napoleon the great

2014 Napoleon Foundation Jury Prize

The definitive modern biography of Napoleon

Napoleon the Great is an up-to-date narrative biography of Napoleon, based on Andrew Roberts' own interviews, research into multinational archives, books published by other authors on Napoleon's praise and disapproval, and most importantly, Napoleon's foundation The 33,000 Napoleon letters and many other materials that have been edited and published since 2004 will focus on Napoleon's life trajectory, especially the 60 battles he participated in, and revolve around "Is Napoleon a destroyer or a builder? A liberator or a dictator? Is he a politician or an adventurer?" Started the discussion, during which he refuted many "black legends" and false legends surrounding Napoleon, as well as many absurd words that slandered him, such as Napoleon's cruel and inhuman treatment of soldiers, artillery Bombing the Egyptian pyramids and Sphinx statues, belittling Napoleon and Josephine's contribution to French art, Napoleon is a bloodthirsty dictator, etc., made a more objective and fair evaluation of Napoleon's merits and demerits.

Napoleon Bonaparte lived the most extraordinary life of any human being. From a young artillery officer mopping up rebels in the streets of Paris in October 1795 to his defeat at Waterloo in June 1815 due to a serious command error, he managed to transform France and Europe in just two decades. After successfully taking power in the Brumaire Coup, he cleaned up the corruption and incompetence of the government after the French Revolution. In a dizzying series of wars, he revolutionized the art of warfare; in times of peace, he reinvented French law, modernized education and administration, and promoted the flourishing of "Empire Style" art. ...In order to defeat its most stubborn enemy, Britain, he launched a deadly expedition to Spain and the Russian Empire, not only buried 750,000 French men, but also caused the empire he created to begin to disintegrate, and finally suffered the defeat of Waterloo and was exiled To St. Helena, died of stomach cancer on an isolated island far from the European world.

After examining his turbulent and ups and downs, Roberts believes that Napoleon was not a totalitarian dictator, nor did he become tyrannical and vindictive despite his enormous power. Not a great conqueror, but a giant of modern history, and in many ways the last and greatest enlightened dictator, an enlightened man on horseback. Napoleon once boasted that he had thrown down a "monolith of granite" to prop up French society. After reading this book, you will feel that this is indeed the case, and he really deserves the title of "Emperor".

It is indeed a Napoleonic victory in the book world, with elegant rhetoric, epic scale, and novel-like details. Being in the bedroom is like being on the battlefield. It is easy to lose yourself and is willing to gallop with the cavalry charge. Finally, we have a complete biography. —Simon Sebag Montefiore, Evening Standard

Masterpiece...a biography that is vast, informative, insightful, witty, humane, and expresses irrefutable admiration...Roberts' book is certainly another excellent narrative biography of Napoleon, but it is more than And so--it's also a treatise on statecraft and a reflection on history itself... a joy to read.

--Dan Jones, The Daily Telegraph

It's simply heart-pounding... (Napoleon was) a collection of contradictions, and Roberts's book contains all the evidence that aims to make a glorious image of his man. This book is supposed to be informative, and it is, but its pace is brisk, never overly indulged in apparently profound scholarship... Roberts's provocative search for monuments to emperors in Europe is not a bad start in this excellent biography.

-Bernard Cornwell, Mail on Sunday

Incredibly readable, brilliantly illustrated... gripping...Roberts tirelessly tracks his words and deeds, visits to battlefields, palaces and ruins of exile, all well described and woven into a narrative that speaks calmly as a veteran history teller ... Napoleon was, and will be, important as long as people debate faith, property, kings, and the future of Europe. This book ushers in a new era as to why exactly he has this trait.

--Mark Mazower, The Guardian