The Letters of Napoleon to Josephine [Hardcover]

Napoleon Bonaparte (Author), Diana Reid Haig (Editor)

Book Description

Publication Date: January 31, 2005 | ISBN-10: 1905043023 | ISBN-13: 978-1905043026

Napoleon was but a poor, insignificant army officer. Josephine was a widow. They met in a Paris ravaged by revolution and despairing of war. They fell in love and married. Their relationship became a legend.

From those early days in Paris to the bitter divorce in 1809 the couple kept in touch through intimate letters. Napoleon's insatiable ambition took him from Italy to Egypt, from general to emperor, yet he and Josephine wrote frank, revealing letters to keep in touch. This collection of letters reveals much about the times through which Napoleon and Josephine prospered and about the forces which played upon a couple who rose at astonishing speed to the very height of prestige, power and success. This new edition has commentaries, a chronology and biographies of leading personalities.

Here is their love, here are their squabbles. Napoleon and Josephine live on in the pages of this book. Contains 67 illustrations.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

"My waking thoughts are all of you. Your portrait and the remembrance of last night's pleasure have robbed my senses of rest. Sweet and incomparable Josephine, what an extraordinary influence you have over my heart...."

Napoleon Bonaparte, 1796

Product Details

• Hardcover: 224 pages
• Publisher: Ravenhall Books (January 31, 2005)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1905043023
• ISBN-13: 978-1905043026
• Product Dimensions: 7.4 x 5.9 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 8.8 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,343,080 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #27 in Books > Biographies & Memoirs > People, A-Z > ( B ) > Bonaparte, Napoleon

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

13 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A glimpse into the written words of Napoleon, June 26, 2006

By 

CE Durham (US) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Letters of Napoleon to Josephine (Hardcover)

I loved this little book and read through it very quickly. It was interesting to me to read Napoleon's personal and private correspondence to Josephine. Each of the letters are presented in chronological order as they were written. One can very easily read Napoleon's varying moods through his written words at the time of each letter that is presented. This alone allows the book to be very readable and interesting on so many levels.

However, the book really shines in the "filling in of the blanks". In other words, simple explainations are given to help the reader understand some of the comments written in each particular letter or to help the reader understand some of the events that were occuring or fixing to occur at the time of each writing. One therefore does not have to be a Napoleon aficionado to enjoy this book.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Rare Treat!, October 27, 2009

By 

Anan Tello - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: The Letters of Napoleon to Josephine (Hardcover)

This book is a rare treat! When I first got my hands on it, I read through it so quickly. I wanted to devour it. Later on, I started to read a love letter every now and then.
A woman is her lover's home, refuge and retreat. When Adam first saw Eve, he asked who she was. She replied, "I'm your home."
Napoleon used to write to Josephine while he was away... waging some war or raping some land (his job). Napoleon is declared a great man because he was great to his own country, France, despite all the damage he caused in other countries.
Love can tame the wildest animal. I still fail to believe that a huge conquerer like Napoleon would, late at night, sit and write his beloved a sensational letter... or even think about her!
The historical timeline in this book makes it more of a history book than a romance book. The dates are precise and the events are accurate.

Great men are so misunderstood. A lot of people think that men like Bonaparte had no time for feelings and love... and I thought behind every great man was a great woman!