"Napoleon: Soldier of Destiny" Topic

"Napoleon: Soldier of Destiny is the first of two volumes on the life of Napoleon Bonaparte and covers the years 1769 to 1805. The title is a hefty tome of almost 530 pages plus an additional 55 pages for the notes, bibliography and index. A number of colour and black and white images are also included. Broers himself is a Professor of Western European History at Oxford University and, therefore, well placed to produce a work on a subject that is as demanding as the man who it is written about. Most importantly Broers has heavily drawn on Napoleon's correspondence compiled by the Fondation Napoléon in Paris.

The book itself charts the unfolding life of Napoleon from his birth, examining his somewhat humble origins in Corsica to his grandiose coronation as Emperor of the French in 1804. While the rise of Napoleon to power may be well known to some Broers has managed to shed new light on events drawing on the uncensored thoughts of Napoleon himself, thus offering the reader a greater insight into the man than has been previously available. Both Napoleon's professional and personal life are explored, including his military career, from the siege of Toulon through to the War of the Third Coalition, and his complicated romance with Joséphine de Beauharnais. The author also goes into some depth exploring Napoleon's relationship with other key players in French history at this time, including politicians, military leaders and fellow family members…"

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