Napoleon Bonaparte

Book categories: New, Biographies, Rise & Fall, Associates, Josephine, Other Women, Stepson, Stepdaughter, Fiction, Jerome, Joseph, Pauline, Exiles & Death, Military Career, Waterloo, Russia, Era, Louisiana Purchase, Art, Napoleon II, Napoleon III, Other, Children's Books, Movies & Documentaries, French Royalty

New Books About Napoleon

Napoleon 1814: The Defence of France by Andrew Uffindell. In 1814, Napoleon was faced with an Allied invasion. The intense, fast-moving campaign that followed has been widely hailed as one of his greatest feats as a commander. This study reassesses Napoleon's military leadership and the campaign. Published in September 2009.

Aphorisms by Napoleon Bonaparte. Writer Honoré de Balzac collected Napoleon's most notable maxims: Machiavellian, cynical, dry, and even cruel. This edition published in November 2009.

The Apocalypse of Napoleon Bonaparte - His Last Years From Waterloo to St Helena by Robert Richardson. A medical biography drawn from day-to-day accounts of Napoleon's doctors. The author concludes that the emperor suffered from a gastric ulcer and dehydration that led to multiple organ failure. Published in July 2009.

The Illustrious Dead: The Terrifying Story of How Typhus Killed Napoleon's Greatest Army by Stephan Talty. No army could stand against Napoleon Bonaparte's forces, but a microscopic foe brought the emperor to his knees. Published in June 2009.

The Emperor's Last Campaign: A Napoleonic Empire in America by Emilio Ocampo. The Bonapartists who emigrated from France after Napoleon's defeat contemplated a new empire in the Western Hemisphere, with encouragement of the fallen emperor himself and his brother Joseph, former King of Spain, who lived in exile in the United States. Published in March 2009.

Clisson & Eugenie by Napoleon Bonaparte, translated by Peter Hicks. Triumphant on the field of battle, Clisson turns his back on worldly success to marry Eugénie, but how long will their love survive? Written when Napoleon was 26, this romance shows how he viewed love, women and military life. This edition published in October 2009.

Biographies

Napoleon's Road to Glory: Triumphs, Defeats & Immortality by J. David Markham. A comprehensive but concise biography of the emperor.

Napoleon by Felix M. Markham. A reconstruction of Napoleon's life based on newly rediscovered documents, including the letters of his wife Marie-Louise.

Napoleon Bonaparte: A Life by Alan Schom. Portrays Napoleon as an evil man and a poor general.

Napoleon by R. S. Alexander. Assess how Napoloen's reputation evolved and how it has been altered by such events as the World Wars, and by association with such figures as Hitler and Mussolini.

Napoleon: A Political Life by Steven Englund. This biography portrays Napoleon as deeply committed to the French Revolution, not to any specific nationality. The author explores Napoleon's power over the popular imagination, and argues against the theory that Napoleon was poisoned.

Napoleon Against Himself: A Psychobiography by Avner Falk. Considers Napoleon's intellect, emotional life , defensive processes, his family background, infancy, childhood, adolescence and adulthood, and especially his self-destructive actions.

Napoleon: A Biography by Frank McLynn. Reveals the emperor as a great man and deeply flawed human being. His obsession with his family, and his conviction that every man has his price, made him closer to a modern Mafia godfather than a visionary European.

Napoleon: Man of War, Man of Peace by Timothy Wilson-Smith. A biography that separates and compares the emperor's achievements in war and his legacy in peacetime.

Napoleon: The Path to Power by Philip Dwyer. This biography focuses on the evolution of Napoleon as a leader and debunks myths about him, revealing a ruthless, manipulative, driven man whose character has been disguised by the public image he fashioned.

Napoleon: "My Ambition Was Great" by Thierry Lentz, translated by Laurel Hirsch. A history, illustrated with more than 180 images, including paintings, prints, and maps. Includes excerpts from Napoleon's letters and journals, statements by his contemporaries, and other documents.

Napoleon: Penguin Lives Biography by Paul Johnson. In Napoleon's insatiable hunger for power, Johnson sees a realist, a brilliant opportunist, and a propagandist. Out of print, but available from Alibris.

