Napoleon Bonaparte: A Life

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You won't come away from this energetic biography thinking much of the French emperor either as a man or as a general. Historian Alan Schom depicts Napoleon (1769-1821) as a cold-hearted manipulator: Schom's blistering accounts of the 1798-99 Egyptian campaign and the disastrous 1812 retreat from Russia show the French army decimated due to its leader's failure to inform himself about the lands he was invading or to properly plan for provisioning his troops. The fun of this book comes from vigorous prose that vividly evokes Bonaparte's titanic personality and the colorful band of schemers surrounding him.

Book Description

A definitive biography of Bonaparte from his birth in Corsica to his death in exile on St Helena, this book examines all aspects of Bonaparte's spectacular rise to power and his dizzying fall. It offers close examination of battlefield victories, personal torments, military genius, Bonaparte's titanic ego and his relationships with the French government, Talleyrand, Wellington and Josephine. A consummate biography of a complex man.

Customer Reviews:

Readable, but one-sided.......2007-07-18

This is a very readable book, for which I give the author, Schom, some credit. His writing style is somewhat crude but he advances the narrative at a brisk pace, which keeps the reader interested. I managed to read all 800 pages in three weeks.

However, I ultimately came away disappointed. This is about a man for whom huge numbers of people - French and otherwise - were strongly attached to and willing to die for, yet reading this you'd be hard-pressed to understand why. The author, despite his claims of attempting to write as objective a biography as possible, clearly dislikes his subject and portrays him in an extremely harsh light. Some of his criticisms are quite legitimate and should not be glossed over, but others are downright misleading. For instance, Schom repeatedly argues that Napoleon's wars were all of his own making (the words "pointless" and "useless" get used a lot), yet in many cases he went to war only after an act of belligerence on the part of another country. Schom makes a big deal of peace offerings made to Napoleon that he passed up - especially one offered by Britain in 1806 - overlooking the fact that France had signed a number of such treaties since the mid-1790s, only to face war against the same country within a few years. Schom seems to regard all peace initiatives made by France as false and nothing more than respites from fighting, when the same could almost certainly be said of his rivals' initiatives.

Schom also largely glosses over Napoleon's civil accomplishments, both domestic and foreign. Schom flatly states that he undid everything the Revolution accomplished, ignoring the fact that Napoleon upheld the principle of equality before the law and the tax collector - revolutionary ideas for his day - and granted complete freedom of religion for Protestants and Jews. His Civil Code - which still forms the basis of many countries' legal systems - is hardly mentioned at all. And that he abolished serfdom and instituted freedom of religion in his conquered territories is not mentioned. This is disappointing, especially when Schom emphasizes time and again the harsher aspects of his civil rule (mainly taxation and conscription). That all of his enemies, with the possible exception of Britain, were considerably more reactionary politically is not mentioned, either.

In short, this is a legitimately interesting book to read (my only complaint from that standpoint is that the maps could be better), but the author's harsh opinions about his subject cause him to omit important information that would provide the reader with a more balanced view.

Pretty good, but not perfect.......2007-06-17

A very negative view of Napoleon, however possibly the most accurate. Though the author continues to consider Napoleon as a military genius, he focuses on failures such as Egypt, the English Channel, Russia, and Waterloo. Clearly the accounts of Field Marshall Davout success despite being severely outnumbered subtract from Napoleon's brilliance. It would of been a grand addition for a chapter on him as their was on Fouche.
Most opposed to this account of Napoleon do not wish to acknowledge that he was bad enough to: have Europe align against him, his warmongering, his manipulation(his coup d'etat alone shows manipulation), a crushed European economy, etc.
In many ways this book can be seen as overly negative, but i can imagine it only counteracts all the overly positive accounts of his life. Perhaps this book with one of the more positive accounts of Napoleons life would give you the most precise understanding possible of Napoleon, a real man, not a mythical hero, legend, or tyrant.
For those who believe Schom is simply out to get Napoleon/France, the Germanic name would lead me to believe he's already been satisfied twice over.

