Memoirs of Sergeant Bourgogne

Napoleon's Grande Armee reached Moscow in 1812 only to find it burned to the ground. On the subsequent retreat his army suffered appalling losses to the weather and to marauding Cossacks who harried the reteating troops. This is an account by a participant of that long march back, and is full of the detail only someone who was there can include. Not a book for the faint hearted, but of seminal value for anyone wanting to know about the distaff side of war: being on the losing side.
 
minor bookshelf wear
corners lightly bumped
pages clean and white
light creases on covers
paperback