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Robert B. Asprey

The Rise Of Napoleon Bonaparte Paperback – October 4, 2001

by Robert Asprey (Author)

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Ever since 1821, when he died at age fifty-one on the forlorn and windswept island of St. Helena, Napoleon Bonaparte has been remembered as either demi-god or devil incarnate. In The Rise of Napoleon Bonaparte, the first volume of a two-volume cradle-to-grave biography, Robert Asprey instead treats him as a human being. Asprey tells this fascinating, tragic tale in lush narrative detail. The Rise of Napoleon Bonaparte is an exciting, reckless thrill ride as Asprey charts Napoleon's vertiginous ascent to fame and the height of power. Here is Napoleon as he was-not saint, not sinner, but a man dedicated to and ultimately devoured by his vision of himself, his empire, and his world.

Print length

608 pages
Language

English
Publication date

October 4, 2001
Dimensions

5.5 x 1.52 x 8.5 inches
ISBN-10

0465048811
ISBN-13

978-0465048816
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Editorial Reviews

Review

"A superbly written and exciting chronicle of the rise of a historical figure that remains a fascinating, compelling enigma." -- -Booklist

About the Author

Robert Asprey is a former U.S. Marine captain and an accomplished and esteemed military historian.

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Product details

Publisher ‏ : ‎ Basic Books (October 4, 2001)
Language ‏ : ‎ English
Paperback ‏ : ‎ 608 pages
ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 0465048811
ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0465048816
Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 1.65 pounds
Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 5.5 x 1.52 x 8.5 inches

Best Sellers Rank: #2,025,417 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- #1,580 in Historical France Biographies
- #4,746 in US Presidents
- #5,369 in French History (Books)

Customer Reviews:
58 ratings

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3 star		11%
2 star		9%
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Thomas Orput

Fast paced prose - action, adventure and drama

Reviewed in the United States on October 2, 2018

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Asprey does a truly remarkable job retelling events that brought rise to the Emperor. His battles are fast pace and descriptive. He really brings out the Napoleon Bonaparte battlefield genius.

He also depicts France in the post revolution period as one fraught with danger of poor alliances and deception. He filled in many of my blank spots regarding the period after the throne was toppled and before Napoleon became the consulate leader.

The geography was extremely comp!icated. I had my map app open numerous times and found the links to the maps in the book to not work or lack detail.

Sometimes the names and locations were too much too fast. Almost like expository text. Perhaps providing more background may have made the book too long. I don't know.

I am excited to read the demise in book 2.

One person found this helpful

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C. Monk

Great Introduction to Napoleon

Reviewed in the United States on February 5, 2013

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I think some of the reviewers for this book were expecting a lengthy tome that dissected each day of Napoleon's life.
This is not a book written by a stuffy academic FOR stuffy academics, which is what a lot of biographies end up being. It's one professor seeking to impress his colleagues with how many minute details he can cram into a 1,000 page book. Those types of books are not for general consumption.
This one is.
The book is written by a military man, which I appreciate, because it makes the subject readable. In the military, you write in brief...you don't write lengthy documents, because no one has the time to read them.

Asprey does a good job of summarizing Napoleon's life. If all you know about Napoleon is from your formal education or from general knowledge, than this book is perfect for you.
Each short chapter deals with a short period of Napoleon's life from his birth on Corsica up through his victory at Austerlitz. I have not yet read the follow-up volume which details the reign and fall of Napoleon. I enjoyed Asprey's writing style which is as much story-teller as it is historian. History need not be dull, as it tends to be with many academic books.

This may not be the most complete biography of Napoleon but it's probably one of the most readable in terms of keeping the average reader interested. No, there is no deep-dive into Napoleon's grades when he was 15 or the march leading up to Austerlitz...if you want deep discussions of single battles or campaigns, there are books for those.

I also enjoyed the fact that Asprey wasn't trying to prove something; there is no grand argument in his writing. Probably a side-affect of him not writing for academia but for the general public. He writes to inform, not to argue. Too many histories have some overarching theme like "Napoleon actually wasn't a great general because..." Those are usually some PhD's thesis or dissertation, which they have simply turned into a book.

