''The Retreat'' (French: ''Il neigeait'') is a historic

novel A novel is a relatively long work of narrative fiction, typically written in prose and published as a book. The present English word for a long work of prose fiction derives from the for "new", "news", or "short story of something new", itsel ...

by the French author

Patrick Rambaud Patrick Rambaud (born 21 April 1946) is a French writer. Life Born in Paris, France, with Michel-Antoine Burnier, he wrote forty pastiches, (satirical novels). They wrote ''Le Journalisme sans peine'' (Editions Plon, 1997). In 1970, he help foun ...

that was first published in 2000. The English translation by

Will Hobson Will Hobson is an American journalist and the recipient of the 2014 Pulitzer Prize for Local Reporting. Early life and career Hobson was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in 1984. He attended Boston College where he wrote op-eds for the student ...

appeared in 2004. ''The Retreat'' describes the occupation of

Moscow Moscow ( , US chiefly ; rus, links=no, Москва, r=Moskva, p=mɐskˈva, a=Москва.ogg) is the capital and largest city of Russia. The city stands on the Moskva River in Central Russia, with a population estimated at 13.0 million ...

by the

French Army The French Army, officially known as the Land Army (french: Armée de Terre, ), is the land-based and largest component of the French Armed Forces. It is responsible to the Government of France, along with the other components of the Armed For ...

in 1812 and its disastrous retreat. The action in the novel follows closely historical observations and descriptions as seen from the French perspective. The main characters are

Napoleon Napoleon Bonaparte ; it, Napoleone Bonaparte, ; co, Napulione Buonaparte. (born Napoleone Buonaparte; 15 August 1769 – 5 May 1821), later known by his regnal name Napoleon I, was a French military commander and political leader who ...

, Sebastian Roque who becomes his scribe during the campaign, and Captain D'Herbigny of the Guard. The defeat of the French army is relived through their experiences. ''The Retreat'' is the second book of a

trilogy A trilogy is a set of three works of art that are connected and can be seen either as a single work or as three individual works. They are commonly found in literature, film, and video games, and are less common in other art forms. Three-part wor ...

by Rambaud about the decline of Napoleon, describing his first major setback; the other two books cover Napoleon’s earlier defeat at Aspern-Essling in '' The Battle'' and his later banishment at Elba in ''Napoleon’s Exile''. As explained by Rambaud in the attached ''Historical Notes'', the French title ''Il neigeait'' (meaning "it snowed") refers to a poem by

Victor Hugo Victor-Marie Hugo (; 26 February 1802 – 22 May 1885) was a French Romantic writer and politician. During a literary career that spanned more than sixty years, he wrote in a variety of genres and forms. He is considered to be one of the great ...

that is entitled ''Expiation'' (atonement) part of '' Les Châtiments'' (The Punishments) and describes the retreat from Russia.

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Reviews
2000 French novels Novels set during the Napoleonic Wars Fiction set in 1812 Novels set in Moscow Works about the French invasion of Russia Cultural depictions of Napoleon {{2000s-hist-novel-stub