounts. There are cases of exaggeration, distortion and lies in the accounts, which Austin does his best to correct. One eyewitness for example, claims that the Grande Armée lost all its artillery in Russia which Austin corrects in a footnote (the French brought back at least 50 artillery pieces). Thus it is critical for readers to glance frequently at the footnotes to see where accounts are misleading. Nevertheless, Austin cannot eliminate the subjective factor in these accounts. One glaring case I found that goes without notice by Austin involves one of the principle accounts, by Colonel Lubin Griois, commanding the light artillery in the 3rd Cavalry Corps. Griois constantly complains about General Armand Lahoussaye, who took over the corps after the Battle of Borodino in September 1812. According to Griois, Lahoussaye is new to the corps and is an "imbecile". Austin repeats this every time he refers to Lahoussaye. Unfortunately, this does not mesh well with the facts. According to the authoritative dictionary on French generals by Georges Six, Lahoussaye had been a division commander in the corps for nine months so he was not a newcomer as Griois claims. Furthermore, Griois fails to mention that Lahoussaye had 20 years of combat experience in the cavalry, including the 1805-1807 campaigns in central Europe and 1808-1811 in Spain. Nor does Griois mention that Lahoussaye was seriously wounded at Borodino, which probably interfered with his command ability. Austin fails to mention that Lahoussaye was a baron in the Legion of Honor and that his name is inscribed on the Arc d'Triomphe. Napoleon did not allow "imbeciles" to command for 20 years and thus, Griois' account is probably a case of axe grinding against a former superior. Austin should have provided the background on Lahoussaye to provide balance.

Finally, a critical factor is how Austin uses the accounts, which are often missing crucial pieces. Based upon the pieces of the accounts he offers for example, it seems that almost nobody made it back from Russia. Colonel Chlapowski, commander of the Polish Lancers in the Guard, figures prominently in Austin's account, as do the Lancers themselves. Austin infers that almost all of the Lancers died escorting Napoleon out of Russia. Actually, in Chlapowski's full account, he states that the Lancer's went into Russia with 915 men and came out with 422. Austin uses partial accounts to suggest that the Old Guard came out with only a handful of men. While the Old Guard suffered very heavy losses, it went in with 5,286 infantrymen and came out with 1,430.

Nevertheless, 1812 is an excellent account of the Russian campaign. Reading it will certainly give one an excellent "feel" for the events, if not for all the facts. Therefore, this book should be used in conjunction with other standard campaign histories for balance.

A "best of" first person account of the war.......2000-12-22

The author did a wonderful job of stringing together a diverse canvas of first person accounts into a coherent narrative. A must read if you are interested in what "actually" happened in 1812. You'll not find strategic analysis or detailed orders of battle info here. But if you want a unique and first rate narrative on the subject, this is it.

First Person Accounts of the 1812 Campaign.......2000-11-24

The book is a combination of Austin's 3 previous works: The March on Moscow (out of print), Napoleon is Moscow, and The Great Retreat. Previous reviewers have correctly described these books as providing an atmospheric mood of the unfolding catastrophic events. The descriptions are mainly from army officers observing the campaign and Napoleon. The book is better at providing insights into human nature and reactions to chaos than as an detailed analysis of battlefield strategy.

This should not be the first book one reads on Napoleon. The style assumes a knowledge of generals and familiarity with military vocabulary that I lacked when I started it. A reading of Elting's introduction to his Military Atlas of Napoleon would be helpful to neophytes before starting Austin's book to prevent bewilderment over terms such as voltigeur, hussar, cuiassier, etc.

Nonetheless, the images of these first hand accounts are haunting.

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Napoleon's Invasion of Russia 1812

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Napoleon's Invasion of Russia 1812
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Eugene Tarle
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George F. Nafziger
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