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“Napoleon was a bona fide intellectual, and not just an intellectual among generals. He had read and annotated many of the most profound books of the Western canon; was a connoisseur, critic and even amateur theorist of dramatic tragedy and music; championed science and socialized with astronomers; enjoyed conducting long theological discussions with bishops and cardinals; and he went nowhere without his large, well-thumbed travelling library.”
― Napoleon: A Life
― Napoleon: A Life
“He pronounced that novels were ‘for ladies’ maids’ and ordered the librarian, ‘Only give them history books. Men should read nothing else.”
― Napoleon: A Life
― Napoleon: A Life
“In less than fifteen weeks Napoleon had effectively ended the French Revolution, seen off the Abbé Sieyès, given France a new constitution, established her finances on a sound footing, muzzled the opposition press, started to end both rural brigandage and the long-running war in the Vendée, set up a Senate, Tribunate, Legislative Body and Conseil d’État, appointed a talented government regardless of past political affiliations, rebuffed the Bourbons, made spurned peace offers to Britain and Austria, won a plebiscite by a landslide (even accounting for the fraud), reorganized French local government and inaugurated the Banque de France.”
― Napoleon: A Life
― Napoleon: A Life
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Byron’s 2025 Year in Books
Take a look at Byron’s Year in Books, including some fun facts about their reading.
537 books
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4 friends
183 books
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30 friends
2 books
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1 friend
323 books
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4 friends
43 books
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6 friends
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