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Napoleon on Napoleon: An Autobiography of the Emperor
This is an illustrated "autobiography" of the Emperor Napoleon compiled from his commentaries and memoirs dictated on St Helena, edited and put into chronological order. The text spans his childhood in Corsica to exile on St Helena and covers family feuds, divorce from Josephine, retreat from Moscow, Waterloo and more - all in his own words. Napoleon was in inveterate writer, he dictated obsessively and edited his own scripts. He was also very aware of his position as one of history's great leaders. The book should be useful to military enthusiasts, historians and writers.
288 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1823
About the author
Napoléon Bonaparte
1,669 books554 followersNapoleon I, originally Napoleon Bonaparte and known as "the Little Corporal," a brilliant strategist, overthrew the directory in 1799 and was proclaimed first consul and later Emperor of the French and king of Italy from 1804. His military and political might gripped Continental Europe, but after a disastrous campaign in Russia in winter 1812, he was forced to abdicate in 1814. Exiled to the island of Elba, he escaped and briefly regained power before ultimately being defeated at Waterloo in 1815. He was then exiled to Saint Helena, where he died of cancer in 1821.
Trained in mainland as an artillery officer, he rose to prominence as a general of the revolution and led several successes against the arrayed coalitions. In late 1799, Napoleon staged a coup d'état and installed for five years. In the decade of the 19th century, he turned the armies and dominated almost everyone through extensive alliance systems and a lengthy streak of major victories, epitomized through battles, such as Austerlitz and Friedland. He appointed close friends and several members of his family as monarchs and important government figures of dominated states.
Napoleon developed relatively few innovations, although virtually all large modern armies accept his doctrines that placed artillery into batteries and elevated the corps as the standard unit. From a variety of sources, he drew his best tactics, and he scored several major victories with a modernized army. Academies over the world study this widely regarded greatest commander of history. Aside from achievements, people also remember Napoleon for the establishment that laid the bureaucratic foundations for the modern state.
Trained in mainland as an artillery officer, he rose to prominence as a general of the revolution and led several successes against the arrayed coalitions. In late 1799, Napoleon staged a coup d'état and installed for five years. In the decade of the 19th century, he turned the armies and dominated almost everyone through extensive alliance systems and a lengthy streak of major victories, epitomized through battles, such as Austerlitz and Friedland. He appointed close friends and several members of his family as monarchs and important government figures of dominated states.
Napoleon developed relatively few innovations, although virtually all large modern armies accept his doctrines that placed artillery into batteries and elevated the corps as the standard unit. From a variety of sources, he drew his best tactics, and he scored several major victories with a modernized army. Academies over the world study this widely regarded greatest commander of history. Aside from achievements, people also remember Napoleon for the establishment that laid the bureaucratic foundations for the modern state.
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Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews
January 6, 2025
Good stuff. Deducted one star for difficulties in reading through the field campaigns- exhausting. And he goes way off base with his obsessive pursuit and marriage to Josephine. He throws her aside the second she gets older and cannot- will not- give him a heir. So the first prissy royal skank with a pedigree flirts a bit and he marries her, knocks her up, and then spends the rest of the marriage ignoring her. Brilliant strategist, asshole guy. 😂
December 31, 2023
Побрани са важни извори от живота на Наполеон. Имам своите забележки към българският превод и редакция.
June 11, 2017
Memoirs of Napoleon of the Waterloo campaign.
March 16, 2025
I decided to read this since I'd just finished reading his letters. Napoleon's mind fascinates me, how was he able to stay focused and believing whilst so many others would have been voicing different opinions about his ideas or plans, whatever he wanted to achieve he simply did, how did he keep doubt and fear away? I was hoping he'd have written about his thought processes and strength of mind here, unfortunately it's not discussed.
The book is 99% his recountings of all his battles and political moves, sadly not topics I'm interested in. He describes what happened in detail but doesn't include his emotions or feelings about it and that's where it really fell flat for me, if he'd mentioned how worried he was about a certain plan or how scary it was if he got injured or how heartbreaking to see a friend die, it would have been interesting, but it's like he wrote a textbook. I pretty much ignored all of the battle chapters.
The first chapter I read was about divorcing Josephine and beyond saying it was a great sacrifice and very difficult, he doesn't tell his feelings or expand upon it in anyway. His childhood is glossed over, only noting entering military school at 16, I'd hoped for a bit more about his younger self.
If you want to read firsthand about everything Napoleon did and achieved, especially all his battles, this is the book for you! If you want to feel a sense of knowing him himself, I'd go with something else, this is hardly a diary as I'd hoped.
The book is 99% his recountings of all his battles and political moves, sadly not topics I'm interested in. He describes what happened in detail but doesn't include his emotions or feelings about it and that's where it really fell flat for me, if he'd mentioned how worried he was about a certain plan or how scary it was if he got injured or how heartbreaking to see a friend die, it would have been interesting, but it's like he wrote a textbook. I pretty much ignored all of the battle chapters.
