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Bonaparte: 1769–1802
Patrice Gueniffey is the leading French historian of the Revolutionary and Napoleonic age. This book, hailed as a masterwork on its publication in France, takes up the epic narrative at the heart of this turbulent period: the life of Napoleon himself, the man who—in Madame de Staël’s words—made the rest of “the human race anonymous.” Gueniffey follows Bonaparte from his obscure boyhood in Corsica, to his meteoric rise during the Italian and Egyptian campaigns of the Revolutionary wars, to his proclamation as Consul for Life in 1802. Bonaparte is the story of how Napoleon became Napoleon. A future volume will trace his career as emperor.
Most books approach Napoleon from an angle—the Machiavellian politician, the military genius, the life without the times, the times without the life. Gueniffey paints a full, nuanced portrait. We meet both the romantic cadet and the young general burning with ambition—one minute helplessly intoxicated with Josephine, the next minute dominating men twice his age, and always at war with his own family. Gueniffey recreates the violent upheavals and global rivalries that set the stage for Napoleon’s battles and for his crucial role as state builder. His successes ushered in a new age whose legacy is felt around the world today.
Averse as we are now to martial glory, Napoleon might seem to be a hero from a bygone time. But as Gueniffey says, his life still speaks to us, the ultimate incarnation of the distinctively modern dream to will our own destiny.
Most books approach Napoleon from an angle—the Machiavellian politician, the military genius, the life without the times, the times without the life. Gueniffey paints a full, nuanced portrait. We meet both the romantic cadet and the young general burning with ambition—one minute helplessly intoxicated with Josephine, the next minute dominating men twice his age, and always at war with his own family. Gueniffey recreates the violent upheavals and global rivalries that set the stage for Napoleon’s battles and for his crucial role as state builder. His successes ushered in a new age whose legacy is felt around the world today.
Averse as we are now to martial glory, Napoleon might seem to be a hero from a bygone time. But as Gueniffey says, his life still speaks to us, the ultimate incarnation of the distinctively modern dream to will our own destiny.
1024 pages, Hardcover
First published September 26, 2013
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315 people want to read
About the author
Patrice Gueniffey
22 books12 followersPatrice Gueniffey is a historian and Director of Raymond Aron Center for Political Research ( CRPRA ), which is a section of the Ecole des Hautes Etudes en Sciences Sociales ( EHESS ).
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August 20, 2020
La voix de la raison d'État
'Bonaparte' est une biographie de Napoléon qui aborde les moments-clés de son ascension au pouvoir, jusqu'au consulat à vie (2 août 1802).
Y sont étudiés :
- L'histoire générale de la Corse, en particulier depuis son transfert de la république de Gênes à la France en 1768, la place de la famille Buonaparte dans le jeu du pouvoir en Corse sous le général "national" Pascal Paoli,
- L'éducation militaire de Napoléon en France : Autun, Brienne, Paris, sa découverte précoce des violences révolutionnaire et d'un certain fanatisme d'idées,
- Le siège de Toulon face aux fédéralistes (9/1793 -> 11/1793),
- La campagne militaire d'Italie et la paix éphémère de Campoformio (1796-7),
- Le 18 fructidor (4/9/1797) : intervention militaire en soutien au Directoire, contre les royalistes.
- L'expédition d'Égypte (1798-9) : Napoléon se présente comme musulman, promet de se convertir à l'Islam ; massacre de Jaffa (2400-4000 prisonniers fusillés), empoisonnement des soldats français pestiférés et blessés,
- Le coup d'État du 18 brumaire, l'assemblée du 19 brumaire à Saint-Cloud (9 - 10/11/1799)
- Le consulat, puis le consulat à vie (2/8/1802). La politique internationale du premier consul.
Le général Bonaparte au Conseil des Cinq-Cents à Saint-Cloud, 10 novembre 1799 [=19 brumaire] - François Bouchot (1840)
MON AVIS :
Ce livre de la collection Folio histoire offre un aperçu singulièrement large de l'histoire personnelle de Napoléon Bonaparte et de celle de la société qui l'a vu se hisser aux plus hauts degrés du pouvoir personnel. L'historien spécialiste de l'histoire politique des 18e et 19e siècles Patrice Gueniffey vous guide dans la découverte des traits saillants de cette période riche de possibles de l'histoire internationale. Le volume contient une bibliographie indicative de 33 pages (format poche écrit serré), sept cartes, des notes conséquentes sur les références et les personnages qui interviennent dans cette histoire.