A History of Napoleon Bonaparte, Emperor of the French by John S. C. Abbott. Biography, first published in the 19th century. Available from Alibris.

Napoleon: Conquest, Reform and Reorganization by Clive Emsley. Examines one of the most fascinating and charismatic characters of the 19th century.

Napoleon for Dummies by J. David Markham. An accessible guide to the life and legacy of France's most famous leader.

Napoleon Bonaparte by Sir Walter Scott. A biography written by the famous novelist. First published in 1827.

Napoleon's Memoirs by Napoleon Bonaparte. The emperor's life in his own words. Out of print, but available from Alibris.

Napoleon (Grandes Biografias Series) by Manuel Saurina Gimenez. A biography in Spanish.

Rise and Fall

The Rise of Napoleon Bonaparte by Robert Asprey combines biography with military history in charting the course of Napoleon's career up to 1805. Followed by a sequel: The Reign of Napoleon Bonaparte.

The Decline and Fall of Napoleon's Empire: How the Emperor Self-Destructed by Digby Smith. Highlights Napoleon's military and naval mistakes, diplomatic and political errors, and domestic and economic blunders.

Napoleon (Profiles in Power) by Geoffrey Ellis. Analyzes Napoleon's political career.

The Napoleonic Empire by Geoffrey Ellis. Was Napoleon the heir of the French Revolution, or did he distort and abandon its principles? This book offers a synthesis of the central issues in that debate.

The Legend of Napoleon by Sudhir Hazareesingh. Sheds light on France's fascination with Napoleon's memory and the tenacity of popular affection for him.

Napoleon on Project Management by Jerry Manas. Explores the key principles behind Napoleon's successes and the lessons to be learned from his downfall, and applies them to modern-day project management and leadership.

Those Who Knew Him

Memoirs of Napoleon Bonaparte by Louis Antonine Fauve De Bourrienne. First volume of an illustrated biography of the emperor, written by his private secretary (who was also his boyhood friend). Volume Two, Volume Three, and Volume Four are also available.

Napoleon and His Collaborators: The Making of a Dictatorship by Isser Woloch. Napoleon relied not only on a disciplined army, but also on skillful politicians -- some of whom came to oppose Napoleon's transformation from liberator to tyrant. (Review © Amazon.com.)

Napoleon's Marshals by R. P. Dunn-Pattison. Reveals the bravery, incompetence, loyalty, and strategic brilliance of the opportunity-hungry nobles who helped Napoleon retain the imperial crown. First published in 1909.

The Emperor's Friend: Marshal Jean Lannes by Margaret Scott Chrisawn.

At Napoleon's Side in Russia by Armand De Caulaincourt. The memoirs of one of the highest officials in the French Empire.

The Women in Napoleon's Life

Napoleon: His Wives and Women by Christopher Hibbert. About the women behind Napoleon, from his strong-willed mother and three sisters to his wives and mistresses. The emperor had passionate relationships, wildly worshipping certain women while disdaining others.

Napoleon & Marie Louise: The Emperor's Second Wife by Alan Palmer. The first detailed account of Napoleon's second, politically significant marriage to the Hapsburg archduchess Marie Louise, mother of his only son. Out of print, but available from Alibris.

Napoleon and the Woman Question: The Other Sex in French Education, Medicine, and Medical Law by June K. Burton. Examines the lives of women under the Napoleonic regime, and includes an analysis of Napoleon's personal attitudes toward women.

Women Against Napoleon: Historical and Fictional Responses to His Rise and Legacy edited by Waltraud Maeierhofer, Gertrud Roesch, and Caroline Bland. Includes contemporary letters, diaries, and writings, as well as 20th century historical fiction.

Books About Empress Josephine
Books About Josephine's Daughter Hortense
Books About Josephine's Son Eugene

Fiction

Desiree by Annemarie Selinko. Novel about the French merchant's daughter who was engaged for a time to Napoleon but instead eventually became the queen of Sweden. Out of print, but available from Alibris.

