Napoleon: Life, Legacy, and Image: A Biography

Alan Forrest

Dec 2012 · Sold by St. Martin's Press

About this ebook

From Alan Forrest, a preeminent British scholar, comes an exceedingly readable account of the man and his legend

On a cold December day in 1840 Parisians turned out in force to watch as the body of Napoleon was solemnly carried on a riverboat from Courbevoie on its final journey to the Invalides. The return of their long-dead emperor's corpse from the island of St. Helena was a moment that Paris had eagerly awaited, though many feared that the memories stirred would serve to further destabilize a country that had struggled for order and direction since he had been sent into exile.

In this book Alan Forrest tells the remarkable story of how the son of a Corsican attorney became the most powerful man in Europe, a man whose charisma and legacy endured after his lonely death many thousands of miles from the country whose fate had become so entwined with his own.

Along the way, Forrest also cuts away the many layers of myth and counter myth that have grown up around Napoleon, a man who mixed history and legend promiscuously. Drawing on original research and his own distinguished background in French history, Forrest demonstrates that Napoleon was as much a product of his times as their creator.

Ratings and reviews

This is not a good starter biography on Napoleon. The author goes on tangents that make the read non linear. The book also reads more like an analysis of Napoleon's life rather than letting the reader come to his own conclusion based on the history of his life. This biography may be more suited to someone who has a better background with Napoleon and is interested in hearing the author's viewpoint.

Since ive read so much of Napoleon it didnt bring much new to the table. In fact i even spotted an error at least with my version, Dessalines crowned himself before Napoleon ever did.

About the author

ALAN FORREST is a professor of modern history and director of the Centre for Eighteenth Century Studies. He works on modern French history, especially the period of the French Revolution and Empire, and on the history of modern warfare. He serves on the editorial boards of French History and War in History, and is a member of the advisory committee for Annales Historiques de la Revolution Francaise. He lives in York, UK.