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Napoleon y Josefina -
Napoleon and Josephine's relationship is one of the most fascinating love stories history. Their unlikely union began in the heady atmosphere of post-Terror Paris. Josephine was a sensual and debt-ridden widow in search of a wealthy protector; Napoleon was a ruthlessly ambitious young army officer in need of a wife with a fortune. When Napoleon, blinded by passion and dazzled by Josephine's apparent influence in powerful political salons, insisted upon marriage, she accepted only with the greatest reluctance. Their roles were reversed after Napoleon's return to Paris from his victorious military campaigns, and his forgiveness of her notorious infidelity. The former awkward suitor had become France's most glorious military hero, carrying her with him up the very steps of the imperial throne. Their often-precarious marriage survived his infidelities and her wild extravagance. While his incandescent passion for her turned into friendship, she was transformed into a tender and faithful wife. Whether restoring order to a chaotic post-revolutionary France or conquering two-thirds of Europe, Napoleon's attention remained centered on Josephine, his incomparable consort, the core of his imperial court, and the island of serenity that never failed him. Her inability to produce an heir led to divorce and the foundation of Napoleon's power began to crumble only after his separation from the woman he superstitiously regarded as his lucky star. Evangeline Bruce brings both of these magnetic personalities to life in this enthralling portrait, illuminating their public and private lives with seductive detail and exploring the social and cultural context in which they lived. Her impeccabIy researched work, much of it drawn from Napoleon and Josephine's own letters and journals, is a landmark biography of two of history's most important and engaging people.
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First published March 1, 1995
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Displaying 1 - 28 of 28 reviews
June 30, 2025
Upon initially browsing the title, the casual reader or even the avid Napoleonic history buff may hesitate as they question whether they should delve into a romantic character study of one of the world’s most brilliant military tacticians. This would be folly, as they would be missing out on not only a vibrant saga of the world-renowned power couple, but also that of a nation and it’s ongoing struggle in trying to pick itself up from the pieces of a bloody civil war. Evangeline Bruce has authored a true historic masterpiece in uncovering the intimacy and internal struggles of Bonaparte and his first love—all the while bringing thoroughly researched detail on many keystone events and milestones.
She covers everything on both Napoleon and Josephine from the very first meeting of the two (and their final days), as well as familial dysfunctions, brushes with death, infidelities, and on down to their very spending habits and tastes in the arts. The reader will find alongside all of this chronological tidbits on the Reign of Terror, Napoleon’s camaraderie with General Barras and eventual dictatorship, the couple’s coronation, military campaigns, Elba and the Hundred Days, and his reflections and demise at St. Helena. While there is indeed a strong sense of attachment and devotion in their early years together, there is also a particular emphasis on their liaisons and love affairs that’s rarely divulged in similar studies, with focus on such relations as Hippolyte Charles:
He was a man of honor too. On his deathbed in 1837—he had lived alone and in poverty for some years—he asked his niece to burn before his eyes all his love letters from the former Empress of the French, letters that no amount of bullying, tenderness, recrimination or sarcasm had been able to extract from Josephine by either of her husbands. Napoleon’s biographers—those who would admit to Hippolyte’s existence—have had some difficulty in believing in Josephine’s long preference for the lieutenant…
Those looking specifically for an outlook on the relationship and character dynamics of Napoleon and Josephine may indeed feel bogged down in too much historic detail. The focus fortunately doesn’t fall on one topic over the other, nor does Napoleon hog the spotlight. On that point, the length of the book is justified for the reader interested in a concise study on all aspects of the couple, as well as the Napoleonic History of France through his death in 1821. Illustrations are provided, as well as a pleasant surprise of a few select endnotes added to each chapter that offer fascinating insight on the matters previously discussed.