Ten Thousand Banners by Phyllis Johns. Novel about Napoleon's real-life affair with Polish countess Marie Waleska.

The Battle by Patrick Rambaud. A novelization of the battle of Essling, Napoleon's first major defeat.

The Retreat by Patrick Rambaud. Novel about Napoleon's disastrous Russian campaign.

Napoleon's Exile by Patrick Rambaud. Last book in Rambaud's trilogy of novels about Napoleon I.

Novels About Empress Josephine
Novel About Napoleon's Stepdaughter Hortense

Other Bonapartes

Books About Jerome Bonaparte
Books About Joseph Bonaparte
Books About Napoleon II
Books About Napoleon III

Napoleon's Exiles and Death

Napoleon Bonaparte: England's Prisoner: The Emperor in Exile 1816-21 by Frank Giles. In exile, Napoleon came under the supervision of Sir Hudson Lowe. What really happened? Was the fallen emperor badly treated - perhaps even poisoned? Lowe has been reviled by some historians, but Frank Giles portrays him in a more favorable light.

Escape From Elba: The Fall and Flight of Napoleon 1814-1815 by Norman MacKenzie. Chronicles the last hours of Napoleon's empire, his humiliating exile, his midnight escape and his whirlwind march over snowbound mountains to Grenoble, where he became a reigning prince again.

The Strange Death of Napoleon Bonaparte by Jerry Labriola. Suspense novel about an American historian who investigates Napoleon's death.

The Murder of Napoleon by David Hapgood and Ben Weider. Suggests that Napoleon was poisoned.

To Befriend an Emperor: Betsy Balcombe's Memoirs of Napoleon on St Helena by Betsy Balcombe. Written by a teenager who became friends with the exiled Napoleon Bonaparte. Illustrated.

A Diary of St. Helena (1816, 1817) by Clementina E. Malcolm. The journal of Lady Malcolm, wife of Sir Pulteney Malcolm, naval commander at St Helena, who recorded her husband's conversations with Napoleon.

Napoleon's Ulcer by Robert Richardson. Believing Napoleon to have been healthy at the time of his exile to St. Helena, the author reaches his own diagnosis of Napoleon's illnesses and cause of death.

Napoleon & St Helena: On the Island of Exile by Johannes Willms. Travel guide that looks at St Helena as Napoleon's final place of exile.

Who Lies Here? by Thomas Gerald Wheeler. An inquiry into Napoleon's last years. Suggests that Napoleon did not die on the island of St. Helena and that an imposter lies in the tomb at Les Invalides in Paris. Out of print, but available from Alibris.

Napoleon's Death: An Inquest by Frank M. Richardson. Out of print, but available from Alibris.

Napoleon's Last Journey by Gilbert Martineau. Scholarly account of the return of Napoleon's body from St Helena to France. From Alibris.

Napoleon as a Military Leader

Campaigns of Napoleon: The Mind and Method of History's Greatest Soldier by David G. Chandler. Examines in detail each campaign mounted and personally conducted by Napoleon, analyzing his strategies and the sources of his military ideas.

Napoleon's Wars: An International History, 1803-1815 by Charles Esdaile. Argues that Napoleon was motivated by his insatiable desire for fame, and portrays his wars as the consequence of rulers willing to take immense risks that resulted in the extinction of entire countries.

The Napoleonic Wars: The Rise of the Emperor 1805-1807 by Todd Fisher. This is a study of motives, methods and repurcussions of the Napoleonic wars.

On the Napoleonic Wars by David G. Chandler. Essays by leading historians.

Napoleon on the Art of War by Napoleon I, edited by Jay Luvaas. Provides Napoleon's views on everything, from the preparation of his forces to the organization, planning, and execution of his battles.

The Military Maxims of Napoleon edited by William E. Cairnes and David G. Chandler.

Napoleon's Conquest of Europe: The War of the Third Coalition by Frederick C. Schneid. In 1805, Napoleon marched from the English Channel to Central Europe, crushing the armies of Austria and Russia, in less than 100 days. This victory was the product of years of diplomatic preparation and alliances.

