Featured battle : Rumani

Part of First World War

Date : 03 August 1916 - 05 August 1916

The Turkish under German Gen. Von Kressenstein made a surprise attack on the British-held Sinai railhead but were thrown back with loss. In their second attempt to seize the Suez Canal the Turkish forces advancing from El Arish in July 1916 took the oasis of Oghratina and prepared an assault on the British and ANZAC forces around the railhead at Rumani. The attack mounted on 3rd August led on 4th August to the Turks collapsing and the following day withdrawing with a number of their troops surrendering

With Napoleon’s Guard in Russia - The Memoirs of Major Vionnet 1812

Louis Joseph Vionnet. Translated & Edited Jonathan
A book I finished reading wanting more of the same. I suspect desperate hunger, numbing cold and the struggle to keep his troops together caused Major Vionnet to make few notes from which these memoirs were constructed. Jonathan North has written an excellent introduction, especially the Peninsular War background to the regiment, and there is an appropriate selection of maps and illustrations to support the text. He has also used other personal accounts to broaden the perspective and add detail. My one minor complaint is that the many footnotes are gathered at the end of the book. If, like me, you always read footnotes, and these are most helpful, then having them on the relevant page is so much more convenient. This book is about detail having a broad overview of the Russian campaign, while not essential, is most useful.
With only a little imagination the reader will gain insights into the hell which engulfed and killed so many of Napoleon’s troops in the retreat from Moscow. And crucially how some of the survivors survived.

Pen & Sword Military. Pen & Sword Books Ltd., 2012