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Steven Englund

Napoleon: A Political Life Paperback – April 30, 2005

by Steven Englund (Author)

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Winner of the J. Russell Major Prize, American Historical Association
Best Book on the First Empire by a Foreigner, Napoleon Foundation

“Englund has written a most distinguished book recounting Bonaparte’s life with clarity and ease…This magnificent book tells us much that we did not know and gives us a great deal to think about.”―Douglas Johnson, Los Angeles Times Book Review

“Englund, in his lively biography…seeks less to rehabilitate Napoleon’s reputation and legacy than to provide readers with a fuller view of the man and his actions.”―Paula Friedman, New York Times

“Napoleon: A Political Life is a veritable tour de force: the general reader will enjoy it immensely, and learn a great deal from it. But the book also has much to offer historians of modern France.”―Sudhir Hazareesingh, Times Literary Supplement

“Englund’s incisive forays into political theory don’t diminish the force of his narrative, which impressively conveys the epochal changes confronting both France and Europe…A strikingly argued biography.”―Matthew Price, Washington Post

This sophisticated and masterful biography brings new and remarkable analysis to the study of modern history’s most famous general and statesman. As Englund charts Napoleon’s dramatic rise and fall―from his Corsican boyhood, his French education, his astonishing military victories and no less astonishing acts of reform as First Consul (1799–1804) to his controversial record as Emperor and, finally, to his exile and death―he explores the unprecedented power Napoleon maintains over the popular imagination.

Print length

600 pages
Language

English
Publisher

Harvard University Press
Publication date

April 30, 2005
Dimensions

6 x 1 x 9 inches
ISBN-10

0674018036
ISBN-13

978-0674018037
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“Englund’s book feature[s] brilliantly pyrotechnic prose and a keen appreciation of Napoleon’s political instincts.”―David A. Bell, The Nation

“Englund has written a most distinguished book recounting Bonaparte’s life with clarity and ease… This magnificent book tells us much that we did not know and gives us a great deal to think about.”―Douglas Johnson, Los Angeles Times Book Review

“Englund, in his lively biography…seeks less to rehabilitate Napoleon’s reputation and legacy than to provide readers with a fuller view of the man and his actions.”―Paula Friedman, New York Times

“Napoleon: A Political Life is a veritable tour de force: the general reader will enjoy it immensely, and learn a great deal from it. But the book also has much to offer historians of modern France.”―Sudhir Hazareesingh, Times Literary Supplement

“Englund’s incisive forays into political theory don’t diminish the force of his narrative, which impressively conveys the epochal changes confronting both France and Europe… A strikingly argued biography.”―Matthew Price, Washington Post

“Englund’s luminous prose, and, yes, his romanticism, allow him to appreciate a quality that was central to Napoleonic experience, but which has virtually disappeared from contemporary political life, namely, grandeur… By far the best biography currently available.”―David A. Bell, The New Republic

“Napoleon Bonaparte (1769–1821) has inspired countless films, plays and books―five biographies since 1997 alone. This one is a marvelous read, all 575 pages of it, even if you’re not a historian. As a political biography, it looks at the man’s motives rather than at the details of his battles… This is a sophisticated, often witty biography. Englund sweeps across a brilliantly crowded canvas with clarity and dash, and he enriches his own fine writing with Napoleon’s pithy aphorisms and the tart remarks of his contemporaries.”―Barbara Black, Montreal Gazette

“It is Napoleon’s politics, not explicitly his battles, that interest this biographer, who subtitles his study A Political Life… His is no narrow study of how those in politics operate, hang on to power, or scratch each others’ backs… All things considered, this is the best of the recent crop of Napoleonic biographies.”―David P. Jordan, Journal of Modern History

About the Author

Steven Englund is a scholar of French history.