The Wars of the French Revolution and Napoleon, 1792-1815 by Owen Connelly. Examines the causes of the wars, the impact of the Revolution on future wars; Napoleon's leadership style; and more. Includes 20 detailed maps.

Thunder on the Danube: Napoleon's Defeat of the Habsburgs by John H. Gill. Examines the political background of the Franco-Austrian War of 1809, in which Napoleon faced Archduke Charles, best of the Habsburg commanders. (Volume 1)

Thunder on the Danube, Volume II: The Fall of Vienna and the Battle of Aspern by John Gill. Traces Napoleon's progress as he sought to complete his victory over the Habsburgs.

The Wars Against Napoleon: Debunking the Myth of the Napoleonic Wars by General Michel Franceschi and Ben Weider. The authors argue that Napoleon I was not a megalomaniac conqueror, but fundamentally pacifist.

Napoleon's Egypt: Invading the Middle East by Juan Cole. Tells the story of Napoleon's invasion of Egypt, the first modern attempt to invade the Arab world.

Napoleon in Egypt by Paul Strathern. Reconstructs a mission of conquest inspired by glory, executed in haste, and bound for disaster.

Napoleon and the Hundred Days by Stephen Coote. In 1815, the news arrived that Napoleon had escaped captivity and was returning to France. It would be just 100 days before he met his enemies in a final, epic battle.

Napoleon's Imperial Headquarters: The Headquarters on Campaign by Ronald Pawly. Offers an intimate glimpse of the emperor's entourage in the field.

Imperial Glory: The Bulletins of Napoleon's Grand Armee by J. David Markham. Published complete for the first time in English, these bulletins cover the period from 1805 to 1815 and describe military operations, pick out distinguished officers and units, and present Napoleon's own interpretation of battles.

The Wars of Napoleon Atlas edited by Thomas E. Griess.

Marengo And Hohenlinden: Napoleon's Rise to Power by James R. Arnold. At Marengo, Napoleon defeated the Austrians. General Jean Moreau beat the combined Austrian and Bavarian armies at Hohenlinden. These campaigns secured Napoleon's dictatorship.

Austerlitz: Napoleon and the Eagles of Europe by Ian Castle. Illustrated account of Napoleon's greatest victory and the campaign that preceded it. Reconstructs the action in every sector of the Austerlitz battlefield, using French, Austrian and Russian records.

1805: Austerlitz: Napoleon and the Destruction of the Third Coalition by Robert Goetz. A study of Napoleon's greatest victory. Dispels many of the myths surrounding the famous "battle of the three emperors."

Napoleon's Italian Campaigns: 1805-1815 by Frederick C. Schneid.

Napoleon's Campaign in Poland, 1806-1807 by F. Loraine Petre.

The Eagle's Last Triumph: Napoleon's Victory at Ligny, June 1815 by Andrew Uffindell. Provides a detailed account of the battle, including eye-witness testimony.

The Emperor's Last Victory: Napoleon and the Battle of Wagram by Gunther E. Rothenberg. Tells the story of this immense engagement from both sides, making use of both French sources and the extensive Austrian archives.

Nelson & Napoleon by Margarette Lincoln. Catalogue for an exhibition celebrating the 2005 bicentenary of the Battle of Trafalgar. Essays by leading international experts paint a vivid picture of the events and the personalities involved. Lavishly illustrated.

Blundering to Glory: Napoleon's Military Campaigns by Owen Connelly. Napoleon was the master of the broken play, so confident of his ability to improvise, cover his own mistakes, and capitalize on those of the enemies that he repeatedly plunged his armies into uncertain, seemingly desperate situations, only to emerge victorious.

Napoleon and the World War of 1813: Lessons in Coalition Warfighting by Jonathan Riley.

The Fall of Napoleon, Volume 1: The Allied Invasion of France, 1813-1814 by Michael V. Leggiere. The first complete English-language study of the invasion of France along a front that extended from Holland to Switzerland.

Napoleon, Wellington, and Waterloo

Waterloo Commanders: Napoleon, Wellington and Blucher by Andrew Uffindell. This three-part biography examines the leaders' parallel lives and extraordinary careers.