J'en ai appris de belles sur la fameuse expédition d'Égypte et sur le coup d'État, par certains côtés burlesque, du 18-19 brumaire... Surtout, j'ai beaucoup apprécié d'apprendre par le menu les étapes de la constitution d'une geste personnelle qui jouera beaucoup dans l'ascension de cet homme de savoir-faire et de faire-savoir. Ce livre est une tentative, à mon avis assez réussie, de comprendre d'une part la maturation du dessein politique du futur empereur, personnage par bien des côtés assez opaque, d'autre part le passage paradoxal d'une république révolutionnaire attachée (en théorie) à l'égalité et à la démocratie directe, à un régime personnel qui reprend bien des formes de l'Ancien Régime pour restaurer l'unité nationale et sauvegarder les acquis de la Révolution...
Le dix-neuf brumaire [=10 novembre 1799], Jacques Henri Sablet (1799)
LECTURES VOISINES :
Contexte historique :
La Révolution française déclare la guerre à l'Europe : L'embrasement de l'Europe à la fin du XVIIIe siècle
Histoire des guerres de Vendée
Nouvelle histoire des guerres de Vendée
Mémoires d'Outre-Tombe
Contexte scientifique :
The Invention of Nature: Alexander von Humboldt's New World
L'Egypte 1001 Photos
Contexte économique :
Capital et idéologie
Fiction historique :
La Guerre et la Paix I
La Guerre et la Paix II
Fiction :
Berezina
L'Ensorcelée
SITES COMPLÉMENTAIRES :
L'histoire par l'image :
https://histoire-image.org/fr
Historial de la Vendée (musée à Lucs-sur-Boulogne)
https://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Histori...
FOND SONORE :
Symphonie N°3 'Eroica' - Ludwig van Beethoven
'Bonaparte' est une biographie de Napoléon qui aborde les moments-clés de son ascension au pouvoir, jusqu'au consulat à vie (2 août 1802).
Y sont étudiés :
- L'histoire générale de la Corse, en particulier depuis son transfert de la république de Gênes à la France en 1768, la place de la famille Buonaparte dans le jeu du pouvoir en Corse sous le général "national" Pascal Paoli,
- L'éducation militaire de Napoléon en France : Autun, Brienne, Paris, sa découverte précoce des violences révolutionnaire et d'un certain fanatisme d'idées,
- Le siège de Toulon face aux fédéralistes (9/1793 -> 11/1793),
- La campagne militaire d'Italie et la paix éphémère de Campoformio (1796-7),
- Le 18 fructidor (4/9/1797) : intervention militaire en soutien au Directoire, contre les royalistes.
- L'expédition d'Égypte (1798-9) : Napoléon se présente comme musulman, promet de se convertir à l'Islam ; massacre de Jaffa (2400-4000 prisonniers fusillés), empoisonnement des soldats français pestiférés et blessés,
- Le coup d'État du 18 brumaire, l'assemblée du 19 brumaire à Saint-Cloud (9 - 10/11/1799)
- Le consulat, puis le consulat à vie (2/8/1802). La politique internationale du premier consul.
Le général Bonaparte au Conseil des Cinq-Cents à Saint-Cloud, 10 novembre 1799 [=19 brumaire] - François Bouchot (1840)
MON AVIS :
Ce livre de la collection Folio histoire offre un aperçu singulièrement large de l'histoire personnelle de Napoléon Bonaparte et de celle de la société qui l'a vu se hisser aux plus hauts degrés du pouvoir personnel. L'historien spécialiste de l'histoire politique des 18e et 19e siècles Patrice Gueniffey vous guide dans la découverte des traits saillants de cette période riche de possibles de l'histoire internationale. Le volume contient une bibliographie indicative de 33 pages (format poche écrit serré), sept cartes, des notes conséquentes sur les références et les personnages qui interviennent dans cette histoire.