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Product details

Publisher ‏ : ‎ Harvard University Press; 3/31/05 edition (April 30, 2005)
Language ‏ : ‎ English
Paperback ‏ : ‎ 600 pages
ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 0674018036
ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0674018037
Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 1.42 pounds
Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 6 x 1 x 9 inches

Best Sellers Rank: #557,195 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- #557 in Historical France Biographies
- #1,522 in French History (Books)
- #1,722 in European Politics Books

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Nicholas Roberts

A different account of Napoleon

Reviewed in the United States on January 30, 2013

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Englund's book is excellent dealing with the subject that the book implies. I bought this book because most books on Napoleon deal with his military career or 80% of the book may. I like his military career but wanted to learn more about his governance. This book fit that criteria very well. The book goes over Napoleon's thoughts about the nation, how is government was set up, the Civil Code, the economic policy as well as different plots and recessions. Very little of the book deals with military matters, only enough to move the story along. Although this did not effect my review his thoughts on Napoleon tend to be pretty lenient. He makes Napoleon out to be more of a victim then villian, but he makes a lot of effort to be balanced. He emphaisises the good that Napoleon did more than the negative. He defends his ideas that Napoleon was not a blood mongering beast, but he leaves out the incessive wars and devestation and tries to minimize their effects (for example in the footnotes he puts total military losses at 1.8 million. Most books put them at 3 million some even at 4 million. His is the lowest I have ever seen.)

I gave book 4 stars because there are many times where he can by very long winded. He goes on about things that I wish he did not such as Napoleon's relationship with Josephine. Overall a good book though.

2 people found this helpful

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Sam A. Mustafa

A lively read, an often-puzzling biography

Reviewed in the United States on March 16, 2004

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Englund generally stays true to the implications of his subtitle, "A Political Life." This author, whose previous work sprawls from Princess Grace of Monaco to an explication of Hollywood-era blacklisting, does give the reader a reasonably focused portrait of Napoleon as a political animal, motivated and moving by political will above all other considerations.
I teach a college course on Napoleonic history, and I originally considered this book as a text. I've decided against it, and not simply because Englund employs a needlessly florid prose (just how many times should an author describe something as "otiose," or a policy as "tergiversated?") I ultimately decided against the text because it is laden with cross-references and skips around fairly liberally in chronology (which would be fine for more experienced readers of this period), yet fails to deliver much depth or novelty of analysis.
Englund makes the odd factual error or oversimplification, such as when he names Blücher as the allied commander at Lützen and Bautzen, or demonstrates a lack of perception on non-French sources, such as when he claims that Napoleon nicknamed his second wife "Louise" (all Habsburg females were called by their second names - "Marie" was family tradition.) He also makes some unsubstantiated assertions, such as claiming that Prussia's Queen Luise led a "reactionary" faction in Berlin, in conjunction with Stein and Hardenberg (two less-reactionary Prussians would be hard to imagine.)
Ultimately I find this volume somewhat disappointing. Englund has a tendency to include himself in the telling: He slips frequently into the second person and present tense, references pop-culture and tourism, frequently conjures up Hitler (though he finally asserts that he's not making that comparison) and even concludes with an autobiographical essay on how he became interested in Napoleon by playing with miniature soldiers. (I surely don't begrudge him that interest; I just don't think it has any place in a serious work of history.)
Englund does do us a favor that is rare among Napoleonic biographers: he includes an extended historiographical essay at his conclusion. This, actually, would have been better as its own book, expanded and developed, because the world doesn't really need another Napoleon biography. We need instead a clear-headed analysis of the ways in which Napoleon's biography(ies) have evolved over the past 200 years. *That* ultimately tells us a lot more about Napoleon's place in history.

11 people found this helpful

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dreaming of beaches

Don't waste a penny

Reviewed in the United States on September 27, 2015

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Awful. This book is about the author who enjoys his own thoughts and thinks he is also writing prose. Nothing about how Napolean became who is or his influences.

3 people found this helpful

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Jersey Lily

Five Stars

Reviewed in the United States on July 15, 2015

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excellent condition- GREAT BIO-fast service--Thanks

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DEB H

Best reference on Napoleon in English

Reviewed in the United States on March 16, 2013

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I take clients on history tours in France and it has always been a problem recommending a good book for them to read. There are countless good biographies in French but the English side has always been a disappointment. My favourite French History author recommended this one and she was right. It's so good it was translated into French.

Reviewed in the United States on September 6, 2012

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The best biography a have ever read of this great man, even if the book is a little to long you wont mind because its always interesting, a must read if you want to understand the 19th century.

