Napoleon and Hitler: A Comparative Biography

by Desmond Seward

A study of the lives of two of history's greatest dictators, Napoleon Bonaparte and Adolf Hitler, which examines the parallels between their roles and shows how Carl von Clausewitz's treatise ON WAR, an analysis of the Napoleonic campaigns, linked the two men. First published in 1992.

Genres: History, Biography, Military History, Nonfiction, Biography Memoir, World War II, Audiobook

328 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1989

About the author

Desmond Seward was an Anglo-Irish popular historian and the author of over two dozen books. He was educated at Ampleforth and St, Catherine's College, Cambridge. He was a specialist in England and France in the Middle Ages and the author of some thirty books, including biographies of Eleanor of Aquitane, Henry V, Richard III, Marie Antoinette and Metternich.

Reviews

[booklady]

A side-by-side biography of two megalomaniac dictators, who both tried to possess Europe by miserably-failed attempts to conquer Russia. Seward assesses these attempts, as well as the whole of their military efforts, for the layperson. There is also some personal info about both men, but readers looking for detailed memoirs of either Napoleon or Hitler must look elsewhere. An interesting and informative read/listen.

[Mike]

This book is a very good simple history covering the lives, from birth to death, of Napoleon Bonaparte and Adolph Hitler. The book breaks each chapter in half dealing with similar periods in the life of each man. It covers the basics while tossing in many interesting side points to keep the reader engaged. I am sure that this book is not ground breaking, but it is an excellent introduction or refresher for students of history. I very much enjoyed the read and look forward to reading it again during the school year.

[Davy Bennet Surf]

I read this in 2005-2006 and thought it a good book. Don't remember much, or any of authors ideas sticking with me.
I am more down on Nap than I was then.
Have always been down on Hitler, but even more so now.
I wasn't too big on the Joaquin Phoenix movie, Gladiator, it was not. Not at all.

[Julio The Fox]

Rather pedestrian comparative biography of the two men who did the most to shape the modern world. The chapters on Napoleon all cast a negative light on his politics, without any insight into his political genius. The chapters on Hitler are filled with historical inaccuracies, and linking him to Bonaparte via Clausewitz is dubious, at best.

[Adrian K.]

If you like reading embarrassing stories from Hitler's life, then this is great, otherwise stay away.

[Claudine]

I'm going through many books that I inherited from my late partner and my mother, who was French. Imagine my surprise when I'm logging this one into the spreadsheet and I discover that she has marked this one up even MORE than usual (one of her vices, ruining a book for someone else)
Holy moly, she is on steroids! Of course being a product of the French educational system she had a thorough grounding in history and literature, so for the most part she knows what she's talking about.
The main gripe she has with this book is that the author makes (to her) wild leaps in assumptions about his subjects. Some of her comments include "The first damn thing one can say about Napoleon & Hitler compared is that the first one was damn normal outside of his genius and the other was twisted in a most abnormal manner.", a lot of "Not true!" and "Ha!" as well as "questionable hearsay".
Although I hated that she wrote in books, I give her full props for not hiding her opinions; she did, after all, live through the Nazi Occupation.

[Daniel Egemo]

Quoting from the second to last page, “Even if (Hitler) did indefinitely greater evil, the difference in guilt is one of scale.”

I picked this up thinking it would offer a nuanced perspective of Napoleon. It does not. It reads like grade school history. At best, it can be chalked up to anti-Napoleonic British propaganda (albeit published over 150 years after Napoleon’s death). At worst, it minimizes the crimes Hitler committed. Bad history.

I am of the thought that one can have a negative opinion of Napoleon without resorting to the following: questioning his intelligence (he was clearly well-educated and read); portraying him as lazy/inept; casting him as a brutal war monger who wanted to rule the world. The book levels all of these accusations at him at various points in the book.

There is plenty to criticize about Napoleon. I’m looking forward to reading Zomoyski’s extensive book on Napoleon which will hopefully take a more thoughtful approach.

[Félix Tremblay]

This book is quite shallow.

[Andrew Lord]

A fascinating side-by-side comparison of the romanticized Napoleon and the demonized Hitler, both of whom are far more alike than any Napoleon fan would dare admit.

A word of caution, however: the author assumes that the reader has a pretty solid understanding and working knowledge of the Napoleonic Wars and World War II, so if that doesn't apply to you, be warned.

[Carina]

This book is an excellent overview of the lives and careers of Napoleon and Hitler. Given how much information there is on both men, Seward does an excellent job of conveying the necessary information without getting bogged down in details. I would consider this a good survey reading with references for further detailed reading should one choose to.

[Ralitsa Mitova]

За да разбереш човешката цивилизация нужно е да опознаеш историята ѝ. След просъществуването на режимите на Наполеон Бонапарт и Адолф Хитлер - историята на света се променя изначално. Сравнителната биография на Дезмънд Сиуърд е четивна, увлекателна, има определена психологическа дълбочина, но на моменти се усеща изградената лична гледна точка на автора, която при такъв вид на историческо изследване бива грешка. В крайна сметка книгата си заслужава да бъде прочетена.