J'en ai appris de belles sur la fameuse expédition d'Égypte et sur le coup d'État, par certains côtés burlesque, du 18-19 brumaire... Surtout, j'ai beaucoup apprécié d'apprendre par le menu les étapes de la constitution d'une geste personnelle qui jouera beaucoup dans l'ascension de cet homme de savoir-faire et de faire-savoir. Ce livre est une tentative, à mon avis assez réussie, de comprendre d'une part la maturation du dessein politique du futur empereur, personnage par bien des côtés assez opaque, d'autre part le passage paradoxal d'une république révolutionnaire attachée (en théorie) à l'égalité et à la démocratie directe, à un régime personnel qui reprend bien des formes de l'Ancien Régime pour restaurer l'unité nationale et sauvegarder les acquis de la Révolution...
Le dix-neuf brumaire [=10 novembre 1799], Jacques Henri Sablet (1799)
LECTURES VOISINES :
Contexte historique :
La Révolution française déclare la guerre à l'Europe : L'embrasement de l'Europe à la fin du XVIIIe siècle
Histoire des guerres de Vendée
Nouvelle histoire des guerres de Vendée
Mémoires d'Outre-Tombe
Contexte scientifique :
The Invention of Nature: Alexander von Humboldt's New World
L'Egypte 1001 Photos
Contexte économique :
Capital et idéologie
Fiction historique :
La Guerre et la Paix I
La Guerre et la Paix II
Fiction :
Berezina
L'Ensorcelée
SITES COMPLÉMENTAIRES :
L'histoire par l'image :
https://histoire-image.org/fr
Historial de la Vendée (musée à Lucs-sur-Boulogne)
https://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Histori...
FOND SONORE :
Symphonie N°3 'Eroica' - Ludwig van Beethoven
March 21, 2018
Having read my fair share of Napoleon biographies over the last few years, this volume stands above all others. In the 1000 pages, I not only learnt things no other biography has mentioned, but felt I got a greater insight into Napoleon as an individual.
Unlike most biographies, this one doesn’t spend too much time regurgitating the same stories about Napoleon’s brilliant military victories, but focuses (particularly in the second half) on how Napoleon went from General, to a masterful politician and being proclaimed ‘Consul for Life’.
Credit also to the translator for ensuring an extremely detailed and readable translation of the original text. I look forward to the following volume in the future.
Unlike most biographies, this one doesn’t spend too much time regurgitating the same stories about Napoleon’s brilliant military victories, but focuses (particularly in the second half) on how Napoleon went from General, to a masterful politician and being proclaimed ‘Consul for Life’.
Credit also to the translator for ensuring an extremely detailed and readable translation of the original text. I look forward to the following volume in the future.
April 24, 2017
Am loving it so far. I figured once you've read one Napoleon book they would all sound the same. This one is extremely well written and very engaging, I cannot put it down. Am a little more then halfway through it and can definitely say it is probably my favorite Bonaparte book to date I have read. Looking forward to the second half of the collection which will deal with Napoleon as Emperor.
Finished Thoughts..
It was by the far best biography of Napoleon I have thus far read. Highly readable and it fleshes out different issues during his ascension that had been glossed over in previous biographies
Finished Thoughts..
It was by the far best biography of Napoleon I have thus far read. Highly readable and it fleshes out different issues during his ascension that had been glossed over in previous biographies
February 13, 2016
Bonaparte: 1769-1802 (English translation, 2015), the first of two volumes by French historian Patrice Gueniffey, is a different take on Napoleon than the one-volume bio by Andrew Roberts that made my list last year. Much less of a military biography, Gueniffey’s book is an extended essay that more fully places Bonaparte within the political upheaval of the Revolution. He demonstrates how the young Corsican, despite some mistakes (notably during his coup of Brumaire), ran rings around the ideologues, rival generals, and venal politicians who comprised France’s revolving door revolutionary governments, and himself learned to govern above party in Italy and Egypt. No one else could have reconciled France’s monarchical past and its bloody revolution with a vision of a progressive future. How that reconciliation came at the price of subservience to one man’s will and a future of endless war is also part of the story.
