Napoleon: A Concise BiographyThis book provides a concise, accurate, and lively portrait of Napoleon Bonaparte's character and career, situating him firmly in historical context. David Bell emphasizes the astonishing sense of human possibility--for both good and ill--that Napoleon represented. By his late twenties, Napoleon was already one of the greatest generals in European history. At thirty, he had become absolute master of Europe's most powerful country. In his early forties, he ruled a European empire more powerful than any since Rome, fighting wars that changed the shape of the continent and brought death to millions. Then everything collapsed, leading him to spend his last years in miserable exile in the South Atlantic. Bell emphasizes the importance of the French Revolution in understanding Napoleon's career. The revolution made possible the unprecedented concentration of political authority that Napoleon accrued, and his success in mobilizing human and material resources. Without the political changes brought about by the revolution, Napoleon could not have fought his wars. Without the wars, he could not have seized and held onto power. Though his virtual dictatorship betrayed the ideals of liberty and equality, his life and career were revolutionary. |
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allies Armée Austerlitz Austrian Austrian Empire battle battlefield Bourbon Bourbon dynasty Britain British brother Caesar Carl von Clausewitz century Church civic equality coalition colonial commanders Consul Corsica country’s coup decade defeat despite Directory early Egypt Egyptian Elba emperor empire enemies Europe European executive exile Eylau forces Fouché France France's French army French Revolution French revolutionary Germany glory Grande Armée guerrilla historians hundred imperial island Italian Italy Jean-Paul Marat Joachim Murat Joseph Joséphine killed king Laffrey later London Louis XVIII Lucien major March Marengo massive Metternich military Moscow Naples Napoleon Bonaparte Napoléon III Napoleon took National navy officer Old Regime Oxford Paoli Paris Pasquale Paoli peace political Quoted in Englund radical remained royal royalist rule Saint Helena Saint-Domingue social soldiers soon Spain Spanish Steven Englund Talleyrand territory thousand tion troops Tsar Alexander turned University Press victory Waterloo wrote York