In the Early Hours of a frosty, foggy morning in December 1805, two great armies woke from fitful sleep. Vast clouds of warm breath condensed in the frozen air above the open, rolling Moravian countryside as soldiers of France, Russia and Austria huddled around feeble campfires, massaging stiff limbs back to life. The Imperial eagles of Europe had gathered for a climactic confrontation on a battlefield honoured by the presence of three Emperors: Napoleon, Tsar Alexander and Kaiser Franz. The Battle of Austerlitz was about to begin. In this authoritative account of Napoleon's greatest victory and the campaign that preceded it Ian Castle sheds new light on the actions of the commanders and questions the assumptions - and explores the myths - that have shaped our understanding of the event ever since. His account follows the rival armies on their extraordinary marches across the heart of Europe, through the early battles of the Ulm campaign and the fierce rearguard actions along the Danube valley to the Imperial city of Vienna and finally on to the battlefield of Austerlitz. On the way the traumatic impact on the civilian population is remembered and the dark world of espionage, which played a crucial part in the campaign, emerges from the shadows. For many years the myth of an effortless French victory has persisted, with Russian and Austrian troops offering little opposition in the face of an overpowering French assault.

This is far from the truth. By reconstructing the course of the battle using French, Austrian and Russian material, the author reveals the stubborn resistance and immense bravery displayed by the allies, which held the outcome in the balance, and is worthy of far greater recognition than it has hitherto been granted. Book jacket.