Summer holidays are fast upon us, bringing longer days and above all time to catch up on all those books you've wanted to read but didn't have time for. But which ones should you purchase? Which ones should you be reading? Well, look no further, for we here at the Fondation Napoléon have put together our 2013 Summer Selection, which not only includes some of the latest literature on Napoleonic history, but also digital resources and content, exhibition recommendations and history-themed walks and tours, enough to last you through the next few months of whatever you have planned.
Napoleon and the First Empire
Correspondance Générale de Napoléon Bonaparte. Tome 9: Wagram. Février 1809- Février 1810
In total, 3,265 letters feature in this 9th volume of the Correspondance de Napoléon, among them are letters sent to the minister of War, Clarke, which have never been seen before.
This new volume reveals a portrait of the Emperor, whose energy, authority, attention to detail and also whose sentiments regarding his entourage appears directly through his letters.
Read the introduction by Patrice Gueniffey, director of this volume.
War Memories: the Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars in Modern European Culture, ed. Alan Forrest and Karen Hagemann
The memory of the Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars was so powerful across Europe because they constituted a crucial turning point in European history. The military expansion of France ensured that scarcely a corner of Europe remained untouched by the wars and by the political, economic and social changes that accompanied them. This interdisciplinary volume brings together an international team of experts who study how experiences and memories were transmitted to future generations in European culture and explore the various media through which they passed. This focus allows the authors to examine the intersection between experience and memory, between the private and the public, history and fiction, literature and art, and, most significantly of all, between the memories of the individual, groups, regions, nations, and the continent of Europe.
A Very Short Introduction to the Napoleonic Wars, by Mike Rapport
The Napoleonic Wars have an important place in the history of Europe, leaving their mark on European and world societies in a variety of ways. In many European countries they provided the stimulus for radical social and political change – particularly in Spain, Germany, and Italy – and are frequently viewed in these places as the starting point of their modern histories.
In this Very Short Introduction, Mike Rapport provides a brief outline of the wars, introducing the tactics, strategies, and weaponry of the time. Presented in three parts, he considers the origins and course of the wars, the ways and means in which it was fought, and the social and political legacy it has left to the world today.
Alexander I. The Tsar Who Defeated Napoleon, by Marie-Pierre Rey
Alexander I was a ruler with high aspirations for the people of Russia. Cosseted as a young grand duke by Catherine the Great, he ascended to the throne in 1801 after the brutal assassination of his father. In this biography, Marie-Pierre Rey illuminates the complex forces that shaped Alexander's tumultuous reign and sheds new light on the ruler known to his people as “the Sphinx.”
When in exile, Napoleon once remarked of his Russian rival: “He could go far. If I die here, he will be my true heir in Europe.” It was not to be. Napoleon died on Saint Helena and Alexander succumbed to typhus four years later at the age of forty-eight. But in this portrait, Rey breathes new life into the tsar who stood at the center of the political chessboard of early nineteenth-century Europe, a key figure at the heart of diplomacy, war, and international intrigue during that region's most tumultuous years.
Military
Wars, Pestilence and the Surgeon's Blade: The Evolution of British Military Medicine and Surgery during the Nineteenth Century, ed. Steven Hayes
Wars in the 19th Century were accompanied by a very heavy loss of life from infectious diseases. Typhus fever, dysentery, malaria, typhoid fever and yellow fever caused many more deaths than wounds inflicted by enemy actions. During the Peninsular War, for example, for every soldier dying of a wound, four succumbed to disease. This book examines sthe development and evolution of surgical practice against this overwhelming risk of death due to disease. It reviews three major conflicts during this time: the Peninsular War, the Crimean War and the Boer War and also considers many minor wars fought by the British Empire in the intervening years, and highlights significant medical and surgical developments during these conflicts.
Incomparable: Napoleon's 9th Light Infantry Regiment, by Terry Crowdy
An elite battalion under Louis XVI, the 9th Light Infantry regiment were with Napoleon from almost the beginning, turning the field at Marengo and breaking the Austrians. They then spent over a decade fighting their way across the continent, following Napoleon to the bitter end. Bringing their Eagle out of hiding when Napoleon returned from exile in 1815 they almost saved the day again, at Waterloo, spearheading a charge to rejoin Napoleon. But unlike at Marengo, they failed. Napoleon dubbed them ‘Incomparable', and their story is extraordinary even by the standards of the dramatic and turbulent years in which they lived.
