2006-07-19 04:49:35 · 2 answers · asked by Bonapartess 5 in Arts & Humanities ➔ Books & Authors
I own over two hundred volumes on Napoleonic history. It depends if you want a biography on his entire life, or just on certain aspects of it. Also, Napoleon is one of those figures in history that was/is either loved or hated, so it is very difficult to find any unbiased writings about him.
I prefer reading about the last days ion which case I would highly recommend:
"Escape From Elba: The Fall & Flight of Napoleon 1814 - 1815" by Norman MacKenzie
"Napoleon's Expedition to Russia" by Philippe de Segur (an older edition is better; the Carroll & Graf edition that came out in 2003 was translated very badly),
"Why Waterloo" by A.P Herbert
"Napoleon Bonaparte: England's Prisoner" by Frank Giles
"Napoleon Banished: The Journeys to Elba & to St. Helena" by Captain Thomas Usser & Lieutenant Nelson Mills
"The Emperor's Last Island" by Julia Blackburn
"The Black Room at Longwood: Napoleon's Exile on Saint Helena" by Jean-Paul Kauffmann
"The Murder of Napoleon" & "Assassination at St. Helena" by Ben Weider
"Who Killed Napoleon?" by Sten Forshufvud.
(Whether or not you would like these last few listed depends whether or not you agree with the "arsenic theory".)
I also like reading about the personal life of Napoleon more than the military history. One of my favorite books is about his health & how it affected decisions in his life. It is entitled "Napoleon: a Doctor's Biography" by Boris Sokoloff. It was published in 1937 but is relatively easy to find on used sites. There is also "Napoleon's Galnds and Other Ventures in Biohistory" by Arno Karlen & the highly controversial & debatable "Napoleon: Bisexual Emperor" by Major-General Frank Richardson, M.D.
"Napoleon the Novelist" by Andy Martine & "Napoleon Wrote Fiction" by Christopher Frayling are both good reads.
Regarding love:
R.F Delderfield's "Napoleon in Love"
Margaret Laing's "Josephine & Napoleon"
I do not really care for newer books about Napoleon. There are very few that are well researched. The exception are the ones published by Stackpole, which specializes in military titles.
One I do not recommend is "Penguin Lives Biographies: Napoleon" by Paul Johnson. It is full of inaccuracies.
If you want a longer listing contact me & I will be wiling to send it.
(No, I did not care for Alan Schom's biography of Napoleon.)
---forgive any typos. Spell check hates long answers.
2006-07-19 05:23:31 · answer #1 · answered by Selkie 6 · 5⤊ 1⤋
Napoleon Bonaparte Biography
2016-09-28 01:32:26 · answer #2 · answered by hamson 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Best Napoleon Biography
2016-12-26 18:48:57 · answer #3 · answered by ? 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Books About Napoleon I
Napoleon Bonaparte - Author: J. M. Thompson, Norman Hampson
A reissue of a thirty year old work that is one of the best researched and written biographies of Napoleon available.
I really rate this one
2006-07-19 05:34:29 · answer #4 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
Napoleon Bonaparte by Alan Scom by far the best work of read on Napoleon. Anyone else agree?
2006-07-19 04:58:40 · answer #5 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
The best biography on Napoleon is the one made by the best biographist in the world, who is Stephan Zweig.
It's really comprehensive and it focuses not just in the facts occurred to him, but gives you a real insight into the events that were occurring in his time, surrounding him and that make you understand why Napoleon became the man he was.
2006-07-19 05:14:37 · answer #6 · answered by Joseph Knecht 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I've only read one, but I enjoyed it a lot. It was a Young Adult book called Napoleon and the Napoleonic Wars, by Albert Marrin.
2006-07-19 09:51:10 · answer #7 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
Stephen Zweig is an outstanding writer, and I would certainly prefer his take on any subject! His depth of knowledge and his ability as a writer, period, would make him my choice.
2016-05-21 08:26:00 · answer #8 · answered by Judith 1 · 0⤊ 0⤋