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Napoleon: The Myth of the Saviour

By Jean Tulard

Napoleon: The Myth of the Saviour book

Napoleon: The Myth of the Saviour

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Description
Dust-jacket reads: Ever since the French Revolution Napoleon Bonaparte has been seen in the popular mind as the saviour of France and upholder of the principles of the Revolution. The legend, assiduously cultivated in his lifetime through literature and the arts, has survived in the history of Europe. But is there substance to this image? In his new biography Professor Jean Tulard takes a critical look at Napoleon's achievements. He questions whether the great social changes of the Napoleonic period result from the Emperor's own initiative and asks whether Napoleon was a father to his people or a philistine indifferent to their suffering. From the falsification of his date of birth to his failure at Waterloo, Professor Tulard recounts the deliberate creation of the legend. He penetrates deep into contemporary French life and shows how peasants and simple soldiers as well as the nobility and politicians reacted to his reign. One class in particular he ignored - the notables. From this emerged the new nobility which grew, consolidated against him, and eventually permitted the return of the Bourbon monarchy. Professor Tulard argues that the arrogance that made the Emperor was also his undoing. 'Napoleon: The Myth of the Saviour' is more than a biography. It is a narrative description of France during twenty extraordinary years. Jean Tulard's award-winning work places Napoleon and his legend firmly in the context of his time.
Product details
Number of Pages:
464
Release Date:
1984-06-14
Publication Date:
1984-06-14
Publisher:
Weidenfeld & Nicolson
Languages:
Published: English, Original: French
ISBN10:
0297784390
Weight:
930 g
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