She covers everything on both Napoleon and Josephine from the very first meeting of the two (and their final days), as well as familial dysfunctions, brushes with death, infidelities, and on down to their very spending habits and tastes in the arts. The reader will find alongside all of this chronological tidbits on the Reign of Terror, Napoleon’s camaraderie with General Barras and eventual dictatorship, the couple’s coronation, military campaigns, Elba and the Hundred Days, and his reflections and demise at St. Helena. While there is indeed a strong sense of attachment and devotion in their early years together, there is also a particular emphasis on their liaisons and love affairs that’s rarely divulged in similar studies, with focus on such relations as Hippolyte Charles:
He was a man of honor too. On his deathbed in 1837—he had lived alone and in poverty for some years—he asked his niece to burn before his eyes all his love letters from the former Empress of the French, letters that no amount of bullying, tenderness, recrimination or sarcasm had been able to extract from Josephine by either of her husbands. Napoleon’s biographers—those who would admit to Hippolyte’s existence—have had some difficulty in believing in Josephine’s long preference for the lieutenant…
Those looking specifically for an outlook on the relationship and character dynamics of Napoleon and Josephine may indeed feel bogged down in too much historic detail. The focus fortunately doesn’t fall on one topic over the other, nor does Napoleon hog the spotlight. On that point, the length of the book is justified for the reader interested in a concise study on all aspects of the couple, as well as the Napoleonic History of France through his death in 1821. Illustrations are provided, as well as a pleasant surprise of a few select endnotes added to each chapter that offer fascinating insight on the matters previously discussed.
September 22, 2020
I am torn about how high to rate this book. I give it 4 stars because it was definitely more than I expected but it was so much more that I am tempted to give it 5 stars. However, my 5 star rating requires a WOW factor and I can't honestly say that its impact rises to that level so I guess I'll stick with 4 stars but I will certainly recommend this to my GR friends as a very uncommon history.
Obviously the title informs the reader that this is a book about the relationship between Napoleon and Josephine. Since that relationship parallels the events of the French Revolution and the Napoleonic Empire it would be impossible to review this marriage without also covering the events of the Revolution and the Empire. What makes this book so interesting and informative is that while covering the well known events of this period it also covers the rather gossipy and trashy details that affected the people involved and how decisions were made based on some really inane circumstances. As an example General Bernadotte was in command of troops in Paris at the time that Napoleon launched his coup that resulted in him becoming First Consul of France. Bernadotte was in the position to have stopped the coup and arrest Napoleon thus preventing his rise to power and everything that would follow but he didn't. Why? Because Bernadotte's wife was the sister of the wife of Napoleon's older brother, Joseph, and Bernadotte's interference would have angered his wife who dearly loved her sister. So the fear of domestic disharmony caused a colossal alteration of the history of Europe. This particular incident was by no means an isolated occurrence in the France of this time and marital infidelity seems to have been the norm rather than the exception and the reader is given a play by play description of who is doing who and why. Is it necessary to also state that financial corruption under Napoleon was rampant and even the XYZ Affair from our history is given understanding during this pay to play period of French history?
Do not think, however, that this book is simply an 18/19th century tabloid gossip sheet. While it certainly does contain a lot of the same sort of information it is to illustrate the people involved in the historic events in which they are the major players. Yes, the events of the Revolution and Empire are dealt with but this history tells us who these people were; what their motivations were; and how they schemed to achieve their goals. Napoleon comes on the scene as a nobody and a scheming opportunist and sycophant looking for nothing more than the chance to get rich. He tries to ingratiate himself with anybody in a position to help him advance and then discards them when no longer useful. Josephine isn't much different except that she is classically sleeping her way to survival. As the history progresses their personalities and their relationship change with the change in their circumstances and rank to the point where Napoleon becomes a delusional despot while Josephine becomes a benign calming influence on her manic husband. Actually, the reader may come, as I did, to admire both Josephine and both of her children while concluding that Napoleon and his family had a great deal in common with the family of a certain present day national leader.
What this book delivers is the kind of history I really enjoy. It is the history of the people that actually lived the events and frequently told in their own words thanks to numerous citations from letters and diaries. There is also a fair amount of detail of everyday life in the France and Paris of the time both for the affluent major figures as well as the average citizen. You easily gain a sense of the quality of life both for those in power and those with no power. This was easily one of the best histories I've read in awhile. Enjoy.
