NAPOLEON - The Man Behind the Myth (Annotated)
Enriched Edition. Decoding the Truth behind the Legend: Memories of Napoleon, Biography, Napoleon's Writings on Strategy, Executive Orders, LettersBy Napoleon Bonaparte, Charles Downer Hazen, Emmanuel-Auguste-Dieudonné Las Cases, Louis Antoine Fauvelet de Bourrienne, Louis Constant Wairy
Length231h 25m
About this audiobook
NAPOLEON - The Man Behind the Myth gathers memoir, testimony, historical analysis, and self-fashioning into a composite portrait of one of modernity's most contested figures. Moving between imperial proclamation, intimate recollection, political interpretation, and posthumous legend-making, the volume examines Napoleon not merely as conqueror and emperor, but as strategist, exile, administrator, and symbol. Its range of styles—from eyewitness reminiscence to reflective historical narrative—illuminates the tensions between public myth and private character. The contributors represent distinct positions within the Napoleonic tradition: Napoleon's own voice, the recollections of attendants and associates, the memorializing perspective of St. Helena, and later historical scholarship. Together they evoke the cultural aftermath of the French Revolution, the rise of military modernity, and the nineteenth century's fascination with heroic individuality. Their varied accounts reveal how biography, memory, and political allegiance shape the construction of historical greatness. This collection is ideal for readers seeking a nuanced introduction to Napoleon beyond simplified admiration or condemnation. By placing multiple perspectives in conversation, it offers a valuable study of power, ambition, memory, and historical reputation within a single volume.
This enriched edition has been carefully crafted to add value to your reading experience.
- An Introduction draws the threads together, discussing why these diverse authors and texts belong in one collection.
- Historical Context explores the cultural and intellectual currents that shaped these works, offering insight into the shared (or contrasting) eras that influenced each writer.
- A combined Synopsis (Selection) briefly outlines the key plots or arguments of the included pieces, helping readers grasp the anthology's overall scope without giving away essential twists.
- A collective Analysis highlights common themes, stylistic variations, and significant crossovers in tone and technique, tying together writers from different backgrounds.
- Reflection questions encourage readers to compare the different voices and perspectives within the collection, fostering a richer understanding of the overarching conversation.
Audiobook details
Rating★★★★ 4.4 (13)
Includes Amazon
GenreBiography and Memoir, Literary Classics
Length231 hrs 25 mins
Narrated byListen with 1,000+ voices
FormateBook with Audio
Publish dateNov 29, 2023
LanguageEnglish
Table of contents
1NAPOLEON - The Man Behind the Myth (Annotated)
2Introduction
3Historical Context
4Synopsis (Selection)
5Memories of the Man behind the Myth:
Show all chaptersShow less
6Memoirs of the Life, Exile, and Conversations of the Emperor Napoleon (Emmanuel-Auguste-Dieudonné Las Cases)
7Volumes I
8PREFACE.
9INTRODUCTION.
10RETURN OF THE EMPEROR TO THE ELYSÉE, AFTER THE BATTLE OF WATERLOO.
11THE ABDICATION.
12DEPUTATION OF THE CHAMBER OF PEERS.—CAULAINCOURT.—FOUCHÉ.
13THE PROVISIONAL GOVERNMENT PRESENTED TO THE EMPEROR.
14THE EMPEROR QUITS THE ELYSÉE.
15THE MINISTER OF MARINE COMES TO MALMAISON.
16NAPOLEON QUITS MALMAISON, AND DEPARTS FOR ROCHEFORT.
17EMBARKATION OF THE EMPEROR.
18EMBARKATION OF NAPOLEON ON BOARD THE BELLEROPHON.
19SUMMARY DICTATED BY NAPOLEON HIMSELF.
20MINISTERIAL DECISION.
21COMMUNICATION MADE BY LORD KEITH, IN THE NAME OF THE ENGLISH MINISTERS.
22REMARKABLE WORDS OF THE EMPEROR.