Readable, despite flaws..........2007-05-16

I am not student enough of Napoleon Bonaparte to determine whether Schom's biography was "overly" negative. Thus, to comment on this unexpected controversy, as others have done, would be improper. Suffice it to say that the book is largely readable if lacking the excitement one would expect from such a life. It hovers just above average in it's ability to generate page-turning momentum.

Where the book falters most blatantly is in the maps Schom chose to accompany his battlefied narratives. These maps show no troop movements whatsoever and in many instances show no troop locations either. Napoleon's military genius (or extraordinary luck, according to Schom) is constantly referred to, therefore it is more than annoying that no one thought to strategically plot Austerlitz, Smolensk, Leipzig, or even Waterloo cartographically. It *is* Napoleon, for crying out loud.

Bonaparte's civil and military subordinates receive ample space as do the various loves of his life. Josephine is portrayed somewhat less flatteringly than posterity would generally admit. Indeed, no one on the side of empire is given so much as a kudo outside the invincible Marshal Davout. But, then, world domination rarely has it's retrospective proponents.

I enjoyed the book though I pecked at it occasionally as, in places, it became something of a chore. The knowledge gleaned was a definite plus, but, for reasons acknowledged, I would be hard-pressed to rate Napoleon Bonaparte: A Life anything above 3 stars.

Garbage.......2007-01-09

This book is garbage the author really seems to hate Napoleon, and think all his genius was luck, everything about the bonapartes is evil according to this author. I'd pay more for paper towels than this book

200 years and still controversal.......2006-12-22

I have mixed feelings about this book. I think it was a good read, but very anti-Bonaparte. It is a measure of this man that he can spark such angry commentaries almost 200 years after his death.
The contrast between this book and earlier efforts such as "Anatomy of Glory" and "The Campaigns of Napoleon" is quite striking.
I would not read this book in isolation, but as a counter-balance to other more pro-Napoleon biographies.
Bonaparte was far too complicated a man and ruler to be simplistically portrayed as either all bad or all good.

The Early Life and First Campaigns of Napoleon Bonaparte (Notable American Authors)

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The Early Life and First Campaigns of Napoleon Bonaparte (Notable American Authors)
Benjamin Perley Poore
Manufacturer: Reprint Services Corp
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Library Binding

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ASIN: 0781287618

The Burlesque Napoleon: The Story of the Life and the Kingship of Jerome Napoleon Bonaparte

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The Burlesque Napoleon: The Story of the Life and the Kingship of Jerome Napoleon Bonaparte
Philip W. Sergeant
Manufacturer: Kessinger Publishing
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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Book Description

Youngest Brother Of Napoleon The Great.

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The Life of Napoleon Bonaparte
Walter, Sir Scott
Manufacturer: University Press of the Pacific
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 1410204839

Book Description

Sir Walter Scott (1771-1832) first published his influential biography on Napoleon in 1827. The work represents an important contemporary contribution to the study of France during the Napoleonic Era. Sir Walter Scott had the advantage of visiting the field of Waterloo, and of conversing with officers engaged in the battle -thus his narrative may be accepted as essentially accurate. The British government had granted him free access to archives dealing with Napoleon's exile in St. Helena.

Life of Napoleon Bonaparte Emperor of the French

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Life of Napoleon Bonaparte Emperor of the French
Young American's Library
Manufacturer: Kessinger Publishing
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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Containing Numerous Anecdotes Of His Court And Times.

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The Life Of Napoleon Bonaparte
John Abbott
Manufacturer: Kessinger Publishing
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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The Life Of Napoleon Bonaparte V2: Emperor Of The French With A Preliminary View Of The French Revolution

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The Life Of Napoleon Bonaparte V2: Emperor Of The French With A Preliminary View Of The French Revolution
Sir Walter Scott
Manufacturer: Kessinger Publishing, LLC
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: 1428646027

The life of Napoleon the Great (Napoleon Bonaparte), Emperor of the French

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The life of Napoleon the Great (Napoleon Bonaparte), Emperor of the French
Walter Scott
Manufacturer: Lippincott
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Unknown Binding

The Corsican: A Diary of Napoleon's Life in His Own Words

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The Corsican: A Diary of Napoleon's Life in His Own Words
Napoleon Bonaparte , and R. M. Johnston
Manufacturer: University Press of the Pacific
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 141020863X

Book Description

The text (with the exception of a few bracketed passages) is derived entirely from Napoleon's own words, written and spoken. What truth this book conveys is not to be sought according to those rules for the treatment of historical documents which it avowedly contravenes, but in such psychological illumination of a great career and character as the method employed has rendered possible. For objectively Napoleon rarely, if ever, speaks the truth; yet subjectively how can he speak otherwise?