Obviously the title informs the reader that this is a book about the relationship between Napoleon and Josephine. Since that relationship parallels the events of the French Revolution and the Napoleonic Empire it would be impossible to review this marriage without also covering the events of the Revolution and the Empire. What makes this book so interesting and informative is that while covering the well known events of this period it also covers the rather gossipy and trashy details that affected the people involved and how decisions were made based on some really inane circumstances. As an example General Bernadotte was in command of troops in Paris at the time that Napoleon launched his coup that resulted in him becoming First Consul of France. Bernadotte was in the position to have stopped the coup and arrest Napoleon thus preventing his rise to power and everything that would follow but he didn't. Why? Because Bernadotte's wife was the sister of the wife of Napoleon's older brother, Joseph, and Bernadotte's interference would have angered his wife who dearly loved her sister. So the fear of domestic disharmony caused a colossal alteration of the history of Europe. This particular incident was by no means an isolated occurrence in the France of this time and marital infidelity seems to have been the norm rather than the exception and the reader is given a play by play description of who is doing who and why. Is it necessary to also state that financial corruption under Napoleon was rampant and even the XYZ Affair from our history is given understanding during this pay to play period of French history?
Do not think, however, that this book is simply an 18/19th century tabloid gossip sheet. While it certainly does contain a lot of the same sort of information it is to illustrate the people involved in the historic events in which they are the major players. Yes, the events of the Revolution and Empire are dealt with but this history tells us who these people were; what their motivations were; and how they schemed to achieve their goals. Napoleon comes on the scene as a nobody and a scheming opportunist and sycophant looking for nothing more than the chance to get rich. He tries to ingratiate himself with anybody in a position to help him advance and then discards them when no longer useful. Josephine isn't much different except that she is classically sleeping her way to survival. As the history progresses their personalities and their relationship change with the change in their circumstances and rank to the point where Napoleon becomes a delusional despot while Josephine becomes a benign calming influence on her manic husband. Actually, the reader may come, as I did, to admire both Josephine and both of her children while concluding that Napoleon and his family had a great deal in common with the family of a certain present day national leader.
What this book delivers is the kind of history I really enjoy. It is the history of the people that actually lived the events and frequently told in their own words thanks to numerous citations from letters and diaries. There is also a fair amount of detail of everyday life in the France and Paris of the time both for the affluent major figures as well as the average citizen. You easily gain a sense of the quality of life both for those in power and those with no power. This was easily one of the best histories I've read in awhile. Enjoy.
June 25, 2021
This marriage portrait, while interpretive, is based on considerable research. Evangeline Bruce has sifted through letters, memoirs and other primary sources to show Napoleon and Josephine navigating a changing social and political culture individually and as a couple. Keeping the focus on them meant a welcome abbreviation of the many events to focus on their respective roles in defining, manipulating and bending to the situations.
It begins with Josephine’s life on Martinique, her family, their struggling plantation and how she went to France to marry into wealth as arranged by a paternal aunt. Alexandre Beauhaunais, a cad of a husband, is critical of her and has affairs. He is guillotined in the Reign of Terror leaving Josephine (named Rose at the time) a widowed mother of two, who like most aristocrats is imprisoned. She is freed after the fall of Robespierre and goes to a convent where she learns to read and re-invents herself and after which she enjoys the world of salons, the theater and romance.
Napoleon’s early life is merely sketched compared to the detail on Josephine. The first real sense you get of him is the Egyptian campaign. Here Bruce does not use euphemisms. She clearly says he deserted his army, leaving them on their own with no provisions as he goes back to France with tales of glory.
You see the courtship, the cold, rushed, civil marriage, the married life and Napoleon's consideration for his two step children. At first you see a needy Napoleon and a free spirited Josephine as a socialite wife who has lived in a house provided by Paul Barras, continued her rumored affairs and gave her heart to Hippolyte Charles. While Napoleon was waging wars in Italy, Josephine and Charles traveled together and maybe had business dealings. With Napoleon’s growing career and his treat of divorce (upon the disclosure of Josephine’s letters to Charles that fell into British hands) the tables turned and you see Josephine becoming the needy one and Napoleon having affairs and dictating more and more areas of Josephine's life.