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jay padgett

New impression of Napoleon

Reviewed in the United States on May 14, 2013

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It was interesting to learn more about how the man made laws of the land enduring to this day. More than just a great general.

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Prof G Medeiros-Neto

One of the great books about Napoleon

Reviewed in the United States on July 18, 2017

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One of the great books about Napoleon, is seriously written with talent!

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markr

splendid one volume biography

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on December 31, 2011

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This is an excellent account of the life of Napoleon, which provides a balanced view of his actions and motivations, both within France and within the Empire he largely created. Whilst this is essentially a political biography, there is enough here on his military campaigns, personal life and writings to give a rounded picture of the man and his times.

It probably helps to have some prior knowledge of the period. Stephen Englund does rather seem to take that for granted, but notwithstanding that, this will be an enjoyable read for the general reader, like me, with an interest in history, as well as those with more detailed prior knowledge

Recommended

6 people found this helpful

Paul Cherrett

Absolutely fascinating Napoleonic history

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on February 25, 2013

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Discusses Napoloeon's motivations, influences and strengths. Clearly and well written. Interesting and not a boring historical tome. Non-historians could easily read it and the story is fascinating. Added to my understanding (which was quite extensive already.)

One person found this helpful

Andreas Oberender

Eine anspruchsvolle, glänzend geschriebene Napoleon-Biographie

Reviewed in Germany on December 28, 2014

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Wer sich als Deutscher für Napoleon interessiert, der wird immer wieder erstaunt sein über Umfang und Qualität der Napoleon-Forschung in den angelsächsischen Ländern. Kein deutscher Historiker hat in den letzten Jahrzehnten eine "große" Napoleon-Biographie vorgelegt. Das ist ein Armutszeugnis. Bedenkt man, welche Wirkung Napoleon auf die Geschichte der Deutschen hatte, dann ist die marginale Stellung der deutschen Historikerzunft innerhalb der internationalen Napoleon-Forschung peinlich und beschämend. Die deutsche Napoleon-Literatur ist traditionell die Domäne von Publizisten und Sachbuchautoren (z.B. Emil Ludwig, Friedrich Sieburg, Franz Herre). Das enttäuschende Buch von Johannes Willms (2005) bleibt weit hinter dem zurück, was man von einer modernen Napoleon-Biographie erwarten darf. Volker Huneckes Buch "Napoleon. Vom Scheitern eines guten Diktators" (2011) hat in Fachkreisen und darüber hinaus kaum Beachtung gefunden. Nicht nur die bloße Anzahl englischsprachiger Napoleon-Biographien ist erstaunlich. Kein deutscher Verlag würde das Risiko eingehen, eine mehrbändige Napoleon-Biographie herauszubringen. Anders ist es in Großbritannien und in den USA: Zusätzlich zu der zweibändigen Biographie des amerikanischen Militärhistorikers Robert Asprey (2001, 2002) liegen mittlerweile zwei Bände von Philip Dwyer (2007, 2013) und der erste von zwei Bänden aus der Feder von Michael Broers (2013) vor. Dwyer und Broers gehören zu den Koryphäen der anglophonen Napoleon-Forschung. Obgleich ihre Werke noch nicht abgeschlossen sind, können sie schon jetzt als Meilensteine der Napoleon-Biographik gelten. Daneben gibt es eine Reihe lesenswerter einbändiger Napoleon-Biographien, etwa von Geoffrey Ellis (1997), Frank McLynn (1997) und Alan Forrest (2011). Diese Bücher sind für all jene Leser von Interesse, denen die Lektüre einer mehrbändigen Napoleon-Biographie zu aufwendig ist.

