Through Russian Snows: A Story of Napoleon’s Retreat from Moscow was published by Blackie and Son in 1896. Julian Dowell, a young Englishman wrongly convicted of involvement in a smuggling ring, escapes across the Channel and ends up in Napoleon’s Grande Armée as it advances on Moscow in the summer of 1812. The novel dramatizes the full arc of the Russian campaign: the advance across the Niemen, the Battle of Borodino, the occupation of a burning Moscow, and the catastrophic retreat through the Russian winter — one of the greatest military disasters in history.
The retreat from Moscow gave Henty his most dramatic natural antagonist: the Russian winter itself. The suffering of the Grande Armée — starvation, frostbite, Cossack raids, the crossing of the Berezina — provided material that tested even Henty’s characteristic understatement.
Collecting Through Russian Snows
First edition (Blackie and Son, London, 1896): Pictorial cloth.
Market values:
- Fine condition: $150–$400
- Very good: $60–$150
- Good: $20–$60
Projected values (2026–2036): Moderate appreciation.
Napoleon’s Retreat
Set during Napoleon’s invasion of Russia in 1812, the novel follows a young Englishman caught up in the Grande Armée’s advance to Moscow and catastrophic retreat through the Russian winter. Henty’s depiction of the retreat from Moscow — the cold, the starvation, the Cossack attacks, the crossing of the Berezina — draws on the classic accounts by Ségur and Caulaincourt and is among his most powerful military writing.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the appeal of Henty for modern readers? Despite their Victorian attitudes, Henty’s novels remain compelling because of their narrative drive, their vivid historical settings, and their unabashed enthusiasm for courage and adventure. For readers interested in military history, they offer an engaging introduction to dozens of campaigns and periods.