Napoleon’s fatal march on Moscow is set to be the theme of a free public lecture in Bristol by a distinguished historian and international bestselling author.
The lecture, by Count Adam Zamoyski, will take place at Bristol University’s Tyndall Lecture Theatre, H. H. Wills Physics Laboratory, Tyndall Avenue, at 7 pm on Wednesday, December 8.
For some 400 years, the Zamoyskis had been one of the most glorious and influential families in Poland. It was the visionary Jan Zamoyski (1542-1605), who as Crown Chancellor and Hetman (leader of the army), helped lead Poland to the apex of its power, also constructing his model city, Zamosc, now a UNESCO listed site. Kozlowka Palace, the seat of the Zamoyskis, is one of the best-preserved palaces in the country and a reminder of their importance.
The lecture, which is based on the content of his latest book, 1812: Napoleon’s fatal march on Moscow, tells of one of the most dramatic episodes in Europe’s colourful history and certainly represents a turning point in the fate of the continent. It is a story of Napoleon assembling an army of unprecedented fighting force and setting out to bring the huge Russian Empire to heel. The outcome, however, was an unmitigated disaster as the army was decimated, particularly on its long and cruel retreat from Moscow. It is this saga that inspired one of the most famous books in literature, Tolstoy’s War and peace along with Tchaikovsky’s 1812 overture.
Oliver Holloway, President of the University’s Polish Society, said: “Count Zamoyski’s written achievements have considerably increased awareness of the history of his fatherland, Poland.
“He is also descended from the great Polish 19th century statesman, Prince Adam Czartoryski, who is actually very much involved in this saga between Napoleon and Tsar Alexander.”
The lecture has been organised in association with the University of Bristol Polish Society, PolSoc, and the Anglo-Polish Society of Bristol and the Southwest Anglo-Polish Society under the patronage of the Honorary Consulate of the Republic of Poland in Bristol.
Count Adam Zamoyski was born in New York but raised in England and educated at Queen's College, Oxford. As a writer, he has enjoyed great popularity with his books, which cover a range of topics and are authoritative accounts in their field. Among these are books on Polish history, including the bestselling The Polish way and The last King of Poland along with biographies on Chopin and Paderewski. Carrying on a tradition of receiving enthusiastic reviews for his books, his latest, 1812: Napoleon's fatal march on Moscow has had universal critical acclaim, along with tremendous success.