Bruce takes you through the wars, the domestic situations and wars again. After Hippolyte Charles, an unbalanced partnership evolves. Napoleon needed Josephine’s aristocratic imprimatur, her charm, her social skills and gentle soothing nature. You read Napoleon's letters where he speaks of love to Josephine just as he bids goodbye to a lover. Josephine’s life as Empress has many advantages and even if she were disposed to defy Napoleon she had no real way out. You see Napoleon, like Henry VIII, desperate for an heir, but unlike Henry, having emotional difficulty seeking it.
Of the many highlights I particularly appreciated the stripped down treatment of the Egyptian and Italian campaigns and Napoleon’s scheming to get his generalship, scheming to become Emperor and then pouring over the ceremonial aspects of monarchy.
Throughout the book is a good portrait of Josephine. You see her enduring imprisonment and her emergence from it. You see her extensive spending, her interest in botany (building impressive gardens, introducing new seeds and varieties, getting plants from Britain through the blockade) and decorating homes and palaces. Her children are devoted to her and in the end, both she and her children remain devotied to Napoleon. Her divorce was more than paperwork. Deep in grief and hurt, she had to endure long ceremonies where her every move was watched.
New to me was Napoleon’s fixation on how the women of his court should dress. He passed judgment on hats, gowns, colors. I knew of the Polish aristocrat, Marie Walewska, but not the full story. I was unaware of the role of Paul Barras in Napoleon’s rise nor of his relationship with Josephine. Also new were the marriage negotiations with Russian Tzar Alexander and Bruce's interpretation of the Tzar’s attitude towards Napoleon.
In my 9 years on Goodreads I’ve read 5 Napoleon biographies and before that a few others. I don’t recall any of giving a firm opinion on Napoleon. Careful not to show bias authors balanced the bad with evidence of Napoleon’s common touch, his interest in science, his “Code” etc., sort of like an historical “bothsiderism”. In the recently read bios, I’ve blanched at the euphemisms, the most memorable being Napoleon leaving the troops in Egypt “without orders”, when in reality, he deserted them to get to France to boast that the miserable failed mission was a success.
Bruce does not airbrush Napoleon's propaganda (i.e. his claims that lost battles were won) his hypocrisy (spouting republican values while creating monarchies; espousing family values while having many affairs) tremendous losses (3 million soldiers and untold property loss) and his desertion of his troops (Egypt, Russia, Waterloo) in neutral terms. She tells it like it is and provides letters and diary quotes to show how this was received at the time.
This is definitely worth your time but It is not an easy read. There are many convoluted sentences that have to be ready twice for meaning. There are people and concepts mentioned in one paragraph that you need to read forward to understand (after you have backtracked to see where it might have come from.)
If you are interested in Napoleon you probably have read this by now (it is over 20 years old) but if you haven’t you will appreciate it.
It begins with Josephine’s life on Martinique, her family, their struggling plantation and how she went to France to marry into wealth as arranged by a paternal aunt. Alexandre Beauhaunais, a cad of a husband, is critical of her and has affairs. He is guillotined in the Reign of Terror leaving Josephine (named Rose at the time) a widowed mother of two, who like most aristocrats is imprisoned. She is freed after the fall of Robespierre and goes to a convent where she learns to read and re-invents herself and after which she enjoys the world of salons, the theater and romance.
Napoleon’s early life is merely sketched compared to the detail on Josephine. The first real sense you get of him is the Egyptian campaign. Here Bruce does not use euphemisms. She clearly says he deserted his army, leaving them on their own with no provisions as he goes back to France with tales of glory.
You see the courtship, the cold, rushed, civil marriage, the married life and Napoleon's consideration for his two step children. At first you see a needy Napoleon and a free spirited Josephine as a socialite wife who has lived in a house provided by Paul Barras, continued her rumored affairs and gave her heart to Hippolyte Charles. While Napoleon was waging wars in Italy, Josephine and Charles traveled together and maybe had business dealings. With Napoleon’s growing career and his treat of divorce (upon the disclosure of Josephine’s letters to Charles that fell into British hands) the tables turned and you see Josephine becoming the needy one and Napoleon having affairs and dictating more and more areas of Josephine's life.