Wellington and Napoleon: Clash of Arms by Robin Neillands. Tells the story of the convergence and final clash of two of the most brilliant commanders ever to meet on the field of battle.

Waterloo: Napoleon's Last Campaign by Christopher Hibbert. Recreates the events and drama surrounding the famous battle.

The Waterloo Companion: The Complete Guide to History's Most Famous Land Battle by Mark Adkin. Describes both the battle and the campaign that preceded it in detail, drawing upon the firsthand accounts of participants on all sides. Includes many full color maps, diagrams and photographs, and 16 pages of original paintings.

More Books About Waterloo

Napoleon in Russia

Napoleon and Russia by Michael Adams. Tells the full story of Napoleon and his crucial relationship with Russia, from his rise to power to his fall and its aftermath.

Napoleon's Invasion of Russia by Theodore Ayrault Dodge. This book traces Napoleon's state of mind and the factors behind his decisions, using personal letters and genuine reports.

Moscow 1812: Napoleon's Fatal March by Adam Zamoyski. Shows how the relationship between Napoleon and Tsar Alexander came to distort their alliance and bring about a war that neither man wanted.

Napoleon's Invasion of Russia by Hereford B. George. Separates fact from fiction to provide insight into Napoleon's motives and reasons for his eventual failure.

Napoleon's Russian Campaign by Alan Palmer. Study of the events which led to Napoleon's defeat in the Russian campaign of 1912.

Napoleon's Army in Russia: The Illustrated Memoirs of Albrecht Adam, 1812 by Jonathan North. A complete set of Albrecht Adam's color plates of 1812 campaign.

Defeat: Napoleon's Russian Campaign by Philippe-Paul de Ségur, translated by J. David Townsend. The author was aide-de-camp to Napoleon, privy to the councils of the emperor's inner circle.

The Age of Napoleon

The Age of Napoleon by Susan P. Conner. Describes the emperor in his own words and the words of his contemporaries.

Napoleon and the Transformation of Europe by Alexander Grab. Explores the impact of Napoleon's domination throughout his empire and the response of the Europeans to his rule.

The Age of Napoleon by Alistair Horne. This account of the reign and legacy of Napoleon covers his birth into poverty, rise to prominence after the French Revolution, military prowess, and 20-year rule.

Napoleon and Europe edited by Phillip G. Dwyer. A critical reappraisal of Napoleon's world and his impact upon it.

Napoleon: The Man Who Shaped Europe by Ben Weider. The author is known for his books about Napoleon's death, but in this biography he also examines other mysteries of the emperor's life, including his illegitimate birth, and defends him from charges that he was an evil dictator.

The End of the Old Order: Napoleon and Europe, 1801-1805 by Frederick W. Kagan. This book -- the first volume in a four-volume study of Napoleon and Europe -- taps hitherto unused archival materials from Austria, Prussia, France, and Russia to present the balanced perspective of all of the major players of Europe.

Europe Under Napoleon, 1799-1815 by Michael Broers. This social history looks at the Napoleonic Empire from the perspective of the ruled, rather than the ruler.

Napoleon, Symbol for an Age: A Brief History With Documents by Rafe Blaufarb. A collection of primary sources, including confidential memoranda and correspondence, speeches, memoirs, letters, police reports, and songs. Includes maps, illustrations, and a chronology.

The First Total War: Napoleon's Europe and the Birth of Warfare as We Know It by David A. Bell. Argues that nearly every modern aspect of war took root in the age of Napoleon, including conscription, total disregard for the rules of combat, guerrilla warfare, and the notion of war fought for the sake of peace.

Empire Splendor: French Taste in the Age of Napoleon by Bernard Chevallier, photos by Marc Walter. A photographic odyssey through France's most splendid Neoclassical residences, including extravagant chateaus, beautiful urban palaces, and Napoleon's official homes.

Symbols of Power: Napoleon and the Art of the Empire Style, 1800-1815 by Odile Nouvel. Photograph of columns, arches, laurel wreathes, eagles, and Egyptian hieroglyphs created by master furniture-makers, silversmiths, jewelers, and porcelain and textile manufacturers. Figures of Fame and Victory abound, projecting the aura of imperial majesty.