Zu den herausragenden einbändigen Napoleon-Biographien gehört das Buch des Amerikaners Steven Englund (2004). Wie fast alle englischsprachigen Napoleon-Biographien ist es hierzulande vollkommen unbeachtet geblieben. Englund lebt seit Jahrzehnten in Frankreich. Seinem Buch ist eine tiefe Vertrautheit mit dem napoleonischen Zeitalter anzumerken. Englund stützt sich auf edierte Quellen und die internationale Forschungsliteratur der letzten 40 Jahre. Er vollbringt das Kunststück, Napoleons Leben auf knapp 470 Seiten zu behandeln, ohne dass es zu problematischen Verkürzungen und Vereinfachungen kommt. Das Buch bewegt sich auf einem hohen Analyse- und Reflexionsniveau und ist daher nicht für Neueinsteiger geeignet, die sich erstmals mit Napoleon beschäftigen wollen. Die Lektüre ist nur sinnvoll, wenn man als Leser ein gewisses Maß an Vorkenntnissen mitbringt. Wer sich einen ersten Überblick über Napoleons Leben verschaffen möchte, der sollte zu einfacheren Werken greifen. Englunds Buch besticht nicht allein durch seine inhaltlichen Vorzüge, sondern auch durch die elegante, geschliffene, nuancenreiche Sprache. Wie im Untertitel angekündigt legt Englund den Schwerpunkt auf Napoleons Wirken als Politiker und Herrscher. Ausführliche Beschreibungen von Feldzügen und Schlachten bietet er nicht. Desweiteren ist hervorzuheben, dass Englund zwar kritische Distanz zu Napoleon wahrt, im Großen und Ganzen aber ein wohlwollendes Bild seines Protagonisten zeichnet. Englund lässt keinen Zweifel an Napoleons historischer Größe, an seiner ungewöhnlichen Begabung als Staatsmann und Heerführer. Nichts liegt ihm ferner, als den Korsen zu karikieren oder zu dämonisieren (wie es andere anglophone Autoren tun, etwa Correlli Barnett und Alan Schom). Englunds Napoleon ist kein Psychopath, kein Abenteurer, kein Hasardeur, sondern ein intelligenter, gebildeter, willensstarker und charismatischer Politiker, getrieben von einem unbändigen Gestaltungsdrang. Militärische Siege hatten für Napoleon keinen Wert an sich, sondern waren die nötige Voraussetzung für den Aufbau neuer staatlicher und politischer Strukturen, sei es in Oberitalien, sei es in Ägypten, sei es in Nordwesteuropa und Deutschland.

Englund zeigt Napoleon als Anhänger eines starken Staates. Auf die Beteiligung der Gesellschaft am politischen Prozess legte der Korse wenig Wert, und zwar schon als junger Offizier, wie eine Analyse seiner Jugendschriften zeigt. Seine Vorstellungen von Politik reduzierten sich auf ein simples Top-Down-Modell. Als Erster Konsul und Kaiser war Napoleon aber weder ein Usurpator noch ein Diktator. Er regierte mit Zustimmung eines großen Teils der Eliten. Ohne diese Zustimmung wäre der Übergang zum Konsulat auf Lebenszeit (1802) und zum Kaisertum (1804) gar nicht möglich gewesen. Die Mehrheit des Volkes akzeptierte Napoleon als charismatischen Führer der Nation, egal welchen Titel er trug. Nach den blutigen Exzessen und fruchtlosen Experimenten der Revolutionszeit verschaffte Napoleon Frankreich Stabilität und geordnete Verhältnisse. Er sicherte Frankreichs Hegemonialstellung in West- und Mitteleuropa (Friedensschlüsse von 1801/02). Die Stärkung der Exekutive zu Lasten der Legislative und die Verdrängung gesellschaftlicher Kräfte aus dem politischen Prozess wurden von den Franzosen als Preis angesehen, der im Interesse von Ruhe und Ordnung notwendigerweise gezahlt werden musste. Englund verschweigt keineswegs die Schattenseiten des Konsulats und Kaiserreiches, etwa Pressezensur und Manipulation von Wahlen und Referenden. Napoleon war jedoch nie mit ernst zu nehmender Opposition konfrontiert, und es kann überhaupt keine Rede davon sein, dass es unter seiner Herrschaft Repression im modernen Sinne gegeben hätte. Napoleon war kein Tyrann oder Gewaltherrscher und schon gar nicht, wie Englund betont, der Vorläufer Hitlers und Stalins. Napoleon sah sich selbst als Verteidiger bestimmter revolutionärer Errungenschaften, vor allem eines starken, rational organisierten Zentralstaates, der das politische, wirtschaftliche und kulturelle Leben der Nation lenkt. Breiten Raum widmet Englund Napoleons Reformen und Wirtschaftspolitik. Er widerspricht der Auffassung, Napoleons Herrschaft sei ruinös für die französische Wirtschaft gewesen. Vielmehr habe Frankreichs Industrialisierung unter der Regierung des Korsen ihre Take-Off-Phase erlebt. Das Bild, das Englund von Napoleons Herrschaft in Europa entwirft, fällt erwartungsgemäß eher negativ aus. Nirgendwo konnte Napoleon dauerhafte Strukturen aufbauen, vor allem deshalb nicht, weil die Völker Europas das "Grand Empire" sehr bald als Instrument der Ausbeutung und Unterdrückung wahrnahmen.