Bruce takes you through the wars, the domestic situations and wars again. After Hippolyte Charles, an unbalanced partnership evolves. Napoleon needed Josephine’s aristocratic imprimatur, her charm, her social skills and gentle soothing nature. You read Napoleon's letters where he speaks of love to Josephine just as he bids goodbye to a lover. Josephine’s life as Empress has many advantages and even if she were disposed to defy Napoleon she had no real way out. You see Napoleon, like Henry VIII, desperate for an heir, but unlike Henry, having emotional difficulty seeking it.
Of the many highlights I particularly appreciated the stripped down treatment of the Egyptian and Italian campaigns and Napoleon’s scheming to get his generalship, scheming to become Emperor and then pouring over the ceremonial aspects of monarchy.
Throughout the book is a good portrait of Josephine. You see her enduring imprisonment and her emergence from it. You see her extensive spending, her interest in botany (building impressive gardens, introducing new seeds and varieties, getting plants from Britain through the blockade) and decorating homes and palaces. Her children are devoted to her and in the end, both she and her children remain devotied to Napoleon. Her divorce was more than paperwork. Deep in grief and hurt, she had to endure long ceremonies where her every move was watched.
New to me was Napoleon’s fixation on how the women of his court should dress. He passed judgment on hats, gowns, colors. I knew of the Polish aristocrat, Marie Walewska, but not the full story. I was unaware of the role of Paul Barras in Napoleon’s rise nor of his relationship with Josephine. Also new were the marriage negotiations with Russian Tzar Alexander and Bruce's interpretation of the Tzar’s attitude towards Napoleon.
In my 9 years on Goodreads I’ve read 5 Napoleon biographies and before that a few others. I don’t recall any of giving a firm opinion on Napoleon. Careful not to show bias authors balanced the bad with evidence of Napoleon’s common touch, his interest in science, his “Code” etc., sort of like an historical “bothsiderism”. In the recently read bios, I’ve blanched at the euphemisms, the most memorable being Napoleon leaving the troops in Egypt “without orders”, when in reality, he deserted them to get to France to boast that the miserable failed mission was a success.
Bruce does not airbrush Napoleon's propaganda (i.e. his claims that lost battles were won) his hypocrisy (spouting republican values while creating monarchies; espousing family values while having many affairs) tremendous losses (3 million soldiers and untold property loss) and his desertion of his troops (Egypt, Russia, Waterloo) in neutral terms. She tells it like it is and provides letters and diary quotes to show how this was received at the time.
This is definitely worth your time but It is not an easy read. There are many convoluted sentences that have to be ready twice for meaning. There are people and concepts mentioned in one paragraph that you need to read forward to understand (after you have backtracked to see where it might have come from.)
If you are interested in Napoleon you probably have read this by now (it is over 20 years old) but if you haven’t you will appreciate it.
November 6, 2023
Of all the words I would use to describe Napoleon (liar, usurper, misogynist, rapist, hypocrit, petty, vindictive, dictator, cheater, adulterer, schemer, egotistical, abuser, cruel, corrupt, selfish, malicious, basic, deranged, tyrant, etc.) genius isn't one of them. Having said that, I enjoyed this book immensely. I read a bio of his a few years back & was bored by its focus on his military experience (considering the fact that he's a 2 time loser I don't understand the reputation he continues to have) but because of the new film coming out I opted to read this book as a refresher & I am so glad I did. It's infinitely better than his bio. To be fair, the author does get a few things twisted, but it ultimately does a good job of portraying the characters accurately as well as giving the reader a sense of what Paris was like during the time period. I'm obviously not a fan or expert of/on Napoleon, but I have read an obscene about of books about the Revolution & felt like this book was able to condense a lot of information about people, places & events into an enjoyable, interesting read. In other words, one does not have to have an in-depth background to understand or fully appreciate this book.
January 16, 2021
Having stumbled into this book ,I am glad to say I thoroughly enjoyed it. The book is a historical biography of a marriage ,a complicated one at that ,of Napolean ,the Corsican outsider and brilliant general who came to rule France and Josephine aka Rose de Beauharnais ,a minor aristocrat widow and survivor . Both of them are born foreigners ,Napolean born in an Italian origin family from Corsica while Josephine a Creole was born in the French territory of Martinique .Both started out as basically laughed at for their lack of social skills . Josephine's first husband was actually dismayed at seeing her for the first time . Both crawled out of difficult circumstances by the sheer dent of their will. While Napolean's story is well known , Josephine's was a revelation. It is very much true that theirs is an equal marriage .Josephine brings her social grace and connections to the marriage ,much of help to the brusque ambitious general on the rise . Ms Evangeline brings that era back with such great information and even though it could have been a dry book of history ,it is written so well you feel for them both and that is an achievement.
