Napoleon [Paperback]

Vincent Cronin (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: January 1995

A biography of Napoleon, which attempts to explain the history of this great man in personal terms.

Product Details

• Paperback: 400 pages
• Publisher: Harpercollins (January 1995)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0006375219
• ISBN-13: 978-0006375210
• Product Dimensions: 7.6 x 5 x 1.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (18 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #677,168 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

38 of 42 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The Best Single Volume about Napoleon's Life, August 8, 2002

By 

Hughbert L. Green Jr. "hgreen8" (Langhorne, PA United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Napoleon (Paperback)

Simply put, Vincent Cronin's Napoleon is the best biography of Napoleon I have ever read. As a student of Napoleonic history, I have read many biographies of the great man, but none has struck home like this one. Cronin presents Napoleon as the man he was, not the myth, not the legend, not the "Anti-Christ." Napoleon's fascinating life from birth to death reads like a novel. It is hard to put down.
Unlike other authors, Cronin does not appear to take sides. He presents Napoleon's accomplishments as well as his faults. If you were to chose one biography of Napoleon, this should be the one!

35 of 39 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Sympathetic psychological portrait, October 31, 2004

By 

maximusone "maximusone" (Brussels) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Napoleon (Hardcover)

Books about Napoleon seem to fall in two categories : the hate-him biographers, like Paul Johnson, who depict him as a demon who can do no good, or the admirers, like all French authors on Napoleon I have seen, who can say no bad about him.

Cronin's book is also very kind to Napoleon : for instance when he is crowned emperor of France, we are told that Napoleon did not really seek this title, but that it was his friends who thought it would be a splendid idea. I cannot imagine that someone as ambitious as Napoleon would just sit back and wait for his friends to have such a good idea. Furthermore we are told Napoleon's wars were defensive only. Whilst I have sympathy for Cronins argument that all Europe's old regime monarchs ganged up against France, I still think Napoleon was a person who tended to settle differences on the battlefield rather than at the negotiating table.

Still, as long as one bears this bias in mind, this is a highly enjoyable psychological portrait because it succeeds very well in showing how Napoleon changed during his life. For instance, the description of his relationship with his wife Josephine is an eye-opener because it shows Napoleon in such a different light from his battlefield image : he stayed with her for a long time despite knowing she betrayed him repeatedly.

There is relatively little in this book about specific battles, except to demonstrate how creative Napoleon was in military strategy and tactics (for instance you may read more in this book about Napoleon's favourite foods or his daytime routines). The battle at Waterloo merits only 3 pages (Napoleon was less than inspired that day).

This book is not for those interested in military history, but I recommend it for those who want to understand a man who managed to terrorise the established monarchs, czars and emperors of Europe for many years and who left a more lasting legacy than his victors : from his Code Civil, which is still the basis to civil law in a number of European countries, to the tree-lined French routes nationales ( so his troups could march in the shadow). In particular I would recommend it to those who have purchased Paul Johnson's book about Napoleon.

20 of 21 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Even a Napoleon Hater will learn to appreciate Napoleon..., February 6, 2000

By A Customer

This review is from: Napoleon (Hardcover)

This book paints an incredibly accurate account of Napoleon's life from a close and intimate angle. Whilst it is obvious the author is no Napoleon-hater, he does not make up anecdotes to manipulate the reader (as many Napoleon-haters do in their biographies).

However, this book is no good for people who are interested in the military aspects of Napoleon. This book is more concentrated on the personal side of Napoleon. Although it mentions basic battle plans and overall strategy, that is not the purpose of the book. If you are truly interested in his army, I suggest you read "Napoleon and his Marshalls" and the Greenwood Military volume on The Napoleonic Wars.