What do you think?
Rate this book
Napoleon Bonaparte and the Legacy of the French Revolution
The Napoleonic period cannot be interpreted as a single historical 'block'. Bonaparte had many different the Jacobin, the Republican, the reformer of the Consulate, the consolidator of the Empire and the 'liberal' of the Hundred Days. The emphasis here will be on Napoleon as the heir and executor of the French Revolution, rather than on his role as the liquidator of revolutionary ideals. Napoleon will be seen as part of the Revolution, preserving its social gains, and consecrating the triumph of the bourgeoisie. The book will steer away from the personal and heroic interpretation of the period. Instead of seeing the era in terms of a single man, the study will explore developments in French society and the economy, giving due weight to recent research on the demographic and social history of the period 1800-1815.
368 pages, Paperback
First published June 15, 1994
3 people are currently reading
108 people want to read
About the author
Martyn Lyons
27 books10 followersEmeritus Professor of History & European Studies
BA DPhil Oxford FAHA
School of Humanities and Languages
He was born in London, took his D.Phil. at Oxford University and has been at UNSW since 1977. He is a former head of the history school, and was the Faculty’s Associate Dean for Research and Postgraduate Affairs from 2002-7. He is currently Professor of History and European Studies in the School of Humanities. His main research interests are in two distinct fields: French revolutionary and Napoleonic history and the history of books, reading and writing in Europe and Australia. He has produced sixteen books, including 'A History of Reading and Writing in the Western World' (Palgrave-Macmillan, 2010), and more recently 'The Writing Culture of ordinary people in Europe, c. 1860-1920' (Cambridge University Press, 2013).
He is currently working on an ARC-funded project to investigate the writing practices of uneducated and semi-literate peasants in France, Spain and Italy in the late 19th and early 20th centuries.
He has held visiting positions at the Ecole des Hautes Etudes in Paris, Corpus Christi College, Cambridge, the University of Alcalá de Henares and the Universidade Federal Fluminense in Niteroi, Brazil. In 1997, he was elected Fellow of the Australian Academy for the Humanities. In 2003, he was awarded the Centenary Medal for services to the Humanities in the study of History. In 2008-20, he was President of the Australian Historical Association. In 2008, he was Campagnia di San Paolo- Bogliasco Foundation Fellow at the Liguria Study Centre in Genoa, and in 2010 he was a Camargo Foundation Fellow in Cassis, France.
BA DPhil Oxford FAHA
School of Humanities and Languages
He was born in London, took his D.Phil. at Oxford University and has been at UNSW since 1977. He is a former head of the history school, and was the Faculty’s Associate Dean for Research and Postgraduate Affairs from 2002-7. He is currently Professor of History and European Studies in the School of Humanities. His main research interests are in two distinct fields: French revolutionary and Napoleonic history and the history of books, reading and writing in Europe and Australia. He has produced sixteen books, including 'A History of Reading and Writing in the Western World' (Palgrave-Macmillan, 2010), and more recently 'The Writing Culture of ordinary people in Europe, c. 1860-1920' (Cambridge University Press, 2013).
He is currently working on an ARC-funded project to investigate the writing practices of uneducated and semi-literate peasants in France, Spain and Italy in the late 19th and early 20th centuries.
He has held visiting positions at the Ecole des Hautes Etudes in Paris, Corpus Christi College, Cambridge, the University of Alcalá de Henares and the Universidade Federal Fluminense in Niteroi, Brazil. In 1997, he was elected Fellow of the Australian Academy for the Humanities. In 2003, he was awarded the Centenary Medal for services to the Humanities in the study of History. In 2008-20, he was President of the Australian Historical Association. In 2008, he was Campagnia di San Paolo- Bogliasco Foundation Fellow at the Liguria Study Centre in Genoa, and in 2010 he was a Camargo Foundation Fellow in Cassis, France.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 of 1 review
June 30, 2025
So this was not a Napoleon biography, but rather a commentary and record on the state of France before, during and after his reign. I’ll be honest, it was not what I was expecting and I definitely did skim some chapters but it was still an interesting read. I just wanted to read more about his life and less about how his actions affected the trade of wheat but it is what it is, I picked this up for $2 at goodwill.
Can’t wait to start the big huge biography I got. Not anytime soon though, I have other books to read + summer classes.
Can’t wait to start the big huge biography I got. Not anytime soon though, I have other books to read + summer classes.
Displaying 1 of 1 review