July 9, 2012
A satisfying glimpse into a fascinating time in French history. I absolutely loved this - it's well-written and contains lots of interesting detail about not just the lives but the environment of both Napoleon and Josephine, from the revolution to Napoleon's last days on Elba. This was not a great love story in the typical sense, and this book gives enough background to enable a little psychological contemplation! The book is intelligent rather than academic, with a comforting amount of footnotes and references so you can have faith that the author is not making things up!
This book left me keen to know more about Josephine, and indeed life for the almost-average person during this tumultuous period
This book left me keen to know more about Josephine, and indeed life for the almost-average person during this tumultuous period
July 28, 2017
A trip to Malmaison last year piqued my curiosity about Josephine and the nature of her relationship to her second husband; this biography proved informative and compact enough within the boundaries of the topic of the relationship between M. Bonaparte and Mme. Beauharnais. I would, however, come to believe that the narrowness of the topic was somewhat limiting for a more in depth description of Napoleon.
September 27, 2024
I read this as part of an EWU French History class. I think this is the book that details parts of their bedroom life - they shared a bedroom but the bed was a contraption that could be pulled apart to two different beds and then snapped together with the flip of a latch. Napoleon would snap the beds together so loudly that the servants could hear and they knew what was going to happen later that night!
August 7, 2011
Fine storytelling - kept the reader's interest and moved the history along - but the subjects were uninspiring, selfish, sado-masochistic, infuriating people! I started skimming after the first quarter, just to get the high points and be done. It was definitely not "one of the greatest love stories of all time," as the back pronounced.
October 24, 2023
3.5 stars - Napoleon and Josephine had a fascinating relationship, and this book is a well-researched, solid look at the two of them and their lives. I struggled some with the pacing, though, and was a bit distracted by the number of typos and small errors that should have been caught in proofreading.
December 23, 2016
This is an exceptional book which reveals a whole new world during the Napoleonic era: the social and marital world. And it is a gripping and fascinating story of intrigue, perfidy, and yes, love and romance. And ultimately tragedy. This is a well researched and excellent book.
October 6, 2011
too academic, didn't finish
December 24, 2019
Dibalik seorang laki-laki yang hebat tentu ada seorang wanita istimewa. Pepatah lama ini berlaku juga bagi Napoleon Bonaparte. Wanita yang mendampinginya selama 13 tahun itu adalah Marie-Josèphe-Rose Tascher de la Pageri alias Joséphine.Dalam sejarah ia kebanyakan dikenal sebagai istri pertama Kaisar Perancis, walaupun sebetulnya banyak kontribusi tidak terlihat bagi dinasti raja-raja Eropa dan ilmu botani.
Joséphine adalah janda beranak dua dari Alexandre Vicomte de Beauharnais, seorang bangsawan dan perwira militer Perancis yang terkena hukuman guillotine pada masa pemerintahan terror Robespierre pasca revolusi Perancis.
Napoleon Bonaparte sendiri adalah seorang perwira militer muda yang sedang naik daun, dia membutuhkan partner yang cocok untuk melancarkan karirnya. Secara kebetulan Barras, politikus yang berpengaruh pada masa itu, memperkenalkannya kepada Joséphine yang berusia 6 tahun lebih tua dari Napoleon.
Pernikahan Napoleon dan Joséphine saling menguntungkan kedua belah pihak. Namun bahtera perkawinan mereka tidak bisa dibilang mulus dengan berbagai skandal, intrik, dan intervensi dari keluarga Bonaparte.
Karya pertama sekaligus terakhir Evangeline Bruce ini cukup berhasil memaparkan perjuangan pasangan ini hingga mencapai gelar Kaisar dan Kaisarina – setaraf dinasti Bourbon yang telah tumbang. Untuk pembaca intens biografi kedua tokoh, buku ini sangat direkomendasikan karena menggabungkan informasi penting dari biografi populer mereka yang seringkali ditulis secara terpisah. Pemaparannya cukup komprehensif dan tidak berat sebelah pada salah satu pihak.
