Walks Through Napoleon & Josephine's Paris [Hardcover]

Diana Reid Haig (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: November 30, 2003

Napoleon and Josephine's passionate romance played itself out on the stage of the most beautiful city in the world. Four walks through Paris trace the couple's courtship, Napoleon's student days at the École Militaire, the coronation and reign, and, finally, the path that Napoleon's funeral cortège took nearly twenty years after his death. Readers visit the prison where Josephine was held during the Terror, the site of the house where Napoleon plotted to the coup d'état, restaurants where the couple dined, and the jewelers Napoleon commissioned to make the dazzling royal crowns, timepieces, and swords; itineraries for Malmaison and Fontainebleau are also included. This pocketable guide evokes a panoramic sweep of French history and describes the public grandeur as well as the daily intimacy of Napoleon and Josephine's lives.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"In reality, we may not be able to go back in time and be one with Napoleon and Josephine in the Paris they knew; but in Diana Reid Haig’s book Walks Through Napoleon & Josephine’s Paris we can certainly feel like we are. After being published in 2004, the book quickly hit WHSmith’s Top Ten list in Paris – and it is easy to see why.
For starters, the book is attractive – so attractive that when you finally embark on one of its walks, you may be tempted to leave it on your coffee table at home. But make no mistake, this book is meant to be used. The entire point of the book is to have readers out and about in Paris – visiting the exact sites that were of great importance to Napoleon and Josephine.
There are four different walks around Paris that readers can follow. For the more ambitious there are also two daytrips outside Paris included. Fortunately Haig does everything in her power to make these walks (and daytrips) completely stress-free for those who don’t know Paris. Not only does she lay out maps at the beginning of each walk, she also tells you which direction to walk, which Metro to take, and when to turn.
Furthermore, the book measures only 7.25 inches by 5.25 inches. Thus, it is small enough to put in your backpack or purse without a problem. It even comes with a built-in ribbon bookmark so you never have to worry about losing your place while on a walk.
The best thing about Walks Through Napoleon & Josephine’s Paris is that it allows you to see the Paris of today and yesterday, simultaneously. Not only can you visit some of the same shops and restaurants that the Emperor and Empress used to frequent, but you will also find yourself being sidetracked (time and time again) by other historical sites and famous places of today that you will inevitably pass along the way.
In a word, the book is ‘priceless’ for those who have always wanted to learn about Napoleon and Josephine but have been too busy, too bored by the idea, or too ADHD to actually take the time to do it. Walks Through Napoleon & Josephine’s Paris is a must-have for all who love Paris." --Bonjour Paris

Product Details

• Hardcover: 146 pages
• Publisher: Little Bookroom (November 30, 2003)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1892145251
• ISBN-13: 978-1892145253
• Product Dimensions: 7.3 x 0.7 x 5.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 9.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (9 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #666,087 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

12 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Fascinating and useful: a delightful book!, February 16, 2004

By 

J. David Markham (Olympia, Washington USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Walks Through Napoleon & Josephine's Paris (Hardcover)

Diana Reid Haig has produced a delightful book that is at once fascinating and useful. She tells short anecdotal stories of Napoleon and Josephine and their times while showing us beautiful photographs of the places they would have known and then showing us how to find them. No one who is interested in Napoleon should ever visit Paris without consulting this book, and even those who will never set foot on the Champs-Élysées will enjoy thumbing through its pages and reading Haig's well-written little vignettes of one of history's most famous love stories.

The book is organized into four "walks," which generally correspond to Napoleon's early career and meeting of Josephine, life as First Consul, the coronation, and the return of Napoleon's body in 1840. To these she adds a tour of Fontainebleau and Malmaison, two places where Napoleon and Josephine lived. Each walk comes with a map that clearly shows the major places she discusses as well as shops and other areas of interest. The maps are easy to follow and a dotted line traces her suggested route. A map of Paris showing where in the greater scheme of things these maps fit would have been useful, but any visit to Paris will be enhanced by this book.

One of Haig's most endearing qualities as a writer is her ability to provide interesting and useful information in a way that both informs and entertains. Throughout her book we hear of some of the standard discussions of Napoleon and Josephine, such as her affair and their near breakup after his Egyptian campaign. But we also are given brief glimpses into their daily lives and their relationship with the buildings that we can see on her tours. Haig also includes interesting "side boxes" on topics the basics of which are common knowledge but the unknown details of which can be quite interesting. For example, we all know of Napoleon's famous hat, but from Haig we learn that he ordered four a year as First Consul and later had at least fifty ordered from his hatter, Poupard, who charged exorbitant rates. Indeed, Haig presents enough interesting history that a scholarly reader is left wishing she had provided references.

This wonderful little book is like none other that I have seen. It is beautifully produced and well written. I highly recommend it to anyone interested in seeing and understanding Napoleon and Josephine's Paris.

J. David Markham, Author
Napoleon's Road to Glory: Triumphs, Defeats and Immortality
Imperial Glory: The Bulletins of Napoleon's Grande Armée

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars History becomes three-dimensional, August 18, 2005

By 

New York Foodie - See all my reviews

This review is from: Walks Through Napoleon & Josephine's Paris (Hardcover)

I had the delightful privilege of hearing Mme. Haig read from her book at the French Institute in New York which in turn, plunged me into an exuberant frenzy to learn as much as I could about Napoleon and even more so - Josephine. Mme. Haig's writing comes from a genuine passion about her subjects and is wonderfully researched, with fascinating detail. Should you be travelling to Paris with a teenager, this book could ignite a passion in them as well about history before Britney Spears' first marriage.

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A beautiful gem, January 20, 2004

By 

"jennieg59" (Chicago, IL) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Walks Through Napoleon & Josephine's Paris (Hardcover)

A fantastic book and a visual treat. Napoleon and Josephine come to life and as their stories unfold, I felt like I was there. Now I want to go to Paris and visit all the buildings, monuments, restaurants, shops that are so vividly described. Even people who don't usually like history will be charmed.