Walks Through Napoleon and Josephine's Paris by Diana Reid Haig. This pocket-sized guide leads readers on five walks through Paris. Visit the prison where Josephine was held during the Revolution, restaurants where the couple dined, and more.

Napoleon and the British by Stuart Semmel. Reconstructs the role that the French leader played in the British political, cultural, and religious imagination in the early 19th century.

The Linguist and the Emperor: Napoleon and Champollion's Quest to Decipher the Rosetta Stone by Daniel Meyerson. The haunting saga of the Rosetta Stone, which was discovered during the Napoleonic campaign in Egypt.

Napoleon and the United States

Jefferson's Great Gamble: The Remarkable Story of Jefferson, Napoleon and the Men Behind the Louisiana Purchase by Charles A. Cerami. How American leaders outwitted Napoleon Bonaparte, the world's most powerful ruler, and secured a new future for the United States.

A Wilderness So Immense: The Louisiana Purchase and the Destiny of America by John Kukla. How rivalries between Napoleon and other leaders shaped the new American republic.

Napoleon's Troublesome Americans: Franco-American Relations, 1804-1815 by Peter P. Hill. In 1812, the U.S. Congress came within two votes of declaring war on Napoleon Bonaparte's French empire. This book details America's troubled relationship with Napoleon and explains how war was averted.

More Books About the Louisiana Purchase

Napoleon and Art & Literature

After the Revolution: Antoine-Jean Gros, Painting and Propaganda Under Napoleon Bonaparte by David O'Brien. A compelling account of a brilliant, sensitive artist working for an increasingly autocratic regime.

Napoleon the Novelist by Andrew Martin. Looks at the French emperor's interest in literature and his attempts to write fiction.

Napoleonic Art, Nationalism, and the Spirit of Rebellion in France: 1815-1848 by Barbara Ann Day-Hickman.

Napoleon and English Romanticism by Simon Bainbridge. Focusing on Wordsworth, Coleridge, Southey, Byron and Hazlitt, Bainbridge shows how Romantic writers constructed different Napoleons as part of their political and cultural debate.

More Books About French Royal History

Children's Books

Napoleon Bonaparte and Imperial France by Miriam Greenblatt. For children ages 9 to 12.

Napoleon I: Emperor and Conqueror by Kimberley Heuston. Biography from the "Wicked History" series for readers age 9 to 12.

Napoleon Bonaparte by Elaine Landau. Biography for children ages 9 to 12.

Napoleon: The Story of the Little Corporal by Robert Burleigh. Biographical picture book for children ages 4 to 8.

Napoleon by Lucy Lethbridge, illustrated by Robin Lawrie. Biography for children ages 4 to 8.

Betsy and the Emperor by Staton Rabin. Novel for young adult readers about a rebellious girl whose family is reluctantly housing a notorious prisoner: Napoleon Bonaparte.

Napoleon & Josephine: The Sword and the Hummingbird by Gerald and Loretta Hausman. Fiction for young adult readers.

Napoleon and Josephine Paper Dolls by Tom Tierney.

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Movies and Documentaries

These DVDs are formatted for North American audiences.

Napoleon Bonaparte: The Glory of France. From his Corsican origins to his ignominious defeat, trace the life and career of one of the most influential and controversial figures in history. From A&E's "Biography" series.

Napoleon and Wellington. Follow the story of the great military leaders who clashed at Waterloo. Discover the one fateful decision that told the outcome of the see-saw fight.

Napoleon: The Myth, the Battles, the Legend. Documentary. Step inside Napoleon's world through dramatic recreations of key events and large-scale reconstructions of his campaigns. An entertaining portrait of an extraordinary life.

Napoleon. Epic 1927 silent film about the emperor. A classic. Out of print, but sometimes available from Amazon.

The Conquerors: Napoleon's Greatest Victory. A look at Napoleon's stunning victory at Austerlitz.

Napoleon. A 2003 television miniseries featuring Isabella Rossellini, Gerard Depardieu, John Malkovich and Christian Clavier.