The general outline of Napoleon's disastrous invasion of Russia in 1812, the battle of Borodino, the burning of Moscow and the interminable, grinding misery of the great retreat are well known. What is much less well known are the background details of the campaign, the orders of battle, the vast efforts which were devoted — in vain — to the logistics, the many actions, great and small, which took place on the flanks of Napoleon's main body, and the dramatic losses suffered by the Grand Armee even in the first few weeks of the advance when many of his corps had not even seen the enemy.