April 26, 2016
When it comes to Napoleon Bonaparte there is no shortage of books written about the man. For decades a steady stream of studies about his life and accomplishments have bene produced, and the thriving industry of Napoleonic studies shows no signs of hitting a slump. The sheer volume, though, poses a challenge of assessment: which one to read?
Recently I decided to answer that question for myself. With the help of a friend who is a self-described Napoleon fan I decided to assess which of the major two-volume Napoleon biographies are the best. I decided to focus on these both for the depth of analysis they presumably offer and for the stature in the historical profession possessed by their authors, all of whom are leading scholars of French history, and we started with the recently translated first volume of Patrice Gueniffey's projected two-volume biography of Bonaparte. Gueniffey, who is the director of the Ramond Aron Center for Political Research at the Ecole des Hautes Etudes en Sciences Sociales, has written a rich study of Bonaparte that stretches from his Corsican background to just before his establishment of his emperorship. In depth of analysis and in tone it reminds me more than just a little of Michael Burlingame's great two-volume Abraham Lincoln: A Life, a work that is the product of enormous depth of study and understanding of its subject. Though generally an admirer of Bonaparte, Gueniffey pulls no punches in his criticisms, and his book is much the better for it, Reading it helped fill in many of the gaps I had in my knowledge about Bonaparte's early years, particularly regarding his relationship with his first wife Josephine, his ascent to power in 1799, and his political achievements in office. In a way, though, I regret having made it our first selection, as after finishing it it's difficult to imagine the other books measuring up to it in terms of detail, insights, and readability.
Recently I decided to answer that question for myself. With the help of a friend who is a self-described Napoleon fan I decided to assess which of the major two-volume Napoleon biographies are the best. I decided to focus on these both for the depth of analysis they presumably offer and for the stature in the historical profession possessed by their authors, all of whom are leading scholars of French history, and we started with the recently translated first volume of Patrice Gueniffey's projected two-volume biography of Bonaparte. Gueniffey, who is the director of the Ramond Aron Center for Political Research at the Ecole des Hautes Etudes en Sciences Sociales, has written a rich study of Bonaparte that stretches from his Corsican background to just before his establishment of his emperorship. In depth of analysis and in tone it reminds me more than just a little of Michael Burlingame's great two-volume Abraham Lincoln: A Life, a work that is the product of enormous depth of study and understanding of its subject. Though generally an admirer of Bonaparte, Gueniffey pulls no punches in his criticisms, and his book is much the better for it, Reading it helped fill in many of the gaps I had in my knowledge about Bonaparte's early years, particularly regarding his relationship with his first wife Josephine, his ascent to power in 1799, and his political achievements in office. In a way, though, I regret having made it our first selection, as after finishing it it's difficult to imagine the other books measuring up to it in terms of detail, insights, and readability.
November 25, 2016
I have read countless biographies of Napoleon and u thought I could not learn anything new really, but this book surprised me by how much I didn't know yet. Wonderful book in 1000 pages. You wish it was 2000. By far the best biography I read!!! Can't wait for second volume to come out
November 14, 2016
"Now one only spoke of the man fated to take the place of all others and render the human race anonymous by monopolizing celebrity." – Madame de Staël
January 16, 2017
Gueniffey writes a highly interesting account of Bonaparte's rise. Instead of questioning whether Bonaparte was a force for good or bad, he is more concerned with sharing the tale of Bonaparte's unrivalled meteoric rise. As a reader, this was an appreciated strategy. Napoleon's rise from a random small gentry family to Consul for Life in a country he wasn't even born in is remarkable, and shouldn't be tainted by editorializing Napoleon's rise.
A second aspect Gueniffey pulled off extremely well was taking the care to expose relevant social and geopolitical contexts in depth. Some historians are hyper focused on their specific subject, but then assume the reader has a mastery of the complicated internal or external geopolitical and social issues of an obscure mid-sized European duchy. When the historian then ties in his subject to the events of states surrounding him, the reader doesn't have sufficient context to appreciate the motives and the complexity of what was accomplished. Not so with Gueniffey, he will go into relevant detail on the factors at play in late 18th century Italy, France's relationship with England and Austria, and providing background on Egypt, the Ottoman Empire and the Mamluks. This puts into perfect context most of Napoleon's achievements and generates deeper understanding of his genius and fortune for the reader.