Manches hätte Englund ausführlicher behandeln können, etwa Napoleons Privat- und Familienleben. Aus Sicht deutscher Leser hätten die Auflösung des Heiligen Römischen Reiches und der Rheinbund mehr Aufmerksamkeit verdient. Insgesamt ist Englund aber eine inhaltlich und stilistisch gleichermaßen überzeugende Biographie gelungen. Das Buch verliert sich nirgends in Nebensächlichkeiten, gleitet zu keinem Zeitpunkt ins rein Anekdotische ab. Englund konzentriert sich auf bestimmte Leitmotive: Napoleons politische Ideen, seine Herrschaftsauffassung und Herrschaftsausübung, sein immenses Führungstalent als Feldherr und Staatsmann, sein Verhältnis zur französischen Nation, seine selektive Aneignung der Errungenschaften der Revolution, schließlich das Spannungsverhältnis zwischen Planung und Kontingenz. Englund arbeitet den sozial- und mentalitätsgeschichtlichen Kontext heraus, der Napoleons Aufstieg und seine allmähliche Metamorphose zum Autokraten ermöglichte (einer der wichtigsten Aspekte, den jede gute Napoleon-Biographie behandeln muss). Er hebt die konstruktiven Seiten von Napoleons Wirken hervor, ohne aber die Fehler und Misserfolge, die Maßlosigkeit und Selbstüberschätzung des Korsen auszublenden. Die Expansion auf dem Kontinent, die keineswegs unstillbarem Eroberungsdrang geschuldet war, wurde dem Kaiser zum Verhängnis. Wenn Napoleon am Ende scheiterte, dann lag das daran, dass er Europa in einer Weise veränderte, die aus Sicht der anderen Staaten weit über ein akzeptables Maß hinausging. Für die etablierten Herrscher Europas war er ein Emporkömmling und Störenfried, der unschädlich gemacht werden musste. Das "Grand Empire" verdankte seine Entstehung Napoleons Siegen auf dem Schlachtfeld, keine günstige Voraussetzung für eine Integration Europas - sofern der Konsul und Kaiser sie denn überhaupt angestrebt haben sollte (Englund bezweifelt, dass Napoleon eine kohärente "Vision" für Europa hatte). Einige Völker sahen in Napoleon den Befreier, andere hingegen den Unterdrücker. Italiener und Polen haben traditionell ein positiveres Bild von Napoleon als Deutsche oder Spanier. Die gegensätzliche Bewertung in den nationalen Erinnerungskulturen spiegelt das widersprüchliche Wesen des Menschen und Herrschers Napoleon, der auch heute, fast zweihundert Jahre nach seinem Tod, nichts von seiner Faszinationskraft eingebüßt hat.

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Graham

A good introduction into the life and times of Napoleon

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on September 5, 2013

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Although this is a good introduction into the life of Napoleon and into the times of post-revolution France, the author does not always use simple language and often uses verbose / pompous vocabulary. This makes certain passage difficult to read. However, the book takes the reader chronologically through the life of Napoleon and cross-references his arguments with details from other historians. Do not buy this book if you want a family portrait, but as the title says, "A Political Life", it is worth the read.

Richard Webber

Abysmal Style

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on October 17, 2013

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The style of this book is overblown, pretentious and distracting. A complete turn off. I want to know about Napoleon not marvel at the wonders of the author's linguistic creativity or be amazed by his oh-so-clever allusions.

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