Biography
Napoleon in America: Essays in Biography and Popular Culture, by Tom Vance
Tom Vance has created a most remarkable book. It is a collection of seven papers which he gave at various times, and a catalogue of Napoleonic art works in American institutions (chapter 8). Of particular interest are his bibliographical studies. He gives us details (biographical and historical) concerning Napoleonic histories published in the USA but little read these days, notably Headley, Abbot, Ropes, Sloane, Tarbell, but also Dodge and especially Emil Ludwig (who gets the whole of chapter 5 to himself). For this alone Vance should be congratulated. His catalogue of the art works is similarly useful, and the discussion of publishers (chapter 4) is interesting. We are delighted here at Napoleon.org to recommend this book as our “Book of Month”, March 2013.
Second Empire
Paris Reborn: Napoléon II, Baron Haussmann and the Quest to build a Modern City, by Stephane Kirkland
Traditionally known as a dirty, congested, and dangerous city, 19th Century Paris, France was transformed in an extraordinary period from 1848 to 1870, when the government launched a huge campaign to build streets, squares, parks, churches, and public buildings. The Louvre Palace was expanded, Notre-Dame Cathedral was restored and the French masterpiece of the Second Empire, the Opéra Garnier, was built. A very large part of what we see when we visit Paris today originates from this short span of twenty-two years.
The vision for the new Nineteenth Century Paris belonged to Napoleon III, who had led a long and difficult climb to absolute power. But his plans faltered until he brought in a civil servant, Georges-Eugène Haussmann, to take charge of the implementation. Heedless of controversy, at tremendous cost, Haussmann pressed ahead with the giant undertaking until, in 1870, his political enemies brought him down, just months before the collapse of the whole regime brought about the end of an era.
A Short History of the Crimean War, by Trudi Tate
The Crimean War (1853-1856) was the first modern war. A vicious struggle between imperial Russia and an alliance of the British, French and Ottoman Empires, it was the first conflict to be reported first-hand in newspapers, painted by official war artists, recorded by telegraph and photographed by camera. In her new short history Trudi Tate discusses the ways in which this novel representation itself became part of the modern 'war machine'. Tate argues that the Crimean War was both modern and old-fashioned, looking backwards and forwards, and generating optimism and despair among those who lived through it. She explores this paradox while giving full coverage to the bloody battles (Alma, Balaklava, Inkerman), the siege of Sebastopol, the much-derided strategies of the commanders, conditions in the field and the political impact of the anti-Russian alliance. In its skilful interweaving of military, medical and social history, the book offers a fresh and intriguing look at one of the most fascinating conflicts of modern times.
Exhibitions and Reference
Napoléon et l'Europe Exhibition Catalogue, ed. Emilie Robbe
During nearly 15 years in power, Napoleon made an indelible mark on France. But anotehr question emerges: how was Europe changed throughout the wars, conquests and the final collapse of the regime? In this sumptuous and fully illustrated catalogue of the exhibition, various Napoleonic scholars look at the manifold facets of Napoleon's influence in Europe, from administration of conquered territories to his influence on art and ideas. Contributors include Jacques-Olivier Boudon, Thierry Lentz, Michael Broers, Pierre Branda and director of the exhibition, Emilie Robbe.
Waterloo Battlefield Guide, by David Buttery
Waterloo is among the most famous battles ever fought – the defeat of Napoleon's French army by The Combined forces of Wellington and Blücher on 18 June 1815 was a turning point in world history and the outcome at Waterloo had a major influence on the shape of Europe for the next century and beyond. As the bicentenary of this monumental event approaches, interest in the clash between Emperor Napoleon I and the Duke of Wellington has never been greater. The battle was a milestone, and it cannot be fully understood without a detailed, on-the-ground study of the landscape in which it was fought. This is the purpose of David Buttery's essential new battlefield guide.
In vivid detail, using eyewitness accounts and an intimate knowledge of the terrain, Buttery takes the reader on a journey across the battleground as it is today. The book focuses on the pivotal episodes in the fighting and also examines the famous personalities and armies involved, giving an in-depth account that brings to life the events of almost two-hundred years ago.
The Fondation Napoléon Digital Services
Napoleon.org
Napoleon.org is the best place on the web if you want to stay up to date on the latest events, news and articles on Napoleonic history. Articles, texts, commentaries and news items are added on a regular basis, and there are plenty of games, fact files, and visit ideas to keep you occupied over the coming months.