Yang menarik, kontraversi keputusan Napoleon menobatkan Joséphine sebagai Kaisarina ditengah tekanan keluarga Bonaparte, ternyata lebih berdasarkan rasa keadilan aneh dari laki-laki yang terkenal sebagai misoginist sejati :
“Joséphine, berhak menerimanya, jika takdirku adalah masuk ke penjara bukan naik tahta, dia pasti akan menerima bagianku juga. Tidak, Joséphine akan tetap dinobatkan..”
Dan dalam sejarah monarki Perancis Joséphine tercatat sebagai wanita kedua, setelah Catherine de Médici, yang menerima kehormatan di mahkotai dengan gelar setaraf Ratu.
Joséphine adalah janda beranak dua dari Alexandre Vicomte de Beauharnais, seorang bangsawan dan perwira militer Perancis yang terkena hukuman guillotine pada masa pemerintahan terror Robespierre pasca revolusi Perancis.
Napoleon Bonaparte sendiri adalah seorang perwira militer muda yang sedang naik daun, dia membutuhkan partner yang cocok untuk melancarkan karirnya. Secara kebetulan Barras, politikus yang berpengaruh pada masa itu, memperkenalkannya kepada Joséphine yang berusia 6 tahun lebih tua dari Napoleon.
Pernikahan Napoleon dan Joséphine saling menguntungkan kedua belah pihak. Namun bahtera perkawinan mereka tidak bisa dibilang mulus dengan berbagai skandal, intrik, dan intervensi dari keluarga Bonaparte.
Karya pertama sekaligus terakhir Evangeline Bruce ini cukup berhasil memaparkan perjuangan pasangan ini hingga mencapai gelar Kaisar dan Kaisarina – setaraf dinasti Bourbon yang telah tumbang. Untuk pembaca intens biografi kedua tokoh, buku ini sangat direkomendasikan karena menggabungkan informasi penting dari biografi populer mereka yang seringkali ditulis secara terpisah. Pemaparannya cukup komprehensif dan tidak berat sebelah pada salah satu pihak.
Yang menarik, kontraversi keputusan Napoleon menobatkan Joséphine sebagai Kaisarina ditengah tekanan keluarga Bonaparte, ternyata lebih berdasarkan rasa keadilan aneh dari laki-laki yang terkenal sebagai misoginist sejati :
“Joséphine, berhak menerimanya, jika takdirku adalah masuk ke penjara bukan naik tahta, dia pasti akan menerima bagianku juga. Tidak, Joséphine akan tetap dinobatkan..”
Dan dalam sejarah monarki Perancis Joséphine tercatat sebagai wanita kedua, setelah Catherine de Médici, yang menerima kehormatan di mahkotai dengan gelar setaraf Ratu.
December 13, 2023
Napoleon and Joséphine - one of the most famous couples in history and their story is told so well in this book - maybe someday there will be a decent film about them! Thoroughly researched, by an author familiar with the worlds of intelligence and European diplomacy, this is a very readable book and gives a clear account of the key events of the French Revolution, without which you can't really understand N & J. It's entirely proper that the book is about Napoleon AND Joséphine as it's hard to see how he would have got anywhere without her, even allowing for his 'sense of destiny' (I suggest people with a sense of destiny should be locked up for their and everyone else's safety!). If you are an ardent Bonapartist then you may not like the book and dismiss it as propaganda. It does gives a sense of his military genius (and the times when it failed him), his vision and drive, and his incredible work ethic, but is a 'warts and all' account. After reading it, I actually found myself disliking him even more than I did before; I just can't get past his lies and duplicity, his awful 'mafiosi' family, his total disregard for human life, his petty obsession with court protocol, his bullying and controlling nature, and his misogyny, both personal and enshrined in the much vaunted 'Code Napoleon'. He seems a rather repellent human being, but I suppose you don't conquer most of Europe by being 'nice'! He's certainly a fascinating character, as is Joséphine, who deserves to be much more than just the cipher of 'Not tonight, Joséphine' fame! Undoubtedly flawed, she was clearly a remarkable woman who had a massive influence on Bonaparte - who loved her in his way but treated her appallingly - and gets her due in this marvellous book. The book isn't a military history, although it certainly covers Bonaparte's campaigns more comprehensively than THAT film. I do just have a couple of minor niggles: the Spanish victory at Bailén was won by a Spanish field army NOT insurgents and the famous ball was not held the night before Waterloo but on the 15th and preceded the battles of Ligny and Quatre Bras, with Waterloo on the 18th. Minor points, though, because it's a super book.