On the flip side, the book is a little too long. Despite being an enjoyable read with good prose, at one point you become saturated with a single subject and are ready to move on, and in this case there were still hundreds of pages left. Secondly, Gueniffey chose to enter into the details of the French Revolution in the final third of the book as Napoleon's political career takes off. Given the importance of the Revolution on current events in the beginning of Napoleon's adulthood, it was hard at first to fully understand the interplay among contemporary political powers without real understanding of the Jacobins, the Directory, the Convention, the Vendémiens, etc.
A second aspect Gueniffey pulled off extremely well was taking the care to expose relevant social and geopolitical contexts in depth. Some historians are hyper focused on their specific subject, but then assume the reader has a mastery of the complicated internal or external geopolitical and social issues of an obscure mid-sized European duchy. When the historian then ties in his subject to the events of states surrounding him, the reader doesn't have sufficient context to appreciate the motives and the complexity of what was accomplished. Not so with Gueniffey, he will go into relevant detail on the factors at play in late 18th century Italy, France's relationship with England and Austria, and providing background on Egypt, the Ottoman Empire and the Mamluks. This puts into perfect context most of Napoleon's achievements and generates deeper understanding of his genius and fortune for the reader.
On the flip side, the book is a little too long. Despite being an enjoyable read with good prose, at one point you become saturated with a single subject and are ready to move on, and in this case there were still hundreds of pages left. Secondly, Gueniffey chose to enter into the details of the French Revolution in the final third of the book as Napoleon's political career takes off. Given the importance of the Revolution on current events in the beginning of Napoleon's adulthood, it was hard at first to fully understand the interplay among contemporary political powers without real understanding of the Jacobins, the Directory, the Convention, the Vendémiens, etc.
April 26, 2025
La voluminosa biografía de Patrice Gueniffey sobre Napoleón, la cual estudia sus orígenes y el camino que lo llevó a ostentar el poder absoluto en Francia al ser proclamado cónsul vitalicio en 1802.
Erudición y una prosa ágil hacen de este libro, a pesar de sus intimidantes más de 800 páginas, un estudio muy completo y que, a su vez, se lee como un manual del periodo 1789-1802. En él se trata no solo la vida de Napoleón, sino el contexto social, económico, cultural, religioso y político de Francia y el concierto de las naciones de Europa y las colonias. La explicación de los hechos deja al lector la comprensión de la totalidad histórica del periodo que narra.
Debo admitir que tuve dificultades en los primeros capítulos relativos a las campañas de Napoleón (Tolón en adelante) ya que se describen planes de batallas y demás datos geográficos que, para alguien que tiene familiaridad con la geografía europea, requerían un esfuerzo adicional para ubicarme (la edición contiene algunos mapas).
Finalmente, el libro es tan bueno que, al terminar el último capítulo en 1802 , predentando a un Napoleón con poderes vitalicios, uno desea que el libro tenga más capítulos y siga narrando y analizando la vida de este gran personaje hasta su final en 1821. Pocos libros generan esa sensación en el lector.
Erudición y una prosa ágil hacen de este libro, a pesar de sus intimidantes más de 800 páginas, un estudio muy completo y que, a su vez, se lee como un manual del periodo 1789-1802. En él se trata no solo la vida de Napoleón, sino el contexto social, económico, cultural, religioso y político de Francia y el concierto de las naciones de Europa y las colonias. La explicación de los hechos deja al lector la comprensión de la totalidad histórica del periodo que narra.
Debo admitir que tuve dificultades en los primeros capítulos relativos a las campañas de Napoleón (Tolón en adelante) ya que se describen planes de batallas y demás datos geográficos que, para alguien que tiene familiaridad con la geografía europea, requerían un esfuerzo adicional para ubicarme (la edición contiene algunos mapas).
Finalmente, el libro es tan bueno que, al terminar el último capítulo en 1802 , predentando a un Napoleón con poderes vitalicios, uno desea que el libro tenga más capítulos y siga narrando y analizando la vida de este gran personaje hasta su final en 1821. Pocos libros generan esa sensación en el lector.