Memoirs of Napoleon Bonaparte (Memoirs of Napolean Bonaparte)

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Memoirs of Napoleon Bonaparte (Memoirs of Napolean Bonaparte)
Louis Antonine Fauve De Bourrienne , and Ramsay Weston Phipps
Manufacturer: University Press of the Pacific
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0898753457

Book Description

This is Volume 2 of a four volume set

This incredible set begins with Napoleon's birth in Corsica in 1769 and ends with his entombment in the Invalides in Paris in 1840, further set off by an additional section back of Volume IV, Napoleon's Will. (And, no, he didn't leave it all to Josephine. They divorced in 1809. Four months later, he married Archduchess Marie Louise. She didn't get anything either.) That aside, these four illustrated volumes include chronologies, text, letters, and many many insights, both personal and professional, into the life and mind of a titan in world history.

Book Description

"Melchior's masterful memoir of his days as an American Counterintelligence operative during World War II makes indelible an era that must never be lost to historical memory. With wit and compassion he deftly recalls those days when good and evil were clearly defined."—Warren Adler, author of The War of the Roses

"Every page crackles with suspense, suprise, and danger. Case By Case is must-read book for any historian, military buff or lover of adventure!"—Ralph B. White, President of the Adventurer's Club

Customer Reviews:

Melchoir's Gift .......2004-12-18

If you are in the least way interested in hisrory or the founding of the intelligence services in the US; this book is a must have. Every page reveals more excitement in WWII Europe. Probably one of the best books I have had the pleasure of reading.

Case By Case A U.S. Army Counterintelligence Agent In World War II

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Case By Case A U.S. Army Counterintelligence Agent In World War II
Melchior Ib
Manufacturer: Presidio
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000UDJ03U

Book Description

The dramatic unfolding of how, against seemingly hopeless odds at the end of World War II, the most important international organization in the world, the United Nations, came to be.

In Act of Creation, Steven Schlesinger tells a pivotal and little-known story of how Secretary of State Edward Stettinius and the new American President, Harry Truman, picked up the pieces of the shattered campaign initiated by Franklin Roosevelt to create a "United Nations." Using secret agents, financial resources, and their unrivaled position of power, they overcame the intrigues of Stalin, the reservations of wartime allies like Winston Churchill, the discontent of smaller states, and a skeptical press corps to found the United Nations. The author reveals how the UN nearly collapsed several times during the conference over questions of which states should have power, who should be admitted, and how authority should be divided among its branches. By shedding new light on leading participants like John Foster Dulles, John F. Kennedy, Adlai Stevenson, Nelson Rockefeller, and E. B White, Act of Creation provides a fascinating tale of twentieth-century history not to be missed.

Customer Reviews:

The Birth of the United Nations.......2007-06-25

This book takes the reader through the San Francisco conference that established the United Nations (UN) and shows how the organization came into being. This is not meant to serve as a history of the UN and it does not take a position on whether it is good or bad. It merely discusses the differences that the nations had in the big power arena and focuses on a couple of the bigger disputes. The decision to add Belarus and Ukraine to the delegation but not Poland is explored as well as what to do with Argentina. The Truman administration inherited a tough war and an even tougher peace. The United Nations framework was built on the Yalta agreements which Truman was not even at. Sttennius and his state department team would be the real victors with the establishment of the UN despite Truman's desire to install a new secretary of state. The book has several areas where the language is unclear and it is hard to follow the authors point but largely it is well done and good analysis. The author knows his subject well and it is an excellent look at how diplomatic history should be done. If you really want to learn about how the UN was started this is the book to use.

would you like to go to the back satge of the UN creation?.......2004-09-13

If your answer to the title of this review is YES, so you should buy this book. I just got it a few days ago and i can't stop reading it. It's amaizing how the author tells all the story behind the creation of the UN. Specially all the effort of FDR to gather some of the most powerful nations in wartime. If you belive in the values of the united nations, so you would like to know who its fathers are.