23DEPARTURE FROM PLYMOUTH.—CONTINUANCE IN THE CHANNEL.—PROTEST.
24PROTEST.
25ANCHORED OFF START POINT.—PERSONS ALLOWED TO ACCOMPANY THE EMPEROR.
26ORDER FROM LORD KEITH TO CAPTAIN MAITLAND OF THE BELLEROPHON.
27INSTRUCTIONS OF MINISTERS TO ADMIRAL COCKBURN.
28CONVERSATION WITH LORD KEITH.—EXAMINATION OF THE EMPEROR’S EFFECTS.—HE QUITS THE BELLEROPHON.—SEPARATION.—WE SAIL FOR ST. HELENA.
29DESCRIPTION OF THE EMPEROR’S CABIN ON BOARD THE NORTHUMBERLAND.
30LOST SIGHT OF LAND.—REFLECTIONS.—ARGUMENT AGAINST THE ENGLISH MINISTERS.
31THE EMPEROR’S MODE OF LIVING ON BOARD THE NORTHUMBERLAND.
32SINGULAR GOOD FORTUNE OF THE EMPEROR.
33CONTINUATION OF THE VOYAGE.—OCCUPATIONS.—THE EMPEROR’S ORIGIN AND FAMILY.—ANECDOTES.
34MADEIRA, &c.—VIOLENT GALE.—CHESS.
35THE CANARIES.—PASSING THE TROPIC.—DETAILS OF THE EMPEROR’S CHILDHOOD.—NAPOLEON AT BRIENNE.—PICHEGRU.—NAPOLEON AT THE MILITARY SCHOOL IN PARIS.—IN THE ARTILLERY.—HIS COMPANIONS.—NAPOLEON AT THE COMMENCEMENT OF THE REVOLUTION.
36CAPE VERD ISLANDS.—NAPOLEON AT THE SIEGE OF TOULON.—RISE OF DUROC AND JUNOT.—NAPOLEON QUARRELS WITH THE REPRESENTATIVES OF THE PEOPLE.—QUARRELS WITH AUBRY.—ANECDOTES RELATIVE TO VENDEMIAIRE.—NAPOLEON GENERAL OF THE ARMY OF ITALY.—INTEGRITY OF HIS MILITARY ADMINISTRATION.—HIS DISINTERESTEDNESS.—NICK-NAMED PETIT-CAPORAL.—DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THE SYSTEM OF THE DIRECTORY AND THAT OF THE GENERAL OF THE ARMY OF ITALY.
37THE EMPEROR DETERMINES TO WRITE HIS MEMOIRS.
38TRADE-WIND.—THE LINE.
39A STORM.—EXAMINATION OF CERTAIN LIBELS UPON THE EMPEROR.—GENERAL REFLECTIONS.
40EMPLOYMENT OF OUR TIME.
41ACCIDENTAL PHENOMENON.—PASSAGE OF THE LINE.—CHRISTENING.
42THE EMPEROR’S METHOD OF DICTATING.
43A SINGULAR ACCIDENT.
44COMPLAINTS OF THE CREW AGAINST THE ADMIRAL.—EXAMINATION OF ANOTHER WORK.—REFUTATIONS.—REFLECTIONS.
45ARRIVAL OFF SAINT-HELENA.
46RESIDENCE AT BRIARS.
47THE EMPEROR FIXES HIS ABODE AT BRIARS—DESCRIPTION OF THE PLACE.—MISERABLE SITUATION.
48DESCRIPTION OF BRIARS.—THE GARDEN.—THE EMPEROR MEETS THE YOUNG LADIES OF THE HOUSE.
49THE YOUTH OF FRANCE.—THE EMPEROR VISITS MR. BALCOMBE’S HOUSE.
50HORROR AND MISERY OF OUR SITUATION.—THE EMPEROR’S INDIGNATION.—NOTE TO THE ENGLISH GOVERNMENT.
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