Napoleonica. La Revue
Napoleonica. La Revue, the Fondation Napoléon's academic review, now has thirteen issues worth of articles, commentaries and reviews, available in English and in French. The review showcases some of the most recent developments in Napoleonic history and historiography and also features thematic special editions (such as one on First Empire music). All articles can be freely consulted online and downloaded via cairn.info.
The Fondation Napoléon Digital Library
Those searching for digital versions of out-of-print or rare old books need look no further. The Fondation Napoléon's Digital Library features not only a wide variety of books digitised in-house (and consultable via a specially-developed reader), but also a huge, fully-searchable reference library of texts available online.
Facebook
Facebook users can now find all the latest news and updates from the Fondation Napoléon on Facebook. The foundation's page is added to throughout the week, with photos, videos, links and a lot more available via the service. Even those without a Facebook account can read and open the links and items posted on the page.
Multimedia
The Peninsular Collection: Salamanca (DVD), by Tom Dormer and Andrew Duff
Since his return to the Iberian Peninsular in 1809, General Arthur Wellesley (later The Duke of Wellington) had with his small army been a constant thorn in the side of a series of Napoleon's Marshals in Spain, studiously avoiding battles that he could not win and falling back before superior forces to the Lines of Tores Vedras in 1810. By 1812 he had forged a successful Anglo-Portuguese Army with a string of victories to their credit that included Talevera, Busaco and Funtes de Onoro.Now Wellesley was ready to take the battle to the French and with the capture of the border fortresses of Cuidad Rodrigo and Badajoz in the winter.
The Lines of Wellington (DVD), by Raul Ruiz and Valeria Sarmiento
On 27 September, 1810, having beaten Busaco, Massena was on his way to Lisbon. Already on the defensive, Wellington was strengthening his position and protecting his forces behind a formidable network of fortifications he had built: the famous lines of Torres Vedras. The French, commanded by Massena, were ignorant of their existence. The confrontation of the French with the lines of Torres Vedas provides the backdrop to Valeria Sarmiento's The Lines of Wellington.
The film was the project of Franco-Chilean director Raúl Ruiz, who sadly died before the film was fully completed. Sarmiento picked up where he left off, and does a convincing job of finishing the film. It features an international cast and stars French, American, English and Portuguese actors – creating a film bursting with individual histories and destinies, from the battle at Busaco to Massena's confrontation of the lines at Torres.
What’s On
Woman of Two Worlds: Elizabeth Patterson Bonaparte and her Quest for an Imperial Legacy, Baltimore, USA
Elizabeth Patterson Bonaparte was one of the femme fatales of the War of 1812 generation, setting the gossipmongers atwitter with her revealing empire dresses at society events. Her marriage to Napoleon Bonaparte's younger brother Jerome became an international drama. Even at ninety-four, Elizabeth was still making news as one of America's richest women.
The exhibition illustrates the 'two worlds' of France and America that Elizabeth inhabited and showcases her pearl and garnet tiara, silver, porcelain, paintings, textiles, jewelry, manuscripts, furniture and one of her “scandalous” dresses in the French-style.
2013 INS Conference in Toronto, Canada
The International Napoleonic Society 2013 congress will take place the week beginning 29 July. The congress will include the presentation of papers, two days of excursisons to sites that were important during the War 1812, such as Fort York, and a cruise on lake Ontario.
29 July
Napoléon et l'Europe, Paris, France
This large exhibition at the Musée de l'Armée in Paris (France) bears testimony to the expansion of the Napoleonic Empire at the beginning of the 19th century. The role of the exhibition is to explore the various events, mainly political, through paintings, objects and documents representing different standpoints – from those who collaborated with Napoleon to those who disagreed and voiced their outright opposition.
Over 250 objects are brought together from 50 museums and institutions, more than half of which are outside of France.
Ends 14 July
The Napoleonic Trail in Piedmont, Italy
The Itinerario Napoleonico (the Napoleonic trail) is an initiative of Piedmont region of Italy, intended to commemorate the decisive Italian Campaign of 1796. It follows a route across the country that Napoleon and his troops crossed as part of the campaign, and is made up of 12 stops at the sites of major battles with monuments erected in memory, along with information points. Often situated on promontories with grand views over the landscape where the French army marched.