Good summary.......2004-06-08

Schlesinger gives us a good overview of the impetus for and process of creating the UN. There are some interesting, provocative events told in this story, but I finished the book thinking the story could (should) have been more interesting. That said, it was a decent, consistent read--a good case study in "getting to 'yes'".

Praise for a corrupt and greedy world-conqueror.......2004-05-03

What is missing from American readers is an ability to read between the lines, and a state of denial of where this world is heading. Why do Democrats try to portray the need for the UN? They condition us to think the sky will fall without their "international" support. Did you know that America abandoned China, refusing even to sell them weapons, all the while, they were being taken over by the communists who control china today, and were members of the U.N. while the nationalists China were removed from membership. I think the best thing this country could do is leave the U.N.
Read the book "The Insiders: Architects of the New World Order" for a real education. Or "None Dare Call it Conspiracy."
if can't find here, try ebay.

A Great Book!.......2004-04-07

I enjoyed this book immensely! It kept my interest from the time you learn of Roosevelt's death to Truman's speech at the inauguration of the United Nations. You learn about some of Roosevelt's thoughts on the need for the UN. Most importantly you learn about the true architects of the UN charter. You learn of the people involved and the opposing viewpoints that shaped the language of the charter. It is not a stuffy book nor a read with big words. It is a down to earth, straight forward review of the UN's beginning. I would recommend this book to anyone with an interest in world politics.

Act of Creation: The Founding of the United Nations, A Story of Superpowers, Secret Agents, Wartime Allies and Enemies and Their Quest for a Peaceful World.(Book ... Review) : An article from: The Historian

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Act of Creation: The Founding of the United Nations, A Story of Superpowers, Secret Agents, Wartime Allies and Enemies and Their Quest for a Peaceful World.(Book ... Review) : An article from: The Historian
John A., Jr. Moore
Manufacturer: Thomson Gale
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Digital

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This digital document is an article from The Historian, published by Thomson Gale on March 22, 2005. The length of the article is 542 words. The page length shown above is based on a typical 300-word page. The article is delivered in HTML format and is available in your Amazon.com Digital Locker immediately after purchase. You can view it with any web browser.

Citation Details
Title: Act of Creation: The Founding of the United Nations, A Story of Superpowers, Secret Agents, Wartime Allies and Enemies and Their Quest for a Peaceful World.(Book Review)
Author: John A., Jr. Moore
Publication: The Historian (Magazine/Journal)
Date: March 22, 2005
Publisher: Thomson Gale
Volume: 67 Issue: 1 Page: 181(1)

Article Type: Book Review

Distributed by Thomson Gale

Book Description

Poetry, for Jed Rasula, bears traces of our entanglement with our surroundings, and these traces define a collective voice in modern poetry independent of the more specific influences and backgrounds of the poets themselves. In This Compost Rasula surveys both the convictions asserted by American poets and the poetics they develop in their craft, all with an eye toward an emerging ecological worldview. Rasula begins by examining poets associated with Black Mountain College in the 1950s--Charles Olson, Robert Creeley, and Robert Duncan--and their successors. But This Compost extends to include earlier poets like Robinson Jeffers, Ezra Pound, Louis Zukofsky, Kenneth Rexroth, and Muriel Rukeyser, as well as Clayton Eshleman, Gary Snyder, Michael McClure, and other contemporary poets. Walt Whitman and Emily Dickinson also make appearances. Rasula draws this diverse group of poets together, uncovering how the past is a "compost" fertilizing the present. He looks at the heritage of ancient lore and the legacy of modern history and colonial violence as factors contributing to ecological imperatives in modern poetry. This Compost restores the dialogue between poetic language and the geophysical, biological realm of nature that so much postmodern discourse has sought to silence. It is a fully developed, carefully argued book that deals with an underrepresented element in modern American culture, where the natural world and those who write about it have been greatly neglected in contemporary literary history and theory.

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