February 15, 2020
Taking a different tact from other biographies, Ms. Bruce's look at Napoleon and Josephine is a biography of their marriage. Told using their own letters, as well as the writings of others, this is a fascinating look at a couple who are still wrapped in a little mystery. Their lives were so entwined with the social, economic and political movements that the reader gets a healthy dose of the history of the time in which they lived. Of course, there are so many conflicting stories about who these two really were, that everything written about them has to be taken with a grain of salt. With that said, Bruce does an amazing job of culling through a lot of nonsense and getting to the heart (as much as she can) of who this couple was, what they meant to each other and how their relationship (and it's ups and downs) affected and empire. Having known nothing about either of them, I found this to be a fascinating read.
August 2, 2025
A very good book for newcomers to Napoleonic history! In beautiful, novelistic language, Evangeline Bruce tells the life and love story of one of the most fascinating couples in history. Very well researched (only a few tiny errors, e.g. Adèle Duchâtel was not divorced, she was still married to Charles Duchâtel!) with many beautiful details! However, I would have appreciated a better source reference. In this book Napoleon is said to have written to Murat: "...my erotic sex drive is very strong at the moment!" Did Napoleon really write that to his brother-in-law? Hard to believe.
January 22, 2026
To be fair, the author was very detailed in Napoleon & Josephine’s complex relationship. However, this book made me realize that I am not at all interested in learning about French history, in particular, Napoleon Bonaparte.
I wanted to quit reading this book so many times, but I’m not a quitter… Even so, the relationship still enrages me.
I wanted to quit reading this book so many times, but I’m not a quitter… Even so, the relationship still enrages me.
Read
July 14, 2019AND FOR THE NAPOLEON/JOSEPHINE MEMERS, EVANGELINE BRUCE'S BOOK ON THEM IS ONE OF THE BEST. HER PRIMARY RESAEARCH IS GRATE, THE WHOLE REVOLUTIONARY AND NAPOLEONIC WORLD IS WELL-ACTUALISED, AND I RLY LOVE THEM, EVEN THOUGH SHE'S EXTREMELY CLEAR ABOUT HOW THEY'RE BOTH THE WORST, ESPECIALLY NAPOLEON.
Read
June 13, 2020Excellent read. It reads like a romantic novel while chaulked full of historical fodder. Just wonderful.
June 12, 2024
Amazing. I wish I could read a book written by this author for every historical figure and event ever!!
March 17, 2015
While perhaps too detailed at times, the book gave a very complete look at these historical figures, their relationship, and the political situation in France. But if knowing ALL the details about the Revolution, the Terror, the Directory, etc, is not your thing, you probably will not enjoy the book.
January 2, 2012
After reading the Gulland trilogy I've been a little obsessed with Napoleon and Josephine. She suggested this for non-fiction about them. I thought it was an entertaining narrative about a fascinating couple in an amazing time in history. That Napoleon was super crazy.
November 21, 2011
Bruce gives a detailed account of the relationship between Napoleon & Josephine as well as France during the late 1700's, early 1800's. The historical review can be very dry at times and not always an easy read but excellent information on the couple if that's what you're looking for.
July 5, 2021
Well writen and enjoyable. It is more than the story of its title in the sense that as the lives of the couple unfold a reader who is not very familiar with the history of France of that era gets a nice overview of that whole time in French society and politics.
Want to read
August 6, 2009I'm barely reading this one, let's just be honest. It lived in my car for so long - David may have read more of it than me....
September 21, 2024
DNF- could not get through this one
May 10, 2012
Fabulous, very well-written.
October 30, 2013
Well researched, easily readable for anyone with interest in the people behind the history
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