The first chapter I read was about divorcing Josephine and beyond saying it was a great sacrifice and very difficult, he doesn't tell his feelings or expand upon it in anyway. His childhood is glossed over, only noting entering military school at 16, I'd hoped for a bit more about his younger self.
If you want to read firsthand about everything Napoleon did and achieved, especially all his battles, this is the book for you! If you want to feel a sense of knowing him himself, I'd go with something else, this is hardly a diary as I'd hoped.
July 1, 2023
Наполеон за Наполеон – 7/10
Направените като автобиография серия от записки извличащи най-важните моменти от Наполеоновите дни са представени в първо лице за да се придобие още по-голяма изразност спрямо начина, по който е мислил и разсъждавал френския император. Книгата е добро и информативно четиво, но на моменти има исторически неточности, пропуснати събития и изкривяване на реалността в полза на Наполеон, а на моменти военното описание става сухо.
Направените като автобиография серия от записки извличащи най-важните моменти от Наполеоновите дни са представени в първо лице за да се придобие още по-голяма изразност спрямо начина, по който е мислил и разсъждавал френския император. Книгата е добро и информативно четиво, но на моменти има исторически неточности, пропуснати събития и изкривяване на реалността в полза на Наполеон, а на моменти военното описание става сухо.
February 2, 2018
Interesting enough edited version of Napoleon's writings on St Helena.
October 22, 2017
It's hard to review a book which is effectively Napoleon's autobiography: one can attempt to review how these notes from the Emperor were arranged and published, which is only a minimal part of the book, or to review the notes themselves, which seems entirely pointless. But I'll do both anyway.
Regarding the layout and publication of the notes: Napoleon's thoughts are well arranged into chronological sequence, simplified and clarified with minor footnotes and appropriately titled. That said, there are a number of spelling mistakes throughout the book - I'm not sure whether these are in the original notes or are simply the error of a terrible proofreader - and the pictures which are dotted throughout the book seem sometimes suitable, sometimes entirely random.
Judging the notes themselves, the bulk of the book is also a mixed bag. Napoleon's memories are at times fascinating and emotive descriptions of events and battles we often only see in statistics and lists - his early child, Toulons and Waterloo are particularly vividly brought to life here. At other times, it devolves into a bland and turgid list system itself, narrating troop numbers at length or giving over to pointless recriminations.
Napoleon is, of course, something of an unreliable narrator of his own life, with the suspicion often occurring that he is using his famous self-promotion and putting down his enemies even when they won; that said, at times he is admitting of mistakes, glowing in his recommendations of individuals, and when discussing the Legion d'Honneur, moving.
The book, then, is very much a mixed bag: but due to the uniqueness of its content, and the importance of hearing about these moments and battles from the emperor himself, I would say this is a worthy read for anyone interested in the Napoleonic Wars.
Regarding the layout and publication of the notes: Napoleon's thoughts are well arranged into chronological sequence, simplified and clarified with minor footnotes and appropriately titled. That said, there are a number of spelling mistakes throughout the book - I'm not sure whether these are in the original notes or are simply the error of a terrible proofreader - and the pictures which are dotted throughout the book seem sometimes suitable, sometimes entirely random.
Judging the notes themselves, the bulk of the book is also a mixed bag. Napoleon's memories are at times fascinating and emotive descriptions of events and battles we often only see in statistics and lists - his early child, Toulons and Waterloo are particularly vividly brought to life here. At other times, it devolves into a bland and turgid list system itself, narrating troop numbers at length or giving over to pointless recriminations.
Napoleon is, of course, something of an unreliable narrator of his own life, with the suspicion often occurring that he is using his famous self-promotion and putting down his enemies even when they won; that said, at times he is admitting of mistakes, glowing in his recommendations of individuals, and when discussing the Legion d'Honneur, moving.
The book, then, is very much a mixed bag: but due to the uniqueness of its content, and the importance of hearing about these moments and battles from the emperor himself, I would say this is a worthy read for anyone interested in the Napoleonic Wars.
February 11, 2015
Napoleon Bonaparte sad emperor !
March 22, 2017
The dude believed he was born at the wrong period of time: he says he should have been born during the times of the pyramids where being a supreme master of a legion of unquestioning simpering slaves to do one's bidding is the norm. Heartless to the core. He would sacrifice millions without a second thought just to accomplish his blind ambitions. But I got to give to him, he is a great tactician and strategist of war, though his loss in the Franco-Russian war practically ended his career, thanks to his egotistical pride that made him over-commit further into the barren and sub-zero inclement weather of the enemy territory where he had lost more than half of his army (with no contact whatsoever!) He was advised many times to give it up, but his genius won't allow it; thus, he paid the price dearly.
His case was a sad case: betrayed by his family numerous times, lost the war and thus, everything, and finally locked in some desolate island in England until his death.
R.I.P
P.S In this autobiography, it is confirming the 'myth' of Napolean's infamous short stature. Don't know what to believe anymore.
His case was a sad case: betrayed by his family numerous times, lost the war and thus, everything, and finally locked in some desolate island in England until his death.
R.I.P
P.S In this autobiography, it is confirming the 'myth' of Napolean's infamous short stature. Don't know what to believe anymore.
Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews