I usually don't like historical settings much, but this one was used very well. I'm no history buff, but one of the things I happen to remember is that Napoleon's first great defeat was trying to attack Russia--In a country so vast it became a war of attrition, and he ended up heading in during winter. Presumably that's where the Sicilian's oft-quoted line came from: "Never get involved in a land war in Asia. But only slightly less well-known is this: Never go up against a Sicilian when death is on the line! Hahahahaha! Hahahahaa! HAhaha--"
It did make me feel like I was there, and though i guessed that the other soldier was the living dead, it didn't bother me to know that well before the protagonist--the anticipation of the reveal was as great as the reveal itself.
This one my dad might even like--he is a huge history buff, and he's told me about Napoleon's attempt to attack Russia many a time before. He doesn't usually read horror or science fiction, but the historical setting might be enough to draw him in.