September 9, 2018
With so many Napoleon biographies coming out in the bicentennial year of Waterloo, I plumped for Gueniffey's - partly because it promised to be a serious two-decker, and partly because I preferred to read a French biography of one of France's most famous rulers.
Volume 1 did not disappoint, although at over 800 pages of text it is seriously dense and there is a lot of detail there will be of little interest to those outside of the world of obsessive Napoleonica (is that a word?) One of the fascinating things about reading a French, rather than Anglo-Saxon, biography is the confidence that the Gueniffey still retains in the biographer's voice and opinion. The narrative is frequently interrupted by historical philosophy with big questions raised over the role of the individual in history, the moments when greatness is achieved and whether greatness is down to luck, birth or other factors. British biographies lost this kind of pontificating a century ago.
Credit must also go to the translator who has done an excellent job in making this biography readable and fluent.
Volume 1 did not disappoint, although at over 800 pages of text it is seriously dense and there is a lot of detail there will be of little interest to those outside of the world of obsessive Napoleonica (is that a word?) One of the fascinating things about reading a French, rather than Anglo-Saxon, biography is the confidence that the Gueniffey still retains in the biographer's voice and opinion. The narrative is frequently interrupted by historical philosophy with big questions raised over the role of the individual in history, the moments when greatness is achieved and whether greatness is down to luck, birth or other factors. British biographies lost this kind of pontificating a century ago.
Credit must also go to the translator who has done an excellent job in making this biography readable and fluent.
July 24, 2022
Este debe ser de los libros de historia más impresionante, mejor escrito, y más erúdito, que he leído (ahí en la cima con Berlín de Beevor). Casi mil páginas que se hacen pocas para relatar la primera mitad de la vida de Bonaparte, desde su nacimiento hasta el consulado, cuando los franceses que diez años atrás habían hecho la revolución para sacar la monarquía lo eligen en las urnas Consul vitalicio. Bonaparte (Geniffey insiste en que aún no es "Napoleón", sino "Bonaparte"), queda la impresión, debe ser de las personas que mejor ha comprendido la naturaleza humana (no sé cómo calza eso con la afirmación de Nietzsche de que Napoleón era uno de los ejemplos históricos del Superhombre); fue un asesino, es cierto, pero entendió mejor al humano, que los que hicieron la revolución francesa, quienes no fueron menos asesinos que él. Fascinante y aterrador por igual.
December 26, 2023
A sine qua non in Napoleonology. This is a masterful research, rich in detail and opening many new perspectives on the subject. My only problem with the book is its style of writing which I sometimes found a bit "heavy" for my taste. In any case this is a book that should be read by anyone who claims to have interest in the Napoleonic period.
June 6, 2022
Die ultimative Napoleon Biographie, von seinen ersten Lebensjahren bis zur Erlangung des Konsulats. Gueniffey beschreibt Bonaparte als einen Mann der Revolution, der sie gleichzeitig verabscheut, obwohl er ihr alles verdankt.
May 7, 2024
This is the greatest biography of Bonaparte that I have read. Patrice is a wonderful writer, and I am astonished that this is a translation from French! It reads as native English. The translator has done a fantastic job.
February 10, 2021
La meilleure biographie de Bonaparte, tout simplement. En espérant avoir un jour la suite, celle-ci s'arrêtant à la proclamation du Consulat à vie
March 6, 2024
What a legend
August 4, 2024
Extraordinary, need to revisit before another volume.
April 18, 2016
Very very well written. Gives new insight not only into Napoleon's and Josephine's political and personal relationship, but gives new insight into his Egyptian campaign and his new peace with Britain in 1802. Makes you really wonder if Napoleon agreed to peace, knowing war would follow. Not a book for the light hearted. Is definitely a project (800) but worth the read if you have a free wekeend :)
January 3, 2025
This is the first volume of a two-volume biography, and it's absolutely massive; probably too much so for most people. I find that really big biographies of this sort are way too detailed for the general reader; they get so far into the weeds that you can't see the forest for the trees. A very impressive piece of scholarship though.
Displaying 1 - 20 of 20 reviews