I did find it odd that this book ends with Austerlitz and not with the coup that brought Napoleon to power. That is probably where I would have made the cut, but that's a small matter.

Anyway, for anyone who simply wants to learn more about Napoleon and the times in which he lived, this is a fine book to read.

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H. Schneider

Impossible

Reviewed in the United States on April 20, 2012

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It is impossible to write a biography of a hyper-active mover and shaker like Napoleon Bonaparte in 1000 pages. Asprey's 2 volumes may be the best possible attempt, but it can't come near being fully satisfactory.

The problem lies in the fact that the man's life is an integral part of his time, and his time was very busy. While he grew up, the fate of Corsica between Italy, France, and independence dominated his life, then the French Revolution, then his rise to power in the post-revolutionary chaos, etc. You can't tell the story of these developments in a few lines without being superficial, inaccurate, and confusing to the non-expert. Asprey tries it anyway and does a credible job.

One of the questions that I always wanted to ask about NB is: how could he make such a military career so young? Answer: the revolution had caused a huge gap of officer material, which needed to be filled fast as the rest of Europe was about to attack the young republic. That placed young NB in an advantageous position despite earlier problems of AWOL times and known rebellious actions, which might have been fatal at other times.
The second reason is that the man was a military genius. I have always tended to think little of that kind of talent, but at least I am able now to appreciate the complexity of the job and sheer physical demands that this general met. He was also a skilled administrator, a keen legal mind, a hard and fast worker, and a great PR man.
The book is largely in admiration, except when it comes to NB's obsession with England and challenging its naval superiority. It seems that common sense deserted him. By half time of the 2 volume biography, we are left with the impression of a super talented maniac who ran out of self-control.

The early wars of revolutionary France against the rest of Europe are a good case study on the subject of 'regime change'. We can see how outside interference can make a nation 'come together' in resistance against the outside even under terror regimes. There can be little doubt that the revolution would have run a different course if Austria, Prussia, England, Russia had not tried to stop it. (There can, similarly, be little doubt that a war against Iran, now, would weld a majority of the Iranian people together with the current leaders, despite latent opposition.)

Core pieces of this first of two volumes are the Italian and Egyptian campaigns and the wars against the anti-revolutionary coalitions. These are periods that I did not know much about, and now I still don't know all that much more. Probably one needs to look for specialized monographs.

This is an action thriller among historical biographies. On the other hand, pure action gets tedious. We need interpretation and plot construction. Asprey doesn't spend much time with that. The consequence of that is the fact that this book is more a useful reference handbook than a satisfactory biography.
Footnote: the handbook function is particularly relevant for readers of the Aubrey/Maturin novels which look at the struggles of the time from the English and anti-Napoleon angle.

3 people found this helpful

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Al Singh

Great book about a great man

Reviewed in the United States on August 11, 2014

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The author, himself an experienced military officer, is generous in his praise of Napoleon's abilities as a military commander, and in general he is far less critical of Napoleon than many other biographers and historians are wont to be. I have read many books on Napoleon, but this book more than any other highlights his genius and outstanding qualities of leadership. His enemies, perhaps with the exception of Horatio Nelson, are shown to be distinctly lesser men serving an outdated order that was destined to crumble sooner or later whether Napoleon was defeated or not. It is hard not to root for the tough little Corsican when reading a book like this, and the author's treatment lends strong support to the now out-of-favor Great Man theory of history.

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Top reviews from other countries

chris caldwell

Good book and easy to read and follow

Reviewed in Canada on November 4, 2014

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Good book and easy to read and follow. The maps given help understand what was going on however it would be nice to have more detailed maps as it can be diffuclt to describe a battle without proper references for the reader

Marva

I got what I paid for.

Reviewed in Canada on February 7, 2020

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Do you have Mein Kempt by Hitler and War and Peace used?

Rolande Mullen

Five Stars

Reviewed in Canada on November 20, 2015

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Item as described. Quick Shipping. Very Pleased

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